TRAVEL WESTERN AUSTRALIA by FACTS4YOU.NET

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Hi fellow travellers! Recently I posted an article about Lancelin, Western Australia. I thought you might enjoy hearing some more about the loads of fun in the sun you can have in & around Lancelin if you have some spare time. Now, you would need access to a Quad bike, or similar, to do what we did…if you can get a loan of one you can explore the vast sand dunes of Lancelin in Australia.

One method would be to book a “Four Wheel Drive Coach Tour” to Lancelin. Man, those beasties can travel anywhere…well almost anywhere.

Four Wheel Drive Bush Coach returning from a bash through the lancelin Sand Dunes!!!

You can arrange to take one of these day tours via your travel agent. Most of these tours depart from Perth City & collect passengers from their various hotels on the trip north. As previously mentioned Lancelin is only some 130 k’s north of Perth City. The trip takes around an hour & a half to get there.

If you take a tour like the above the coach will provide you with a really exciting experience careering up & over some of the massive sand dunes. You wont get the ultimate thrill of driving your own machine, however you will have a ball! Hopefully your tour driver will give you some time to slide down a huge dune on a sand board or similar….just like skiing…on your bottom!

Now a serious word of warning about the Lancelin sand dunes…& I am not joking about this..so absorb this info!! Lots of people have been seriously…big time…injured, riding various trail bikes, quads, etc; through & over these dunes. During 2008 one young man was killed when his trail bike roared up a steep, high, sand dune… launched into space at the top …only to discover there was NO other side to the sand dune!!! He & his trail bike plummeted several metres to the ground!

Also dont wander off into these sand dunes alone unless you are familiar with the various routes…you wont want to get lost out there…believe me! Make sure you carry plenty of water on your person if you have your own equipment as it gets very, very hot in the summer. And when the south westerly wind gets really blowing the sand is stinging & visibility reduces seriously. Bit like a sand storm in the Gobi Desert, instead it’s in Australia…so please;  please be careful in this wilderness wild bush country.

You should also ensure you wear a crash helmet when riding any trail bikes, quad bikes, etc.

On our recent trip we had an absolute ball. We arrived at the dunes around 11.30 am. The day was a bit overcast & quite windy. We set up our temporary camp & unloaded the quad & trail bikes as well as a two person bush basher car. The next most important matter was to setup the portable barby.

Our camp site in the Lancelin Sand Dunes with some dunes in background – November 2008

After enjoying a delicious barby of sausages, steak in rolls with salad, & I have to report a bit of blown sand…we each went our way to have fun in the sun. We took turns to ride the various machines, although I avoided the trail bike…cant risk any busted bones these days!. The quad bike is just the ticket for us older folk. And here I am about to head off into the “desert”:

The Author aboard a quad bike about to drive into the sand dunes to the rear…fantastic fun!! Dont worry…I put my crash helmet on before setting sail into the sand!

The sand dunes are also tops for racing remote control, petrol driven, buggies. One younger member of our group had his Baja HPI remote controlled car. What a great time he had roaring his Baja up & down the sand dunes. He also took some first class video of the event which you can view on Ryan’s Blog.

Baja remote controlled petrol engine buggy tearing through the sand dunes at Lancelin

A closeup of Baja just before it roared off, with a crackling exhaust into the sand dunes!!

Everyone had turns on the different equipment. By around 4 pm the wind intensified from the west & conditions became a bit unpleasant causing the driving white beach sand to pelt into everything…in particular our unprotected faces. Make sure you take sun glasses and a hat…essential equipment along with the water!

We packed up camp after what had proved a day jammed with exciting experiences in the Lancelin sand dunes that you have to see to believe. When you decide to visit us in Perth, try & allow for a day trip north, which includes some time bashing over the Lancelin sand dunes in Western Australia…you will have fun.

Until next time…meanwhile, why not join my  WA Travel Forum & tell us about your own travel experiences in West Aussie!

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Written by Admin

A couple of weeks ago, on the 9th November we drove from Perth, northwards to the coastal holiday town of Lancelin. This friendly little oasis of beach & boat fishing, big & small holiday homes, & famous for it’s pristine miles of huge, high rolling white sand dunes is a must see destination!

Incredibly, this is a giant sand dune….not a mountain of snow!

Lancelin is situated around 120 kilometres north of Perth. The trip up Wanneroo Road, if you are staying in Perth City, will take you around an hour and a half. The roads are excellent & the scenery is of brown, dry, rolling coastal rural country during summer, & greener country between May & September.

You will pass the famous Yanchep National park on your left about 50 k’s out of Perth. Yanchep National Park is well worth a visit. The Park offers acres of natural bush, parklands full of wildlife such as kangaroos, koala bears & birdlife. The Park also boasts a delightful turn of the 18th century hotel, where you can enjoy a tasty variety of foods, fast foods, or select from the hotel menu in the gorgeous old restaurant. The Park also has a large natural lake where you can row a hire boat through bushy islands. Spectacular underground caves are also open for your enjoyment. Entry to the Park is currently around Au$10 per car.

The lake at Yanchep National Park

Koala Bear at Yanchep enjoying his favourite past time ….sleeping!

Once in Lancelin, if you are only there for the day, make sure you drive north through the town to see the vast crystal white sand dunes. Hopefully it wont be windy. The reason I say that is that the day we took our beach buggies for a bash over the dunes a strong wind was blowing. Wow…it was like being in a sand storm in the Simpson Desert! If you visit Lancelin by tour coach, the driver will make sure you visit this amazing natural resource. Dont miss them! Make sure you capture the dunes on your cameras to show the folks back home.

A Quad Buggy having a ball in the sand dunes

The beaches to the west of the town are glorious. A couple of large offshore islands add to the gorgeous views. If you are a fisher person & the day is calm see if you can try your luck!

Lancelin itself is nothing posh. So dont go there expecting 5 star treatment at any of the hotels or dining establishments. However, you will be guaranteed plenty to eat at any of the corner cafes, or the main hotel. The town is mainly a base for the cray Fishing industry..which is very big in Western Australia. Sorry to tell you it may be difficult to actually enjoy a fresh locally caught crayfish (lobster) if you arrive during the closed season.

Visiting Lancelin will give you an excellent insight into the very natural & somewhat rugged nature of the Western Australian bushland & a typical West Aussie coastal fishing town. particularly if you donw have a lot of time to travel more extensively during your stay. Try & include Yanchep national Park on your way to Lancelin if you can spare an hour or so, as you will get up close & personal to some real Aussie wildlife.

My favourite of the Aussie bush – Kookaburra at Yanchep

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