Western Australia

Indian Ocean Drive

A pink lake, a desert of stone spires, and sea lions in between

This drive north from Perth trades one strange landscape for another, starting with the Pinnacles, thousands of limestone spires rising from golden desert sand inside Nambung National Park. Lesueur National Park puts on one of the biggest wildflower displays on Earth each spring, while Jurien Bay offers boat tours out to wild sea lions in their natural colony. Geraldton anchors the coast as a wind sports haven, gateway to the remote Houtman Abrolhos Islands offshore. Every stop along this road feels like a different planet entirely.