There are a few pink lakes in Western Australia. The one we had chosen for this trip is Hutt Lagoon, the easiest to drive to from Kalbarri. The Hutt Lagoon is located in Port Gregory, a picturesque fishing village encircled by 5km of exposed coral reefs. The lake is huge and elongated, covering a total of 14 kilometers in length. Remember in the previous post, I raved about the spectacular bird eye view we’ve got flying over the pink lakes? If you would like to do that as well, contact Geraldton Air Charter to book a slot.
Are there other pink lakes as alternatives?
There are a few more, I've never been to any other so I couldn't comment about the hue. But, if you've read about the most famous pink lake in Western Australia, the Esperance Pink Lake, DON'T GO THERE. The pink hue of this lake is fading fast, leaving tourists confused and the town with an identity crisis. It made the headlines last year, so it is a known case.Why is the Pink lake pink?
The pink lakes are naturally salt lakes and the pink hues are due to the presence of Dunaliella Salina bacteria trapped inside the salt granules. This is also why walking bare feet on the pink lake is not advisable. God knows what will penetrate your skin.Also, very important to note that you can’t drink the lake water! Although the beta-carotene from the algae can be used as a food-coloring agent and source of Vitamin A in cosmetics and supplements, trying to taste the lake water before processing is a dangerous act. So for those who are traveling with kids, do keep an eye on them. Let them know that is not a pool of strawberry milkshake.
How to reach Hutt Lagoon?
From Geraldton, drive on the main highway toward Carnavon. Then, take Port Gregory Road toward Port Gregory and Kalbarri. The Hutt Lagoon is 42 km from this turn-off.Most of the messages I got on Facebook sound like this:
In my opinion, Perth is some distance away, but it is not impossible to do a trip and back in a day. I recommend checking out other attractions along the way so that you don’t feel bored driving 5 hours straight. This is what you can do, if you really really want to squeeze Hutt Lagoon in:
0700 Depart from Perth.
to next destination: 1 hour 30 min via Mitchell Fwy/State Route 2 and State Route 60
0830 Lancelin Sand Dunes
Recommended time to spend: 40 minutes for sandboarding.
to next destination: 1 hour via Indian Ocean Dr/State Route 60
1010 Lobster Shack
Have brunch here. Taste their famous lobster dish.
Recommended time to spend: 40 minutes.
to next destination: 3hours 30min via Indian Ocean Dr/State Route 60 and National Route 1
1420 Hutt Lagoon
Recommended time to spend: 20 minutes
to next destination: 3 hours 39 min via National Route 1 and Indian Ocean Dr/State Route 60
Pull over to witness the bizarre natural phenomenon of the leaning trees scattered throughout the Greenough Shire, just off the highway!
1830 Nambung National Park
Just in time for sunset!
Recommended time to spend: 1 hour until the last light.
Back to Perth: 3 hours via State Route 60. (Normally takes 2 hours. At night, one should drive extra carefully.)
2230 Back in Perth.
Where is the best Look Out Point?
There are a lot of spots along Port Gregory Road where you can stop your car safely and walk to the edge. a reader of my Facebook Page, Tom’mi Lim shared his favorite spot with me where the water looks the milkiest pink. Just look for the "Port Gregory look outpoint". When you see the sign, drive straight ahead until nearly the end of the lake.
Then, you will see the lookout point together with a chair, fishing rod, and a television.
Thank you, Tom'mi for sharing your experience and beautiful photos with me!!!
The Best Time to Visit
Depending on the time of year, the state of the pink lake changes, so to photograph it pink, you need to go during wet seasons because the lake will only appear pink with adequate water.Lucky us, we visited the lake 1 day after a rainfall. Hence, it wasn’t too dry, we still get to see reasonable pink hue. Also, the lake changes through the spectrum of red to bubble-gum pink to a lilac purple throughout the day, depending on the cloud condition at times. According to official recommendations, the best time of day to visit is mid-morning or sundown.
How long to spend at the Pink Lake?
There isn’t too much thing to do around the lake so most probably you’ll want to get going after a few snaps. We stayed near the edge for around 30 minutes looking for the perfect angle to take a photo (due to the lack of water, we faced some difficulty trying to capture the pink hue, but anyhow we did it.) If you happen to visit during spring, autumn or winter, water should not be a problem so maybe 15 minutes is more than enough.
That is all about my trip to Pink Lake in early March 2018! For more inspiration, check out Tourism Western Australia and Coral Coast Australia (Australian Best Kept Secret until Now).
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Thank You for Reading!
This post is written based on my trip to Western Australia.
MHF was hosted by The Tourism Board of Western Australia but opinions are as always our own.
Feel free to share your thoughts with us by commenting below!
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