Hutt Lagoon — Attraction in Yallabatharra

In summer, much of the lagoon dries out, and the remaining water tends to be a less vibrant pink. “It’s still beautiful in its own right, but it’s different,” Hay says.

The couple’s tours of Hutt Lagoon use a six-seater buggy to take guests over sand dunes for a high-vantage-point view of the lake and encounters with emus, kangaroos and lizards, as well as on a journey through “miles of wildflowers” in spring.

In summer, the tours drive over the dried-out sections of salt bed, and the buggy reveals its significant advantage over traditional 4WD vehicles: it doesn’t sink. “We do recovery mission after recovery mission of people who try and drive over the salt flats,” Hay says. She doesn’t recommend walking on the lake bed for precisely this reason. “It’s very salty and soft, and can be quite slimy.”

THE BUBBLEGUM PINK LAKE

Down off the coast at Esperance, another of Western Australia’s famous pink lakes can be found on Middle Island. Experts aren’t sure why Lake Hillier is bubblegum pink – some say it’s a matter of algae; others theorise that it’s a result of a bacteria found in the water. But unlike Hutt Lagoon, with its ever-changing nature, Lake Hillier maintains its vibrant shade all year round.

In 1802, when explorer Matthew Flinders first sighted the body of water, he noted it as “a small lake of a rose colour”. Maybe he was underselling it to try to keep people away. Because the island setting, which juxtaposes the bright pink lake with brilliant blue water, makes Lake Hillier utterly spectacular.

It’s possible to visit Middle Island by boat or helicopter. With Goodwin McCarthy Helicopters, you can land on the island and explore camp ruins once occupied by Black Jack Anderson, Australia’s only known pirate, who terrorised the waterways around these parts in the 1830s. The tour then moves on to the lake, though guests are not allowed too close to the water because of the potential impact of increasing tourist numbers on this unique...

This is probably the most famous of the Pink Lakes in Western Australia. Located around 55 km south of Kalbarri, Hutt Lagoon is a convenient stop to make when driving to/from Kalbarri.

There is a short turnoff to the west side of the lake towards Port Gregory. After a few kilometres you can stop your vehicle and walk close to the shoreline where you see the peculiar pink water colour, caused by the presence of high concentration of a micro-algae.

Seems best time to visit is midday around 10am to 2pm and on sunny days. We visited fairly late in the afternoon in route to Kalbarri. The water still had a noticeable pink shade. Well worth making a brief detour to the viewpoints at Hutt Lagoon to see this...

It’s summer now at 30+celcius and so the water level is very low. The water is in a very light pastel shade of pink and although interesting, it is not magnificent. Especially not picturesque if you’re not getting any drone shots. This lake seems a lot prettier viewing from above! When it gets windy like today (45km/hr), it’s almost impossible to get any decent photos so will I would not recommend driving 5.5hrs from Perth just for this in a day trip but if you’re in the area then sure swing by to take a look! P.s there’s a loo 1.1km away...