Getting to the Pinnacles from Perth
200 km north of Perth, about two hours each way, on a road that is sealed the whole distance. There is no bus, no train and no airport, so the question is only whether you drive it yourself or let somebody else. Pinnacles sunset tours do the driving and start from five different addresses across the city.
The distance — 200 km and about two hours
The Pinnacles sit in Nambung National Park, a couple of kilometres south of Cervantes and 17 km from the townsite along Pinnacles Drive. From central Perth that is about 200 km and roughly two hours without stops, which becomes two and a half with them. Reviewers on every one of these departures describe it as a long day, and it is: four hours of the day are the road.
Indian Ocean Drive, the coast route
The one almost everybody takes. Head north out of Perth on Wanneroo Road, which becomes Indian Ocean Drive, and stay on it until the Pinnacles sign, turning right. It is sealed, it is scenic, and it strings together most of the places the evening departures stop at — Guilderton, Lancelin, Nilgen Lookout, Hangover Bay.
Two things to know. It carries a lot of traffic for a two-lane road, and kangaroos and emus come out at dusk along it, which matters on the drive home from a sunset departure.
Brand Highway, the inland route
The alternative runs north on Brand Highway to Cervantes, then two kilometres south to the Pinnacles turn-off. It is the faster road if you are continuing north afterwards, and it misses the coast entirely. Most people use it in one direction and the coast in the other, which is the sensible way round.
The five places Perth departures leave from
There is no single tour terminal, and where your departure starts is worth checking before you book a hotel.
| Departure point | Address |
|---|---|
| The Bell Tower, Barrack Square | Riverside Drive, Perth |
| Crown Perth | Great Eastern Highway, Burswood |
| The Criterion Hotel | 560 Hay Street, Perth |
| The Pensione Hotel | 70 Pier Street, Perth |
| Kookaburra Air | 4 Baron Way, Jandakot |
Two of these operators also collect from Perth city and Northbridge hotels on request at the time of booking, one collects from designated CBD hotels only, and the private departures come to your door. One reviewer was left behind at a kerbside stop after the driver took the wrong passenger, so if you are joining at a kerb rather than a hotel, confirm at booking how the driver identifies you.
Fuel, food and the last shop
Cervantes is the last of everything. It has fuel, a general store, the visitor centre on Cadiz Street and the rock-lobster industry two day departures build lunch around. Inside the park there is no food, no drinking water and no fuel at all, so whatever you need has to be bought before the turn-off. Lancelin, 75 km south of the desert, is the other place on this road with services.
Finding the turn-off
The turn is signposted from both directions and sits a couple of kilometres south of Cervantes on Indian Ocean Drive. From there Pinnacles Drive runs 17 km to the entry station and the Discovery Centre. Phone coverage is patchy on this stretch, so if you navigate by phone, download the map before you leave Perth.
Why there is no bus
No public transport reaches Nambung National Park. There is no rail line north of the Perth suburbs on this route, no scheduled coach to Cervantes timed for a day visit, and no shuttle from the town to the desert. That is the whole reason this attraction is sold as a day tour: a guided departure and a hire car are the only two ways to stand among the pillars, and visiting the Pinnacles sets out the cost of each. Pinnacles Tours lists every departure with its pickup point.