Description
This strictly 4WD trek follows a coastal track towards D'Entrecasteaux National Park, which lies in the far southwest coast of
Western Australia. One of the major drawcards to D'Entrecasteaux National Park is the magnificent
Black Point. This massive outcrop of basalt was formed from an extensive volcanic lava flow originating from the Darling Fault around 135 million years ago. To the west of
Black Point lies a smaller - albeit spectacular outcrop of basalt featuring classic ‘organ pipe’ columns.
To reach the black basalt columns that give
Black Point its name, a short 1km stroll is required along the beachfront (on the northwest side of Cape Beaufort). You'll see the headland from the carpark at the beach. The sea is often pounding hard against the basalt and you may have to pick a quiet, low tide to get close enough to hear their distinctive organ-like music as the waves and wind echo through the gaps in the basalt pillars. South of the beach a rough vehicle track runs out to the southern part of the point to several
fishing spots with spectacular scenery along more basalt cliffs that are constantly pounded by the Southern Ocean.
The tracks into and around
Black Point itself can be very soft and will require dropping your tyre pressures. There are two
camping areas on the way in to
Black Point that have pit toilets, shaded peppermint gum trees and fire
places. The beach is further down the hill but you can't camp there - you'll appreciate the protection of your campsite anyway. This trek also takes in Jasper Beach (further east), which is a nice secluded spot - and similar to
Black Point, features
camping spots on the way in. To get to Jasper Beach, you take a narrow and winding track called Wapet Track. This challenging track becomes very steep with rutted sand hills as you head towards the beach, and it's probably not a good idea to take your trailer down there.
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Black Point 
From: Augusta
To: Black Point
Distance: 104.72 km
Direction: 108 °
Average Speed: 43.81 km/hr
Travel Time: 2 hours 23 mins
Using the Map
Our treks have a moving map facility, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button in the Moving map control (see Moving Map help)
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Permits
The permit cost for entry into D’Entrecasteaux National Park is $10.00. Annual Local All Parks Pass costs $20.00 per vehicle for up to 8 legally seated people. This pass provides unlimited entry to one park (or a group of local parks) for 12 months. Once entering the D‘Entrecasteaux National Park, to visit beaches, you will also need the National Park entry pass.
Camp fees apply at most designated campsites and you will therefore need a
camping permit if you wish to camp near
Black Point. Visitors can obtain information about applicable fees at self registration points found in
camping areas. For more information regarding entry and
camping permits and fees, please contact:
DEC Walpole
Frankland District (Walpole)
Address: South Coast Highway, WALPOLE, WA 6398
Phone: (08) 9840 0400
Fax: (08) 9840 1251
Email: walpole@dec.wa.gov.auExplorOz also stocks Department of Environment and Conservation entry
permits to Western Australian national parks. These are: Annual All Parks Pass, Annual Local Park Pass, Holiday Park Pass, and Gold Star Park Pass. These
permits are also listed in the recommended reading section at the bottom of the web page.
Things to See & Do
Preparation
Before you embark, ensure that you have researched the area thoroughly by contacting local shires and DEC offices, obtaining maps and brochures, and visiting Government websites. A good PDF information guide called ‘Going to the Coast - D'Entrecasteaux National Park’ is available for download on the
WA Department of Environment and Conservation website. This guide provides some good
camping and
4WDriving tips, discusses entry and
camping permits required, and lists some very important safety tips on rock and reef
fishing.
Preparation for this route should be as for any other relatively remote 4WD track, including carrying sufficient fuel, water, and food. Essential four-wheel drive equipment should include: small shovel,
tyre pressure gauge, portable tyre pump or compressor, tow rope or chain,
first aid kit, mobile phone (ideally satellite, HF or
UHF radio), a spare
tyres, toolkit, jumper leads, torch, winch - vehicle mounted or hand operated.
There are numerous tracks in the area and some may be unnamed or not shown on maps. A wise precaution is to get hold of some updated and detailed mud maps of the area. Be well prepared with a
GPS,
HF radio or
Satellite phone as you may not see another vehicle. We advise that you refer to the latest information and advice about remote travel in our
communications,
navigation and recovery topics.
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | Augusta |
Diesel | 4cyl 12 litres * |
ULP | 4cyl 17 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 21 litres |
| 6cyl 16 litres | 6cyl 19 litres | 6cyl 18 litres |
| 8cyl 16 litres | 8cyl 17 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Best Time To Visit
November to May is the best time to travel. It can get very wet during the winter months.
Closest Climatic Station
Cape Leeuwin
Distance from Trek Mid Point 19.75km W
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
23.0 | 23.3 | 22.6 | 21.2 |
19.1 | 17.3 | 16.3 | 16.4 |
17.0 | 18.1 | 20.1 | 21.8 |
| Mean Min. °C |
16.9 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 15.4 |
13.7 | 12.1 | 11.3 | 11.2 |
11.7 | 12.5 | 14.2 | 15.7 |
| Mean Rain mm |
16.4 | 16.3 | 28.8 | 60.3 |
139.4 | 179.1 | 183.1 | 138.1 |
91.4 | 66.6 | 36.9 | 21.0 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Services & Supplies
The following locations have various services and supplies:
Augusta
Camp Sites & Accommodation
Camping Area (before Black Point) - WA
Camping is not available at Black Point itself. The camping areas are at the end of the side tracks that you will see on the way in. There are toilets located at Black Point carpark.
Environment
This wilderness coast has an abundance or coastal wildflowers, pockets of karri and jarrah trees, amazing coastal cliffs of granite and limestone and over 130 kilometres of pristine beaches. The largest permanent freshwater lake in
Western Australia is also found here - Lake Jasper.
History
D’Entrecasteaux National Park is rich in both Aboriginal and European culture. Indigenous people are thought to have occupied WA’s South-West for at least 47,000 years even though the oldest archaeological evidence of occupation of the park is dated at 6000 years. The park features a significant number of archaeological sites including: abundant stone artifacts, fish traps, quarry sites, burial sites, and mythological sites.
The D’Entrecasteaux National Park was named after French Admiral Bruny D’Entrecasteaux who first sighted and named Point D’Entrecasteaux in 1792. A
search party commanded by D'Entrecasteaux was commissioned by the French government to
search for the lost ships of La Perouse. The Admiral followed the proposed path of La Perouse through the Pacific islands north west of
Australia. Although D'Entrecasteaux failed to find any trace of La Perouse, he and his crew carried out important scientific research and exploration of the southwest of
Australia and
Tasmania.
Black Point was formed from volcanic lava flow around 135 million years ago. The formation resulted from the slow cooling of a deep pool of lava, similar to the development of mud cracks. In the process of it cracking and shrinking, columns were formed perpendicular to the surface. The result was a close-packed series of hexagonal columns, which are now slowly being eroded by the Southern Ocean.
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.