Day 50 - Sunday 24 June 2012

A cloudy start but it cleared to a bright sunny day, with a temperature range of 13 to 23 degrees. We started the day with a visit to Lake Thetis to look at the Stromatolytes. Stromatolytes are one of the earliest forms of life to evolve on earth and fossilised remains up to 3,400 million years old have been found in the Pilbara. The Lake Thetis stromatolytes are living organisms with similarities with the Pilbara fossils, and have been growing for 3,500 years.

A Stromatolyte at Lake Thetis

More Stromatolytes at Lake Thetis

Next stop was the Pinnacles Desert Park, where thousands of limestone pillars standing up to 4 metres tall rise from the desert sands. A 4.6 km track has been marked through the desert park, as well as walking tracks from the information centre. The origins of the columns are unknown and scientists are not agreed on how the columns were formed, with some believing that the columns are a fossilised forest. The area was virtually unknown until the 1960s.

Di at the Pinnacles

The Mighty Navara

Pinnacles

Sand dunes in the distance

Rocky outcrop in the Pinnacles

David is on this trip!

More Pinnacles

Ocean in the distance

Sandstone outcrop

The ocean from the Pinnacles

A last look at the Pinnacles

After visiting the Pinnacles we returned to the caravan park for lunch, then drove to Jurien Bay which is about 25 kms north of Cervantes. Like Cerevantes, Jurien Bay has been the subject of recent housing development since the opening of the Indian Ocean Drive in 2010 that has reduced the access time from Perth. At Jurien Bay we had a coffee at the waterfront cafe and sat in the sun and enjoyed the views. On the way back to Cervantes we stopped at the Molah Hill Lookout to admire the view.

Jurien Bay Jetty

Recent housing development at Jurien Bay

View from the Molah Lookout 11 km north of Cervantes