Day 4
Drove 880 km, 550 mile
I was planning to drive from Lancelin to Monkey Mia (about 750km, 467 mile), but I found a pink lake to stop at along the way. Despite the thick clouds and rain, you never know what will happen when you get there, right? Small errands in Australia aren't really short (110 km or 70 miles), but they are always worth it!
As I was driving, I saw the beginning of the lake, but it looked like low tide with no water. The lake seemed grayish until I reached the parking lot. As soon as I parked and looked at the lake, I saw it was pink, but not as vibrant as I had hoped. I got my drone and walked toward the deeper side of the lake. Then, all of a sudden, the light broke through and a bit of blue sky appeared. That made the pink lake really pink.
I'm not entirely sure if this was the best spot to see the Hutt Lagoon, pink lake, but I managed to take this photo from Port Gregory Road after driving about 50 km. You'll notice a parking area on the right side. You can find it using GPS coordinates "Pink Lake Lookout."
Hutt Lagoon boasts a pink hue created by the presence of carotenoid-producing algae, Dunaliella salina, which is a source of beta-carotene; a food-colouring agent; and a source of Vitamin A.
After I took a few shots with my drone, the thick clouds came back, and it started raining. I think someone is looking out for me on this trip. Since my Jetstar flight wasn't delayed or canceled, I feel like I have luck on my side this time lol.
Alright, I still have to drive to Monkey Mia, which is 450 km away, so I better keep going.
First long drive in Australia was raining and I began to smell a pleasant aroma. At first, I thought it might have come from something in my bag, but then I realized it was the scent of tea tree. I didn't have any tea tree oil with me, so I figured it must be coming from the trees along the roadside. It was such a wonderful experience, being surrounded by the natural aroma of tea trees.
About 80 km away from today's accommodation, I saw a towing truck and a car next to it. I couldn't help but wonder how long they had been waiting for the towing truck and where they would go from there. It made me realize that I really need to be careful on these remote roads. If you have an accident here, it not only ruins the trip but also means waiting many hours for help, including an ambulance.
Still 50 km away from today's accommodation, it was completely dark and raining. We were in the middle of nowhere, with no lights on the road. Suddenly, I saw something sitting in the middle of the road. I was lucky I could stop in time. What was it? A kangaroo, of course. It was sitting right in the middle of the highway, staring at me. Now I understand what the "Kangaroo caution sign" is for. I hadn't seen any kangaroos until now.
The legal speed limit was 80 km/hour, but this was probably the first time I wasn't comfortable driving at that speed. It was dark, raining, and there were kangaroos around. I think I only sped at around 60 km/hour, and I even let the towing truck pass me.
I saw a few kangaroos on the way, but luckily, I didn't hit any of them.
It felt like I was playing Mario Kart or something (although I've never played it before, lol).
Finally, the scary drive was over, and I found my accommodation. There were three Asian girls talking to the receptionist, and I overheard their conversation. They were from Singapore, and they were the ones who had been with the towing truck. They had hit a kangaroo, and they hadn't even planned to stay here, but they had no choice. I felt really sorry for them.
I really don't recommend driving from dusk to dark in Australia. I talked to a few locals about this, and all of them warned me: "Do not drive from dusk to dark." They said kangaroos can jump right in front of you out of nowhere, and it's impossible to avoid them.
I used to live in Cairns, Australia (in the northeast), and I've never actually seen a wild kangaroo, so I didn't know about this danger before.
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To be continued
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