Myalup beach is one of the 4WD beaches along the 60km stretch (between Tims Thicket to the north and Binningup to the south). It is a beautiful beach with soft white sand and spectacular colours of the ocean.
The sand dunes separate the ocean and Lake Preston running parallel to the coast for many kms. From the bird’s eye view, this looks quite amazing. The access to Myalup beach is very easy, right from the carpark.
Lake Preston near Myalup beach
Lake Preston, just north of Myalup, is an usual lake. Stretching for 30 km, it is the longest lake in Yalgorup National Park. It is also the closest to the coast. The lake is shallow and very saline, providing favourable conditions for salt-loving halobacteria to flourish which makes the water turn pink. Looks amazing from above!
Millers Point bush camp ground turned out to be much better than we expected. Located on the shore of Beaufort Inlet, it is easily accessable, being only 6km dirt road from Borden-Bremer Road, 50km west of Bremer Bay in the Great Southen region of Western Australia.
Not just overnight stop
Millers Point bush camp can be used as a base to explore all the beautiful beaches around Bremer Bay, or you can stay at the camp, relaxing and enjoying the nature. The inlet is beautiful.
There are many birds to watch there, both on shore and in the trees and bushes.
Above: Silvereye (top left), Blue Wren male (top middle), Blue Wren female (top right), Galah (bottom left), Welcome Swallows (bottom right).
There are easy bush walks around and 4WD tracks nearby to test your limits. One of the attractions at Millers Point camp is Crocodile Rock, which is part of 1,5km walk to the lookout. It is particularly impressive at sunrise. I took this picture just before 5am. Things that you do when you want to take good photos :).
You can also go fishing and kayaking at the inlet.
The beauty of camping at the inlet is that you don’t need to walk far to enjoy sunset. This was pretty much the view from our camping spot at Millers Point bush camp.
Cost and facilities
The campground has basic facilities, like renovated toilet (well-stocked with toilet paper) and bins. The cost is $10 per night per person (no charge for kids), which is only half of what we would have paid staying at the national park with the same facilities for a family of 4. Friendly on-site care-taker Frank collects the money and looks after the place quite well. The camp area is quite big, with no defined spots, so you are almost guaranteed to have one, even when arriving late.
Dogs and campfires (in season) are allowed.
In conclusion
We spent wonderful 3 nights at Millers Point over the Xmas period, enjoying the place and the company of friendly neighbors (Liz and Hank). It is one of those places that we would like to visit again.
Harvey Wildflower Ridge Walk is a must for wildflower enthusiasts. The walk is 1,4km loop and is quite easy with a few manageable slopes. As you climb higher, you will enjoy beautiful views of the ridge and nearby Harvey Dam. The trail is open all year round but is best enjoyed in spring when masses of wildflowers are blooming. These pictures were taken early October.
Boronia species (above left), Cowslip orchid Caladenia flava (above top right), Diuris longifolia Purple Pansy Orchid (above bottom right).
Stylidium androsaceum Book Triggerplant (above top left), Stylidium schoenoides Cow Kicks Triggerplant (above bottom left), Thelymitra macrophylla Scented Sun Orchid (above right).
Harvey Wildflower Ridge Walk location and extra info
Harvey Wildflower Rige Walk is located just outside of Harvey, in the South West, under 2 hours drive south from Perth. It is on Honeymoon Road, off South Western Highway.
There are secluded picnic facilities with gorgeous views but no toilets. Dogs are not allowed.
Leewin-Naturaliste National Park is undoubtedly one of the most popular attractions in Western Australia. Firstly, it is the best place to explore amazing cave formations, which are more than a hundred in the region, although only a few are open to public. Secondly, you can get up close to stingrays which frequent the waters of Hamelin Bay. Additionally, Leewin-Naturaliste National Park offers spectacular coastline with many beautiful swimming beaches, world-class surfing spots and fishing locations. Stretching for 120km along the coast in the South West, from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leewin in the south, the park is also known for its “Cape to Cape Walk” that so many locals and tourist alike undertake all year round. Lastly, Leewin Naturaliste NP is just next to famous Margaret River, where you can indulge in gourmet food and wine experience. To emphasise, this is one place to explore!
Caves of Leewin-Naturaliste National Park
Spectacular limestone caves lying underneath the ground are unquestionably a reason to visit Leewin-Naturaliste National Park. One can marvel at immensely beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and shawls, created by nature over the periof thousands of years. While there are more than hundred caves in Leewin-Natureliste National Park, we only visited Lake Cave.
Lake Cave
It is easily accessible, just off Caves Road. While Lake Cave is not the biggest and not the grandest of all the caves open to public, it is our favourite. As the name suggests, there is a permanent lake inside the cave, in which you can see beautiful reflections of stalactites and straws. Even though the cave is not big, there are 350 steps to climb down (and then back up), hence one needs to be reasonably fit to accomplish this (our 8- and 11-year-old kids were well ahead of me, jumping like monkeys over the steps!)
Lake Cave
The entry to the cave (half way down the steps) is through a big sinkhole. Once you are down and inside, looking up into the sky through that hole is particularly an amazing experience.
Entry to Lake Cave
Another beautiful thing about this cave is Suspended Table – two massive columns hanging down from the ceiling, attached to the sheet of flowstone. Over the years the cave’s sandy floor has been completely washed away. As a result the whole structure, weighing several tones, floats on the surface of the lake.
Lake Cave is alive. Once inside, with the lights turned off you can tune to the silence, in which you can hear droplets of water dripping constantly from the tips of straws and stalactites.
Entry to the cave is with the guided tour only. It is worthwhile to book in advance, especially during public and school holidays. We highly recommend this experience and are looking forward to visiting other caves in this region.
Swimming and stingrays at Hamelin Bay
Hamelin Bay is a beautiful beach between Cape Leewin and Cape Naturaliste. It is a long stretch of white sand, turquoise water and coastal cliffs. Being sheltered and protected from the strong winds, Hamelin Bay is great for swimming, snorkeling, as well as fishing. It is especially popular as a place to spot stingrays, which frequent the bay and can get quite close to the shore.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see any (I suppose the timing was wrong – we visited Hamelin Bay in the afternoon, late January). Despite that, we still enjoyed walking on the beach, spotting Sooty Oystercatchers and Liolophura hirtosa (below).
Apparently, you can also drive on the beach (not from the main beach entrance). I learnt that by walking along the beach and spotting tyre tracks, a sign and vehicles in the distance.
Margaret River Mouth
Another place worth visiting is Margaret River Mouth in Prevelly. This is where Indian Ocean meets Margaret River. In summer the river is isolated from the ocean, creating a shallow warm pool, popular with families, as well for canoeing. You can even walk across it to the beach when the conditions are right. The beach itself is 500meter long, partly protected by the reefs. It can be windy there, which creates good surfing opportunities, albeit for beginners. Also there are excellent facilities with toilets and showers at the carpark.
World class surfing at Surfers Point
Surfers Point is undeniably one of the best places to go surfing and kite surfing. It is a prime location especially for advanced surfers, because the waves here are guaranteed year-round, reaching the height of 7-8 meters. A variety of breaks means that there are swells offering varying difficulty. For us, not surfers, it was fun and thrill to watch a group of surfers of various capabilities and experience to jump above the waves, fall into the water, get up and do it all over again time. For one thing, these surfers possess so much strength (mental and physical) to handle the cold, strong winds and numerous falls into the water.
Camping at Conto’s
If you are looking for nature-based camping, look not further than Conto campground. It is a huge campground, 19km south of Margaret River, off Caves Road, just next to Lake Cave and 4km from the beach. Being close to all the main attractions in that region, it is a popular place, especially with families. Nestled among peppermint and grass trees, there are over 100 campsites located within 8 camping areas, arranged in loops.
All camping areas have drop toilets and non-drinking water and some (bigger ones) have shelters, bbqs and dishwashing facilities. Only 2 camping areas (Chudith and Quenda) are suitable for caravans and trailers. Others are for tents and swags, because you can’t reverse in and consequently have to park behind the poles. Some sites have low clearance and narrow parking, and as a result you won’t be able to open your awning.
We stayed at Hamelin and were fine with that arrangement for this trip. The cost of the campground is $15 per adult per night. Extra facilities include table and fire ring for each camping spot, chopped wood and rubbish skip bins. Sites need to be booked online via Parkstay site. Being a national park, no dogs are allowed at Conto.
Conto beaches
There are some good beaches in Leewin-Naturaliste National Park. Conto Spring Beach is 3km drive from Conto campground, just off the Caves Road, in the Margaret River region. It is accessible to all vehicles. The beach is great for swimming (on calm days), fishing, surfing and just exploring as it has beautiful rock formations and rock pools. Interestingly, the name of the beach comes from the actual freshwater spring that flows from the limestone ridge into the sand. “Cape to Cape walk track” passes through this beach.
A short driving distance from Conto Spring are a number of points of interest. We Round Rock and Merchant Rock of particular interest, both offering spectacular scenery. Merchant Pool has lots of rocks to climb and powerful waves to watch as they crush against the rocks, creating massive splashes. Not only the beaches are spectacular, but they are also great for fishing.
Below: Merchant Rock (left), Round Rock (right).
Small things to observe at Leewin-Naturaliste
Emu, the second-tallest bird (after the ostrich) and can only be found in the wild in Australia, where it is the largest bird (below left).
Welcome Swallow, a small and fast-flying bird (below right).
In conclusion
We hope you have most compelling evidence to visit Leewin-Naturaliste National Park. It is easily accessible, there is no entry fee and there is so much to see, do and wonder at, that without a doubt, you’ll find something for yourself there. We certainly didn’t see and experience everything and need to go back.
Do you have a favourite place or experience in Leewin-Naturaliste National Park?
Wildflowers at Mount Frankland can be found blooming throughout the whole year, as different flowers bloom at different times of the year. We found Mount Frankland National Park quite abundant in wildflowers when we visited it early January. Below are some of the wildflowers we have seen and photographed.
Below left: Bull Banksia Banksia grandis. Below middle: Candle-spike Hakea Hakea ruscifolia. Below right: Fly-away Trigger Plant Stylidium caespitosum.
Mount Frankland National Park, 29km north east of Walpole, in the South West, is part of the Walpole Wilderness. It is the area of wild landscape that is untouched by human activity and any technological intervention. You can have a bird’s eye view of that wilderness that includes majestic karri, tingle, marri and jarrah forest from Mt Frankland Wilderness Lookout. It is a short walk from the carpark, universally accessible.
Mount Frankland Wilderness Lookout
For those seeking more adventure and physical workout there are two trails leading to 411meter high granite rock Mt Frankland. We followed 600-meter-long bitumen Summit Trail to the base, while enjoying the scenery and wildflowers on the way. To get to the summit, one needs to climb a ladder and over 300 steps.
It is strenuous and quite steep 200 meters climb to the summit where there is a Towerman’s lookout. The sweeping views of the surrounding area from the summit are quite impressive. Interestingly, Towerman’s station is still in operation for recording weather and smoke (fire) during dry months between December and April. We even had a chance to go inside and talk to “the weather woman” Susan, who was on duty at the time.
On the way down we took Caldyanup trail – 1,6km loop around the base of the granite rock. The trail goes up and down with some small rocks and uneven parts through a mixed forest (moderate difficulty walk). Part of the trail is Soho Lookout – a newly constructed metal bridge, offering views of the forest below and around.
Soho Lookout
There is no entry fee to the park. Dogs are not allowed.
Where to camp in Mount Frankland National Park
If you are visiting Mount Frankland and are looking for a camping place nearby, then Fernhook Falls DPAW managed campground is a great choice and is only 20km away. It offers excellent facilities, which are well-maintained and cleaned daily. There are only 8 camp spots there, each one with a picnic table, fire ring and rubbish bin. There are also 2 huts with a bunkbed (but can accommodate at least 2 more people on the floor) with a fireplace and outside rain water tank – perfect for hikers!
The campground also has a kitchen area with a sink, tables and bbq plate. For $15 per person per night, we thought it was a good value.
Camping spots have a lot of privacy, are well spaced from each other, yet close to amenities. The whole campground is within the mixed karri, jarrah and tingle forest.
There are some nice short walks around the campground leading to Fernhook Falls and Rowell’s Pool created by the Deep River, passing through the region. Interestingly, the Deep River, although it looks dark brown due to the presence of tannin from native plants breaking down in the river, is actually one of the purest rivers in the south, because 95% of it is flowing through the forested catchment areas.
You cannot book the campground and payment is by cash only. It is quite a popular place even during hot months, so it is best to arrive early. Unfortunately, you cannot bring a dog to the campground. We enjoyed our 2 -day stay at the campground in January and it’s one of the places we would love to visit again in winter when we could enjoy lighting a fire.
Big Brook Dam is one of the attractions along the Karri Forest Explorer Drive, near Pemberton. It was built in 1986 as an additional water supply for Pemberton. These days it is mostly the place for many recreational activities in the area. It is a great place for kayaking and fishing. The Big Brook Dam 4km sealed walk trail along the shores of the dam is very picturesque. It is a great place for walking, strolling and photographing. There is also a sandy beach area, ideal for swimming on a hot day or just picnicking, with shelters, picnic tables and bbqs. Dogs on leash are allowed around the dam (but not on the beach).
Big Brook Dam is a heaven for birdlife. Below: Grey Fantail (top left), Musk Duck (top right), Black Swan (bottom right), Purple Swamphen (bottom centre).
Where to camp
You can camp at Big Brook Arboretum, 3km away from Big Brook Dam along the Karri Forest Explorer Drive. Nestled in the forest, it is a nice small campground with only basic facilities (toilet) but it can accomodate both tents and caravans. We stayed at Drafty’s in nearby Warren National Park (only 20 minutes drive from Big Brook Arboretum) and highly recommend it.
Above: Big Brook Arboretum
If you are visiting Pemberton and have time, make sure you visit nearby Warren National Park with their famous Dave Evans Bicentennial and Marianne North trees and Warren River.
Warren National Park in the South West (15km from Pemberton) is home to some of the most magnificent karri trees (Eucalyptus diversicolor), which are very tall trees. Some of them are as tall as 90 meters and more than 200 years old.
You can explore Warren National Park by driving along 12-kilometer Heartbreak Trail. You can stop along the trail to look at and climb Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree – 68-meter-high, fire lookout tree (below).
Another tree of significance is Marianne North Tree. It is quite a distinct karri tree (Eucalyptus diversicolour) with large bulbous outgrowth around the trunk. The significance of this tree comes from the fact that it was painted by an English artist and traveler Marianne North when she visited Australia in 1880. So, this is how this tree got its name. Marianne North Tree is close to famous Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree on Old Vasse Road, near Pemberton.
Marianne North Tree
Keen hikers and anyone who enjoys nature, would appreciate the Warren River Loop Trail. It is a 10.5km walk through the karri forest and along the banks of the river. The trail can be walked in sections. We only walked from Drafty’s camp to Warren camp and back (3km return). Both camps have a day use area with picnic tables and canoe launching facilities.
Camping in Warren National Park
There are two campgrounds in Warren National Park: Drafty’s and Warren. Drafty’s is a family friendly, nature-based campground in the heart of Warren National Park. It’s a 2WD dirt road accessible along picturesque Heartbreak Trail off the Old Vasse Road, 16km from Pemberton. It is not suitable for big caravans or buses because the road is steep and winding. With 16 camp sites in a big loop and 6 in a small loop, the whole campground is very well laid out, with lots of privacy (it’s literally in the beautiful forest along the Warren River). There are a number of drop toilets, non-drinking water and camp kitchen (small loop only has a drop toilet).
Nearby Warren campground is very similar but it has only 6 sites, all suitable for tents only and there is no kitchen there. All sites in both campgrounds are on a first come, first serve basis and are $11 per person per night, plus national park entry fee. Being a national park, no dogs are allowed.
We initially planned on staying only 3 nights there but ended up staying 5. Every day we enjoyed morning and evening walks along the river, smelling the forest, listening to kookaburras and other birds and delighting in sights of magnificent karri, jarrah, marri and peppermint trees.
Some of the birds we’ve seen: Musk Duck (below left), Red-winged Fairy-wren (below top right), Silvereye (below bottom right).
The campground is a good base for exploring surrounding areas, as it is an easy drive in and out. It is close to Pemberton to stock up on foodand fuel and the surrounding forests are a pleasure to explore, offering a variety of experiences for everyone.
Stepping Stones at Black Point, D’Entrecasteaux National Park
D’Entrecasteaux National Park is one of the less popular national parks, stretching for 130km along the coast between Augusta and Walpole in the south-west of Western Australia. A lot of people haven’t even heard of it, let along visited it. Yet, it is a gem, waiting to be discovered. It is a place full of secret spots, unspoilt raw natural beauty, rich flora and fauna, rugged terrain – all of this offering a place of respite, tranquility and also challenging (think about some of the best 4WD tracks!) yet very rewarding experiences. Pronouncing the name of the park is a challenge in itself 😊. It is actually in the French language, because the park was named after the French Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux who was the first European to sight the area back in the 18th century.
Jasper Beach, D’Entrecasteaux National Park
4WD adventures
The majority of D’Entrecasteaux National Park can be explored with 4WD vehicle only. Being remote, isolated, pristine but very beautiful makes it such an attractive place for an avid explorer. It quickly became our favourite national park in Western Australia.
Black Point
Black Point was our first stop in D’Entrecasteaux National Park. It is in the northern part of the park, near Lake Jasper. To get to Black Point, you would need to travel on a rough sandy 4WD only track. We used Black Point track, which is about 10-12km long and is summer access only and is not suitable for towing.
Do not stop to take pictures when driving on sandy tracks!
The Black Point 4wd track is quite picturesque and you also see a lot of wildlife there, which can be a problem if you are into photography. We stopped to take a picture of the kangaroos (and there were plenty of them on the track) and got bogged.
Stepping Stones at Black Point
One of the most impressive sites at D’Entrecasteaux National Park is Black Point. It is named after spectacular hexagonal-shaped black basalt columns formed by volcanic lava flow 135 million years ago. They are best seen at Stepping Stones, which is less than 1 km walk from Humpback Hollow campground where we stayed (you can also drive there). Those black basalt column look impressive at any time of the day or at any weather. We saw them in the afternoon, when the setting sun enveloped them in a soft glow.
We also saw them in a gloomy and stormy weather, watching the waves wash over the stones, revealing their texture, shape and intense colour contrasting the waves.
Surfers Cove (below) is within walking distance (or short drive) from Humpback Hollow campground at Black Point and is quite picturesque.
Breakfast Holes (below) is another interesting place to see as you hike around.
Lake Jasper
Lake Jasper in D’Entrecasteaux National park is the largest permanent freshwater lake in the south-west of Western Australia. Unlike many other lakes and rivers in the south-west, Lake Jasper has very clear water. This is due to lack of tannins in the water, so it is sometimes called “white water lake”. It is a great place to go kayaking and bush walking. There are picnic tables, shade, toilets, non-portable water. There is also a small campground with just 3 sites, operated on a first come, first serve basis ($11 per person per night).
To get to Lake Jasper was an adventure in itself. It is a 22km 4WD sandy track from Humpback Hollow campground at Black Point in D’Entrecasteaux National park. The track is rough and goes up and down hill at some parts. It is a moderate difficulty track and is very enjoyable.
Not a single other traveller during our nearly 2-hour drive, except for just one person with a small caravan at the beginning of a track who got bogged and had to turn back. We helped him out by lending our recovery boards.
Jasper beach
Jasper beach is 8km from Black Point along the same sandy track that leads to Lake Jasper. It was a totally isolated but breathtaking beach where we spent some time, having our lunch and soaking up the beauty as we walked on a white squeaky sand.
Yeagurup Dunes
Yeagurup Dunes is a popular destination for lovers of 4wdriving. We saw at least 25 vehicles deflating and inflating tyres, traversing the sand dunes, going up and down hill. The dunes themselves are a massive area of soft mobile sand, rising meters above the karri forest and moving slowly inland, thus changing the landscape over years. The track starts at Yeagurup Lake. It is a sandy track through the forest but it is an easy drive for 1.5km.
To get to the dunes you would need to climb a reasonably steep hill.
Then it just soft white glaring sand for many kms. It is easy to get lost, so the track is marked with pegs and if you follow this 10 km track, it will take you to the beach (this will be our future adventure). The track is moderate difficulty (the ascent is probably the hardest) and very enjoyable.
Being surrounded by so much sand, 360 degrees around, gives you an awesome feeling of being in a nature wonderland.
Yeagurup Lake
Yeagurup Lake adjacent to Yeagurup Dunes (and the place where the 4WD track to the dunes starts) is a one of the many fresh water lakes in D’Entrecasteaux National Parks. You can go for a short walk around the lake, have a picnic (before or after heading to the dunes) and you can also camp at nearby Leaning Marri campground. There are clean drop toilets, rain water tank and shelter with picnic tables at the lake.
Broke Inlet
Broke Inlet, approximately 40 km west of Walpole, is a large, shallow estuary, linked to the Southern Ocean by a narrow seasonally open channel. It can be accessed via gravel Broke Inlet Road from the highway or by the 4WD only Fisherman’s Track from Banksia Camp (summer access only). We chose to get there the hard way and had the most rewarding and fulfilling experience.
The Fisherman’s Track to Broke Inlet was sandy and at time rough but nothing we couldn’t manage with low tyre pressure, correct 4WD gear usage and experience. Fisherman’s Track continues all the way to Broke Inlet Beach. Closer to the beach, there are some parts with overgrown vegetation (yes, your vehicle will get “tiger stripes”).
But the views are absolutely superb!
Broke Inlet
The beach was rough, with strong currents and huge waves, but very beautiful with its crystal clear water.
Campingat D’Entrecasteaux National Park
D’Entrecasteaux has a number of camp grounds, some are on the coast (Black Point and Banksia Camp) and some are inland (Leaning Marri, Lake Jasper, Crystal Springs). The campgrounds have excellent facilities and are very well maintained. Our first stop was at Black Point campground, which has total a of 30 camp sites (Humpback Hollow with 20 sites and Seal Cove with 10 sites). Only about half of them were occupied when we visited this place during Xmas last year. The cost is $15 per person and $5 per child per night (plus the national park entry fee) and the sites are not bookable. Facilities include clean drop toilets and rain water tank with non-treated water (which was very useful for us, since we couldn’t carry a lot of water with us). Some sites have picnic tables. We stayed at Humpback Hollow, which is a bit further away inland and walked to the beach (less than 1km).
Above: Humpback Hollow campground at Black Point.
Free camp in D’Entrecasteaux National Park
Broke Inlet
Our initial plan was to camp at Banksia camp but with only 7 spots, we missed out, considering that we visited this place early January, during the holiday season. Broke Inlet offers official free camping with no facilities but with the satisfaction guaranteed.
Broke Inlet official free camp
It is a pristine area (although we saw quite a number of vehicles camping at various parts along the inlet), heaven for birdlife and paradise for us.
Our kids absolutely loved running and playing in shallow waters of the inlet and I spent hours photographing birds.
D’Entrecasteaux 2WD accessible attractions
While the majority of D’Entrecasteaux National Park is accessible by 4WD only, there are a few places you can access by two-wheel drive vehicle.
Windy Harbour
Windy Harbour is a small holiday settlement (with a number of cottages, as well as a caravan park) on the south coast of Western Australia (27km south of Northcliffe). It is a popular fishing destination but it also provides a stunning view of the coast with some interesting rock formations on the beach. As the name suggests, it is quite windy there but it doesn’t prevent locals and visitors from swimming.
D’Entrecasteaux scenic drive
Windy Harbour is a start of 6km D’Entrecasteaux scenic drive with a few interesting stops along the route (Salmon beach, Tookulup, Point D’Entrecasteaux and Cathedral Rock).
Salmon Beach Lookout
Our first stop was Salmon beach, which is a picturesque sandy beach, great for walking or fishing. Due to strong rip currents, swimming is not advisable there.
It was so therapeutic to watch the waves crush against the rocks.
Salmon Beach
Point D’Entrecasteaux is where you can see amazing Nature’s Window (a “cousin” of a more popular version of Nature’s Window is in Kalbarry). It is a natural limestone bridge in the shape of a window into the mighty ocean below. To access Nature’s Window, park at Point D’Entrecasteaux lighthouse car park and follow the signs along the sealed pathway.
Nature’s Window at Point D’Entrecasteaux
There are a few hiking trails that connect different parts of Point D’Entrecasteaux scenic drive. There is a short Pupalong Loop Trail where you can learn about the Noongar culture through the interpretive signs. Cliff Top Walk connects Point D’Entrecasteaux and Tookulup and is just over 1km long one way. There is also a longer (2,8km one way) Coastal Survivors Walk that links Point D’Entrecasteaux and Windy Harbour. More information can be found here.
Scenic views along Pupalong Loop walk
Our last stop along Point D’Entrecasteaux Drive was Cathedral Rock. The beach had lots of seaweed, when we visited it early January, but the rock looked quite interesting.
Cathedral Rock near Windy Harbour
Mandalay beach
Mandalay beach, 30 minutes’ drive west from Walpole, is another beach you can access by a 2-wheel drive vehicle. It is a stunning beach, which is too rough for swimming due to currents and rips, but great for fishing and walking. It offers spectacular views of mighty Southern Ocean and rugged coast.
From the beach you can see Chatham Island, which is 3km offshore, to the right.
Chatham Island visible from Mandalay Beach
And on the left, there are a couple of interesting rock pillars, like little islands in the ocean.
Rock islands at Mandalay Beach
It is a long and wide white sandy beach with plenty of space to feel isolated. Interestingly, the beach got its name from the ship Mandalay, wrecked there in 1911 and occasionally parts of it could be visible above the sand.
Mandalay Beach
Flora and fauna at D’Entrecasteaux
Rosenberg’s monitor lizard
We encountered this Rosenberg’s monitor lizard (Varanus rosenbergi) on our way to Lake Jasper. It did not want to move, even when we came out of the car and approached it closely. It is quite a large lizard, which grows up to 1,5meters, although this one was about a meter long.
Dugite snake
There is a short hiking trail at Lake Jasper. It is where I met two dugite snakes, one of which was not shy at all. It crossed my path and did not want to move for a good 5 minutes 😊. Dugite Pseudonaja affinis affinis snake is a highly dangerous and venomous snake if provoked.
Birds
Gulls are a popular bird species and you can see a lot of them along the coast. This is Pacific Gull, which we saw at Black Point.
Another bird which we spotted at Black Point, was Grey Fantail (below)– a small insectivorous bird.
Broke Inlet is a heaven for birds. We spend hours watching and photographing them. Pied Oystercatcher, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Caspian Tern, Red-capped Plover,White-faced Heron and Silver Gulls .
Pied Oystercatcher (below) is a large bird that is often seen on sandy coastline, where it feeds on molluscs and also nests.
Little Pied Cormorants and Little Black Cormorants (below) are often seen together.
Bluff Knoll is the third highest mountain peak in Western Australia and is the highest in Stirling Range
Stirling Range NP is one of the best places in Western Australia for hiking, as well as to view wildflowers. Over 1500 species of plants grow there, with some plants not existing anywhere else in the world. Some plants are easy to spot and they are quite abundant. Others are rare and threatened flora and very hard to find, as it is protected. Certain types of wildflowers, like mountain bells, only grow in altitudes higher than 300 meters above sea level.
Bluff Knoll flora
The plants below were all photographed while climbing Bluff Knoll hiking trail.
I found these wildflowers in Stirling Range National Park in places, other than Bluff Knoll. We stayed at Stirling Range Retreat, where a lot of orchids, as well as other plants grow.
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