Wildlife Tours Australia · Criterion Hotel, 560 Hay St, 9:30am
The cheapest day tour on the list: a 9:30am start from the Criterion Hotel, morning tea at Yanchep, the stromatolites at Lake Thetis, the Lobster Shack in Cervantes and the Pinnacles in the afternoon. Pick it to keep the cost down and to see Lake Thetis, which most tours skip.
From US$121, this is the lowest-priced Pinnacles day we list, and the start is civilised: 9:30am outside the Criterion Hotel on Hay Street, back about 7pm. The first stop is morning tea in Yanchep, at a lavender farm or the tearooms, with a tasting of local produce. Then the mini-coach heads north to Lake Thetis, just outside Cervantes.
Lake Thetis is the reason to pick this tour over the others. A boardwalk runs over the edge of a salty lake where living stromatolites and thrombolites grow, built by microbes. The lake was cut off from the sea about 4,800 years ago, and the structures are dated to about 3,370 years old, not the 3.5 billion years some sites claim; that figure belongs to the oldest stromatolites on Earth. Lunch follows at the Lobster Shack, then the Pinnacles with a guided walk and a look into the Discovery Centre.
The price has a catch. Lunch is not included: the Lobster Shack is a stop, and you pay for what you order. Add a meal and the gap to the tours with lunch included narrows. You reach the pinnacles in the afternoon, after the midday peak but well before sunset. The listing asks for moderate fitness for the walk, and it does not take children under 6 or people with limited mobility.
Meet outside 560 Hay St. Inner-city pickup points are also listed.
Lavender farm or tearooms, with a local produce tasting.
The boardwalk over the stromatolites, a few minutes from Cervantes.
Order what you like and pay on the spot. Lunch is not in the price.
A guided walk among the pillars and a stop at the Discovery Centre.
The drive home runs down the coast into the evening.
★★★★★Geoff the guide was excellent. Great knowledge, friendly and genuine.
★★★★★Sehr gute Organisation mit mehreren Stopps. Einziger Tipp: Maske mitnehmen! (Fliegen)
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No. The tour stops at the Lobster Shack in Cervantes, but lunch is at your own cost. Morning tea in Yanchep is included.
It leaves the Criterion Hotel at 9:30am and returns about 7pm, according to the listing.
About 3,370 years, according to DBCA. The "3.5 billion years" figure you see online refers to the oldest stromatolites on Earth, not these.
From age 6, and guests aged 6 to 17 need a parent or guardian with them.
Ready to book
The lowest-priced day: morning tea at Yanchep, Lake Thetis, the Lobster Shack (lunch extra) and the Pinnacles.
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