2,5km from Hamersley Inlet campground where we stayed in January, there is a track from Hamersley Drive leading over the dunes and to Hamersley beach. The track is approximately 4,6km long. It’s a fun drive, which is a mix of hard track through the bush, soft sand and some rocks. The track starts as an easy but scratchy drive through the bush until you arrive at the dunes.
There are long poles indicating the way as you drive over the dunes.
Having said that, it is still easy to get lost. We did lose the track for a while and nearly fell into the dip. Luckily, we stopped on top of a hill. It is always better to be cautious, especially if you travel in a single vehicle, like us.
Once you pass the dunes and are nearing the beach, the track gets rocky.
The beach looked “moody” due to stormy weather, so we didn’t stay long. But we thoroughly enjoyed the ride :).
Hamersley Inlet campground
To explore Hamersley dunes and nearby Hamersley Inlet, we stayed at Hamersley Inlet campground. It is one of only a few campgrounds in the Fitzgerald River NP, (others are 4 Mile beach camp and St Mary Inlet campground). Hamersley Inlet campground is 19km west of Hopetoun. It is reasonably priced, at $19 per site per night. You get excellent facilities, which include new and spacious toilets, bbqs with shelter and non-drinking water. There are 14 sites of various sizes, with sites 1-3 suitable for large caravans. The rules of the national park specify no dogs and no campfires. You would need to take all rubbish with you. The sites must be booked online prior to arrival, as there is no internet there.
Hamersley Inlet and walking trail
From the campground, there is a short (300 meter) walk to the Hamersley Inlet, where there are picnic facilities.
From the inlet carpark you can take 1,7km walk to the beach. If you are at the inlet at the right season, you might find these beautiful orange coloured Eucalyptus Utilis (Coastal Moort) trees.
Bremer Bay is a small fishing town on the coast between Albany and Esperance in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. It is located approximately 580km east of Perth. For us, Bremer Bay is all about some of the most beautiful beaches in Western Australia, many of which are 4WD accessible. There are so many beaches to the east and west of Bremer Bay. We have explored only some of them.
Bremer Bay is also a gateway to beautiful, biologically diverse Fitzgerald River NP. Many beautiful wildflowers can be found around Bremer Bay. It is also a hot spot for watching whales between July and September. We have only been to Bremer during summer months and have not seen any whales or a variety of wildflowers. There are going to be many more trips to this beautiful area during colder months in the future.
Beaches close to Bremer Bay
Blossoms Beach
Blossoms Beach is one of the nicest but also one of the most popular beaches in Bremer Bay. You can assess this beach by a normal 2WD or drive a bit further for a 4WD access all the way to the beach. There is just a small section of soft sand but otherwise, it is an easy and short 4WD track to the beach.
The beach itself is quite wide and long enough for find your own spot, with squeaky white sand, turquoise waters and beautiful waves. It is one of the best swimming beaches, popular with families. Beginner surfers will find a good wave there. The place is equally nice for just relaxing.
Little Boat Harbour
Little Boat Harbour Beach is a short beach (only 100 meters long), that is well protected from the winds. It is great for swimming and is also used for launching small boats. The beach is 2WD accessible but has a steep descent and tight turn around area, so not suitable for caravans. However, 4WDs can drive onto the beach.
Point Henry
Point Henry is a beautiful lookout. It is a short 4WD track, which is relatively easy. You will find some overgrown shrubs and also a few rocky areas along the way. The track splits half way, leading to 2 lookout areas.
The track on the left leads to a more spectacular lookout. It ends with a small turn around area (enough to park 2 vehicles only) and from there you just walk downhill for about 50 or so meters (wouldn’t recommend driving those last few meters as it is quite steep).
The cliffs and rock formations are amazing to watch, as well as the breaking waves.
The track on the right from the fork becomes quite steep and very soft closer to the end, so we chose not to drive all the way but walked instead.
Both points do not have beach access but quite beautiful and worth exploring.
Beaches further away
Reef Beach – where sand dunes meet the ocean
Reef Beach is one of the most spectacular beaches around Bremer Bay – this is the place where you see massive sand dunes backing into the ocean. The access is 4WD only. The beach, in fact, can be accessed from two different tracks, either side of the dune area. We used Reef Beach track, which is roughly 35km west from Bremer Bay, or 15km east from Millers Point Road. The Reef Beach track entry is just opposite “Rest area 1km” sign on Borden–Bremer Bay Road. The track is 9 km long and is of moderate difficulty. It starts as an easy dirt road up to the sign where it is advisable to stop to reduce your tyre pressure. Then it alternates between soft sand and rocky area, with some overgrown sections, with the last section near beach being the most challenging.
Reef beach is simply amazing with those massive sand dunes extending inland for nearly 5km and stretching along the coast for a few kms. The beach is quite long – over 8km long – and wide. It is fun to drive on.
The combination of huge white sand dunes, crystal clear blue water with big waves is fascinating.
There is also a free camping area behind the dunes. There are no facilities, so it is important to leave the place clean and pristine so that we all can still enjoy it in the future.
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?
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.
Francois Peron National Park in the Shark Bay region along Australia’s Coral Coast is one of our favourite travel destinations. It is a combination of immense raw beauty of red dirt deserts, clear blue ocean waters and white sands, rough 4WD tracks and unique flora and fauna that makes this place so attractive and captivating.
Bush camping at Francois Peron National Park
There are 5 bush campgrounds at Francois Peron National Park – South Gregories, Gregories, Bottle Bay, Herald Bight and Big Lagoon. There are only basic facilities (toilets and some campgrounds have a bbq). Bookings do not apply to these campgrounds but camping fees ($15 per night per person) and park entry fees do apply. The campgrounds are close to the beach. There is no drinking water and no rubbish bins. There is a large skip bin at the entrance to the park where you inflate and deflate the tyres. You would need a 4WD to get to those campgrounds.
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The magic of Bottle Bay
We stayed at Bottle Bay campground in 2022 and absolutely loved our 4 day stay there!
Nature painted pictures – patterns, colours and shapes uniquely crafted by wind, rain and time.
Crafted by nature
Big Lagoon
We love Francois Peron Naitonal Park and visited it several times. Every time we endevour to stay at different campgrounds. So, in 2024 after our trip to Dirk Hartog Island we stayed at Big Lagoon.
Big Lagoon is a series of small picturesque lagoons closer to the entrance to Francois Peron National Park. You have a boat or a kayak, you can explore the little lagoons within the sanctuary zone (you can access it only by boat).
Another way to enjoy this lovely place is to have a picnic or camp there. Big Lagoon campground is the biggest within Francois Peron National Park. There are 19 sites of various sizes and layout but all are quite big. Some sites are drive through. Others have metal raised platforms for tents and swags. All sites can accommodate minimum 2 vehicles. Facilities include 4 long drop well maintained toilets in various parts of the campground. There is also adjacent day use picnic area with sheltered decking, tables, BBQs. Sites are non-bookable. You can fish from the shores of the lagoon near the campground.
Wildlife
Every morning during our stay at Bottle Bay in Francois Peron National Park we woke up to find interesting tracks on the ground and sand. Every time we tried to figure out who made those numerous tracks. We understood that the animals were nocturnal, hiding during the day, making it a complete mystery for us. We saw a beetle, but whom do the rest of the tracks belong to?
Tracks
We were lucky to see an echidna in Shark Bay (thanks to our older son, Ariel who has spotted it from the car). That is how close we managed to get to echidna before it went hiding.
Echidna
While we didn’t see many animals (but many tracks), we saw plenty of birds in Shark Bay. Pied Cormorant is quite abundant there, as is the Pacific gull, which is a very large gull native to the coasts of Australia. Interestingly, the young pacific gull is mottled-brown-greyish in colour.
Juvenile Pacific GullPied CormorantSome of the birds in Francois Peron National Park
Sunrise and sunset
When there is not enough sun during the day, looking at the pictures of sunrise helps to boost the mood. 😍
Sunrise at Bottle Bay
Sunset is equally therapeutic.
Sunset at Bottle Bay
Birridas
Birridas (also spelled Birrada) or gypsum claypans were once saline lakes, between sand dunes, isolated from the ocean. A drop in sea level dried the lakes turning them into what is now known as birridas. There are large areas of birridas in Francois Peron National Park, of different shapes and sizes (with the massive patch between Herald Bight and Gregories). Birridas look quite magnificent (probably, even more so from high above). They are among Shark Bay’s visual attractions, contributing to the region’s World Heritage status through the listing in ‘superlative natural phenomena’ category. Birridas look like they are hard but actually are soft and very unstable, so driving over them is extremely risky and prohibited.
Birridas in Francois Peron National Park
How we got bogged in Francois Peron National Park
We managed to tow our caravan safely to Bottle Bay and nearly all the way back, past the most soft and corrugated parts of the road between Cattle Well and Gregories. But just before Kraskoe’s Tank, we got bogged! There was a lot of ongoing traffic on our way back from Bottle Bay and in an attempt to consider others, we moved to the side of the track, giving way to ongoing traffic. It seems that the sand was blown into a pile and it happened to be very soft there. So we got bogged, blocking the track to a couple of vehicles behind us and ahead of us.
However, being bogged is not a big issue. It is always a test to how the vehicle can handle the terrain, as well as the test of our 4WD skills. As we were a bit more experienced now, we managed to dig ourselves (thanks to Maxtrax) within 10 minutes.
Digging out
Kids did a good job of helping out too!
Cape Peron
Cape Peron is at the tip of Francois Peron National Park. It is a place of contrasting colours, where red sandstone meets whitish sand and blue ocean waters. This place is abundant in wildlife. For lovers of hiking, there is Wanamalu trail, 1.5km one way, which connects Cape Peron and Skipjack Point.
Interestingly, Wanamalu is Aboriginal name for Cormorants, which can be seen gathering in crowds along the water’s edge at Cape Peron.
Skipjack Point
1,5km from Cape Peron is Skipjack Point, which is another beautiful place to admire. It has a viewing platform from which you can view marine wildlife in abundance. Every time we visit it, we see lots of wildlife swimming in the ocean. Here you can also get the same contrasting view of red, iron rich earth and blue waters, which is truly mesmerizing.
Skipjack Point
Interestingly, the red sand of Peron Peninsula is mostly made of quartz with a layer of iron oxide. It is the same compound that forms when irons rusts, giving the sand its unique colour. The deposits of these red sand are thought to be at least 250,000 years old. While this red sandstone underlies most of Shark Bay, it is exposed only on Peron Peninsula.
Do you know that Skipjack Point is named after golden trevally, which are locally known as “skipjacks” and are abundant in those waters?
How to get to Francois Peron National Park
Francois Peron National Park is on the Peron Penninsular in Shark Bay region, 726km north of Perth, along Australia’s Coral Coast. You can assess the park off the Monkia Mia Road, 4km east of Denham. The road to the Peron Heritage Precinct is unsealed by you can get there with a 2WD. The rest of the park is 4WD only.
Located 100km east of Esperance, Alexander Bay (also known locally as A-Bay) in Howick is a long stretch of white firm squeaky sand, crystal clear turquoise water and beautifully nature crafted granite outcrops. It is accessible via a 4WD track.
4WD track to Alexander Bay beach
There is a campground, for which you pay $15 per nigh per site but cannot pre-book. While we did not stay at the campground, we drove around and noted that it looked like it has been recently upgraded, with more sites added, it was very well laid out and had new toilets installed. It was full when we visited it on 24 December last year, so obviously a very popular place. Great for fishing and surfing, long enough to drive on it (it is 1.7km long) with amazingly clear water, lots of white firm sand to dig for kids. It looked like an absolute paradise to us. We found it equal in beauty to famous Cape Le Grand beaches minus the crowds.
Alexander Bay beach is a great place for swimming, snorkerlling, kayaking, fishing or just relaxing. The turquoise colour of the water in combination with white sand is sure to blow your mind away. You can bring your furry friend there too.
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Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
