Nambung National Park

When you visit the legendary Lancelin sand dunes you could squint and imagine you’re in a post apocalyptic dystopian world with David Lynch writing the script. It’s trippy. The sand is white like icing sugar rather than Sahara desert golden, and some dunes are as big as three story buildings.

If you don’t have a pre apocalyptic 4x4W drive vehicle then you can drive right up to the entry point in a Toyota Corolla, park up, and hit the dunes with a Sandboard (that’s Western Australian for snowboard). Like huge white waves, the Lancelin dunes are as close to a ski slope anyone in Western Australia can hope for.

If you want to pump some adrenalin through your limbs, you could imagine a sadistic Emperor’s troops are chasing you, or you could invest is some wax and cover the bottom of your board really well. Candle wax will do or most rental places will give you some.

These dunes are always open but you’re at the mercy of mistress nature so sand storms do happen. Wear sunglasses or even ski goggles and something tight to stop your hair whipping your cheeks. Remember, the sand is hot to walk on and gets in places the sun doesn’t see, though it wipes off loose clothes easily enough.

Considered one of the ten natural wonders of Western Australia, the Pinnacles are like a natural stonehenge, but sharper, with more teeth like and they have been standing in Namburg National Park for millions of years.

These freakish limestone fingers rise from the desert like an eerie Martian landscape. And while there are no little green men, you can spot Emus and Galahs that roam wild around the formations.

The tallest of the Pinnacles stand at an impressive 3.5 metres tall (11.5 Feet) which is the height of two Emus, and there are thousands of these ancient fingers scattered around the desert.

If the Pinnacles or dunes don’t make you think about the dawn of time then Lake Thetis will. It’s pock marked with thrombolites around the edge of the lake and while it’s tempting to play hop-scotch across them, these rock stacks are built by tiny micro-organisms that are too small for the human eye to see but believe us, they’re there. Scientists have poured over them to understand the crazy long history of life on earth and there are only a few places on the planet where you can see these ancient structures. The loop track around the lake is 1.5 km but the first 300 metres passes the best thrombo’s if you’re short on time to investigate the history of mankind.