To read about the first part of our road trip from Perth to Cervantes, you can click here.
To read about the second part of our trip from Cervantes to Kalbarri, you can click here.
To read about the third part of our trip exploring Kalbarri National Park, you can click here.
After a bit of a sleep in, we got up and enjoyed our last breakfast at Gecko Lodge. My husband had fluffy pancakes, while I had the continental breakfast and of course, I mustn’t forget about our smiley coffee’s! We didn’t dawdle for too long as we were keen to hit the road back home. Unlike our trip up to Kalbarri, we weren’t planning on making any major stops on the way home and according to Google, it would be a long 6.5 hour drive.
Hutt Lagoon
Although we didn’t make any major stops, we did make an exception to see Hutt Lagoon as it was on the way out of Kalbarri. Hutt Lagoon is where you can see one of Australia’s famous pink lakes and is a must see if you’re in the area! I caught a glimpse of it on the drive into town and had been looking forward to seeing it up close on the drive back home.
The lake can be accessed from George Grey Drive but you’ll need to pull over and park your car on the side of the road as there’s no formal entrance. Located nearby is the BASF Chemical Company and I would recommend parking your car further up the road as there are signs that indicate it’s a restricted area. It’s such a well known place and is listed as a tourist place to visit, so I was surprised at how difficult it was to find a way in.
Up close and personal, the lake is a beautiful bubblegum pink colour that changes to a dark purple depending on the way you look at the water. The colour naturally occurs due to a special algae and I was surprised to learn that it’s used a source for food colouring and makeup! It was absolutely beautiful and I wish that we had a drone to capture it from a bird’s eye point of view.
Jurien Bay
On the drive back home, we did make one last stop for lunch at Jurien Jetty Cafe. I had fish and chips, my husband the burger, and we shared an ice coffee, which was a cool relief on such a hot, sunny day. Afterwards, we took a short walk along the jetty and enjoyed the sea breeze. The water looked so cool and inviting that I wished I had bathers on underneath so I could take a dip!
Finally, we hopped back into our car and drove all the way back to Perth, arriving home in the late afternoon.
What an epic road trip and I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading all about it! We visited so many new places and had great food (as well as coffee!) along the way. I would love to do another road trip further up north beyond Kalbarri. Hopefully we’ll be back to visit the region someday soon!ย
Marie xo