The Pinnacles
The Pinnacles Desert remained relatively unknown until the late 1960s. In the Pinnacles Desert, right in the heart of Nambung National Park, thousands of huge limestone pillars rise out of a stark landscape of yellow sand. This area is in the heart of the Park and consists of thousands of limestone pillars rising out of yellow sand. The raw material for the limestone of the pinnacles came from sea shells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life. These shells were broken down into lime-rich sands which were brought ashore by waves and then carried inland by the wind to form high, mobile dunes. Three old systems of sand dunes run parallel to the WA coast, marking ancient shorelines.
Although the formation of the Pinnacles would have taken many thousands of years, they were probably only exposed in quite recent times. Aboriginal artefacts at least 6,000 years old have been found in the Pinnacles Desert despite no recent evidence of Aboriginal occupation. This tends to suggest that the Pinnacles were exposed about 6,000 years ago and then covered up by shifting sands, before being exposed again in the last few hundred years. This process can be seen in action today – with the predominantly southerly winds uncovering pinnacles in the northern part of the Pinnacles Desert but covering those in the south. Over time, the limestone spires will no doubt be covered again by other sand drifts and the cycle repeated, creating weird and wonderful shapes over and over again.
Related Travel Information
Midlands And Batayia Coast
Renowned as much for the seas of bright color that blanket the region during the autumn wildflower season as for its beautiful coast, this region depends on fishing, agriculture, and tourism to earn its keep. The Branch Hwy marches north from Perth a few dozen kilometers inland from the coastline of the Indian Ocean, while the wheat-growing Midlands extend for hundreds of kilometers to the east. The Batavia Coast stretches from just north of the Pinnacles up as far as the red cliffs of Kalbarri, and takes its name from the most famous of the many shipwrecks
Nambung National Park
Nambung National Park is situated on the coast of Western Australia and is about three hours travelling time north of Perth. This park features beautiful beaches, coastal dune systems, shady groves of tuart trees and low heathland rich in flowering plants. The vegetation bursts into flower from August to October, creating a memorable spectacle for visitors. In the midst of this diversity is one of Australia's most fascinating areas - the Pinnacles Desert, one of Australia's best known landscapes. Here, thousands of huge limestone pillars rise from the shifting yellow sands.
Low scrub throughout the park makes easy walking
Western Australia
To say that Western Australia is immense is something of an understatement. The water pipes that stretch from Perth to Kalgoorlie are the length of England. The state boundaries enclose an area three-and-a-half times the size of Texas and could contain the Netherlands 70 times over. You can drive for hours along the desert roads with¬out seeing another car. Yet most visitors, like most Westralians, never see more than a fraction of it. Of the state's 1.7 million people, 1.3 million live in the Perth area, and most of the rest are close to the coast, among the vineyards
