Hi, and thanks for joining us. Most people picture a national park as a long hike to a distant viewpoint.

The Pinnacles in Western Australia flips that: you drive to the trailhead, walk about 1.2 km up a steady slope, and the strange limestone pillars are suddenly all around you. No long approach, no complicated logistics. Just a short climb and one of the oddest landscapes you'll stand in.

What you're actually looking at

The Pinnacles are thousands of limestone columns rising out of yellow sand in Nambung National Park, roughly a two-hour drive north of Perth along Indian Ocean Drive. Some stand knee-high. Others reach around 3 to 4 meters. They formed over a long period as wind-blown sand compacted, rain leached through it, and plant roots helped cement the material into columns, then the surrounding sand eroded away. You'll see the full range on the 4 km driving loop, with pull-offs and short boardwalk sections where you can get out and walk among them.

Getting there and around

The drive from Perth runs about 200 km and takes around two hours if you go straight. Most visitors come by car, and that's the practical choice, since there's no train or bus that drops you at the park gate. Fill up in Cervantes, the small town about 20 km south, before you head in. Once inside, the loop drive is one-way and easy to follow, and the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre near the start has parking, toilets, and the trailhead for the walk.

Timing and what it costs

Entry to Nambung National Park runs about A$17 per vehicle for a day pass, which comes to roughly US$11, and you pay at the self-registration station or online before you arrive. Go early morning or late afternoon. Midday light flattens the shadows and the sand gets hot fast. Late afternoon is when the columns cast long shadows across the dunes, and that's the version of the place most photographers come for. Spring, roughly September to November, brings wildflowers across the surrounding heath and mild daytime temperatures.

Practical tips before you go

Bring more water than you think you need. There's no drinking water past the discovery centre, and summer temperatures regularly push past 35C. Wear closed shoes for the walk, since the sand gets into everything and the track has loose sections. Stay on the marked paths and boardwalks, the formations are fragile and easy to damage. And give yourself at least two hours on site, more if you plan to do the walking trail and the drive loop properly.

The whole trip works as a day out from Perth, but it's better as an overnight stop. Stay in Cervantes or Jurien Bay, see the Pinnacles in late light, then come back for sunrise when the place is nearly empty. That's the version worth planning around, so build the extra night in and give yourself both.