Feature by Danielle Austin
An out-of-this-world experience awaits in the remote darkness of the Western Australian outback for travellers willing to seek it out. Endless crystal-clear pinpricks of light pierce the enveloping darkness of the night sky over a vast and barren stretch of red dirt, interspersed only by looming rock formations. This is the view that draws dark-sky enthusiasts to the Western Australia landscape, where the dramatic remove from the modern world offers a perfect vantage point from which to take in the celestial landscape.
Gastronomy meets astronomy in Cervantes
Two hours north of Perth, Cervantes is the home of the Pinnacles Desert which sits within the Nambung National Park. A vast stretch of jagged limestone pillars jutting metres into the air, the Pinnacles Desert is an awe-inspiring sight by day, but it is transformed to something otherworldly come nightfall.
Minimal artificial light interference makes the Pinnacles Desert an optimal location for dark-sky astrophotography, with the limestone formations providing a haunting backdrop to the hazy Milky Way that stretches across the sky above. Joining a sunset and stargazing tour, you’ll be treated to a gourmet barbecue dinner amid the unique rock formations, featuring produce and wines from Western Australia’s renowned Margaret River and Swan Valley regions, as you gaze skywards contemplating the vastness of our universe.
Night sky, Kalbarri Coastal Cliffs
Stories in the stars in Gingin
Hearing Aboriginal Dreamtime Creation stories under the expansive starscape that inspired them is a truly humbling experience, and a reminder that this country’s First Nations people are ancient custodians of the secrets of stargazing. Aboriginal Australians are often credited as the first astronomers, with the night sky not only setting the scene for Dreamtime stories, but also playing an important role in navigation, timekeeping and ceremony.
A number of experiences offer travellers an insight into the traditions of Aboriginal astronomy, including at Gingin’s Gravity Discovery Centre, less than an hour’s drive north of Perth. Here, astronomy tours are led by Aboriginal Elder and cultural guide Dr Noel Nannup, who takes visitors on a walking tour that weaves Dreamtime legends with a laser tour of the night sky. Drawing on both ancient Aboriginal teachings and our modern understanding of the celestial wonders, you’ll decipher the giant scorpion, emu and kangaroo constellations, and learn about reading the stars according to practices utilised through millennia.
Nature's Window, Kalbarri National Park
Walk among the gods in Kalbarri
The pristine, pitch-black night skies of Kalbarri, a little over six hours’ drive north of Perth, are the perfect location to get a little closer to the stars with a stroll along the vertiginous Kalbarri Skywalk. Located within the Kalbarri National Park, the twin metal viewing platforms are anchored deeply in the rock ledge and extend out from the gorge, more than 100 metres above the Murchison River. Standing under the inky-black dome of sky here offers not only visual access to an unobstructed sweep of stars and planets but the unique experience of seeing it all reflected on the surface of the waters far below.
While the naked-eye view is incredible, take advantage of a stargazing tour which will reveal the incredible celestial secrets that are only visible through a telescope. Leave time to take the short walk to Nature’s Window, an incredible rock formation that perfectly frames the constellations overhead.
Take the Stairway to the Moon in Broome
Greg Quicke, Australia’s self-appointed #SpaceGandalf, has been leading stargazers through far away galaxies for more than 25 years as the owner of Astro Tours, based in Broome in the state’s North West. Quicke’s Broome's Astronomy Experience is a 2.5-hour star-studded extravaganza that is both educational and entertaining, utilising big telescopes and lasers to trace some of the best stargazing skies on the planet. The show takes place when the night sky allows at Astro Tours’ dark site, an easy 20-minute drive out of town.
And if your sights are firmly set skyward when you travel, make sure to consult the lunar calendar and time your visit to Broome to coincide with the full moon in order to witness the mesmerising natural phenomenon known as the Staircase to the Moon, when the giant orb reflects off the watery mud flats of Roebuck Bay to create the illusion of a quivering, ephemeral stairway stretching to the heavens.
Staircase to the Moon, Roebuck Bay
Published August 2022.