We loved Fitzgerald River National Park, which we visited in December 2020 so much, that the following year we decided to visit it again. This time, we chose to explore the eastern side of the park. The eastern side of this “one of the most botanically significant National Parks in Australia” has seen a major upgrade in the recent years, so there is no shortage of picnic spots and sealed road accesses to various beaches. The park, being huge, still has plenty of 4WD tracks for off road enthusiasts.
4 Mile camp
4 Mile Campground, 10km from Hopetoun, is a DPAW managed campground within Fitzgerald River National Park. It is a very popular place for people who prefer to camp with some facilities. For $20 per person per night (kids are $5 each), you can have access to newly upgraded kitchen, gas bbq facilites, picnic tables, clean large toilets and hot showers. You must book it prior to arrival.
The campground is only a 5-minute walk from the 4 Mile beach, which has a smaller picnic area and toilets.
Wildlife
Kangaroos
There is no shortage of kangaroos at 4 Mile campground in Fitzgerald River National Park. They come in different sizes, in different numbers, jumping and strolling, day and night. During our stay there, we felt like it was not them who visited us but rather it was us, coming to camp in kangaroos’ territory 😊
South-West Carpet Python
This is South-West Carpet Python (Morelia spilota), quite common snake found in the South West of Western Australia. We found this 2.5 meters long snake in 4 Mile campground. It was moving slowly across the road as we walked out of the kitchen area towards our camp in the dark (always use a torch when you go out in the dark in the bush). Carpet Python is considered non-venomous but like all snakes can be dangerous if threatened.
Camping games
Camping in the bush means limited resources but unlimited creativity – finding a way of doing something new with something old. 😊 How many ways do you know of playing with a stone? Did you have a favourite game as a child? Brian taught the kids the game of his childhood – throwing a small stone up in the air and catching it up with one hand. Sounds easy? It is actually a bit tricky for children to get the right coordination between eyes and hands.
Points of interest, walks and beaches in eastern side of Fitzgerald River National Park
Barrens Beach
Barrens Beach in Fitzgerald River NP is about 800-meter walk from 4 Mile Beach campground via path and beach (or you can drive there on a sealed road). With newly installed facilities (toilets, picnic tables), interpretive artwork, this sheltered beach is perfect for swimming, snorkelling and fishing. The granite outcrops and rock holes are also fun to explore.
Barrens Lookout
Barrens Lookout near 4 Mile campground in Fitzgerald River NP is a photographer’s paradise. There are so many beautiful wildflowers (still blooming in late December when we visited that place). And the view of Culham Inlet meeting the Southern Ocean is quite spectacular.
Cave Point
Cave Point is a starting point (from the east) of a 23km coastal hiking trail in the East Fitzgerald River National Park (the trail is known as Hakea Trail). There is a scenic 600-meter return walk (wheel chair accessible) to the lookout on the edge of the sea cliff from which you can see the cave in the rocky outcrop below (although there is no access to it). From the lookout you can also have a clear view of the magnificent East Mount Barren and you can spot whales (in season) and many birds. The jagged and tilted rock formations, as well as blue mighty waters of the Southern Ocean are a delight to watch for hours. There is also a variety of flora and fauna to spot on the trail.
West beach
West beach is a beautiful beach in the eastern part of Fitzgerald River National Park, next to Cave Point. The beach is accessible via 2WD sealed road. There is a short walk to the beach with a picnic table or two along the way. The beach surprised us with beautiful rock formations and colourful jellyfishes which we have only seen in one other place (Tagon beach in Cape Arid National Park, which is a lot further to the east on the coast). Still trying to identify the jelly fish, with the closest match being Purple stinger (Pelagia noctiluca).
East Mount Barren
East Mount Barren is a rugged peak on the eastern side of Fitzgerald River National Park. The hiking trail to the summit, which is 311m high, is a moderate difficulty walk. It is 2.6km long (one way) and takes 2-3 hours. The trail is rough in some places and could be slippery. It is mostly well marked, except in a couple of places closer to the summit, where you would need to climb a couple of big rocks.
The views from the summit, as well as on the way there are definitely worth the hike. We chose a cloudy day for our hike, which was perfect. The cliff rocks and the views of the Culham Inlet and Southern Ocean were quite impressive.
There were still plenty of wildflowers blooming in December when we hiked, the most common being bright red Barrens regalia.
The Napoleon Skink Lizard was another common find on the path, as well as ants – some of them were quite caught doing an amazing job of lifting another giant ant 😊.
Hamersley Inlet
Hamersley Inlet is a roughly 20-minute drive on a sealed road from 4 Mile campground in Fitzgerald River National Park. It is 7km long and 2 meters deep. Being deeper than other estuaries in the park, it holds water for longer, creating a favorable environment for wildlife. The inlet is of a peculiar shape due to the fact that it lies in deep winding valley carved through the hard quartzite rock.
There are picnic and boat launching facilities, as well as a campground near the inlet. If you are a 4WD enthusiast, make sure you visit Hamersley dunes too!
