Perth and the Pinnacles

February 21, 2023

Today we ventured out of Perth and out to the Pinnacles Desert in the Nambung National Park.

It was a 2 to 3 hour drive from Perth with stops along the way and the way back. Our first stop was at a beach area.

The scenery along the way was stunning.

We were a little disappointed to discover that we were only allowed 45 minutes at the Pinnacles, but we made the most of our time. You couldn't see them at first. You walked along a trail through some interesting bush with many different berries.

At the end of the path, were the Pinnacles. Thousands of ancient limestone pillars rise out of the desert in many different shapes and sizes. They are over 25 thousand years old!

What do the different shapes remind you of?

After the Pinnacles, we drove a short distance to the remarkable Lake Thetis. The lake is tidal and has a higher salt content than the sea that feeds it. However, the most thrilling part about the visit were the Stromatolites, or "Breathing Rocks". They are the oldest oxygen-breathing organism ever to be recorded. The top layer is living microbes sitting atop the fossilized remains of other microbes. Although the Stromatolites we saw were probably "only" 2,000 to 3,000 years old, they are believed to be the first living species and to have existed over 3 1/2 billion years ago! Some scientists hypothesize that they provided the oxygen in our atmosphere. They released oxygen into the oceans which then released it into the air.

We stopped for lunch before heading back to Perth. We also did one last bathroom break at another beach stop.

Once back in Perth, we stopped at King's Park for the scenic overlook of Perth and a short look at the gardens.

Perth was a beautiful city with a mix of parks and interesting buildings. We caught glimpses as we drove through. The Raffles Hotel hosted many musical groups including the popular Australian band AC/DC. Their sports arena really stood out with all of its angles, while another building was made up of rectangles and circles.

They also revere the service of their military and remember them with statues and an everlasting flame memorial in King's Park

Freemantle where our ship berthed is a busy shipping port, so they have lots and lots of shipping containers. They have cleverly repurposed them in buildings and their rainbow arch welcoming you to Freemantle.

Freemantle also boasts Dingo Flour, an iconic factory. During World War II they had to paint over the dingo because they heard that Japan was planning on bombing it thinking that it had a military purpose instead of just being a flour factory.