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		Shark Bay and Steep Point
	This arid coastal area has extraordinary appeal.The World Heritage listed Shark Bay area is home to more than a few unique natural wonders including living stromatolites, dugongs and dolphins. Steep Point is Australia's most westerly point (4WD only) This trek is located in the WA Coast region.

Start	Finish	Distance	Min Days	Rating
Carnarvon	Kalbarri	1041.2	2

» Description » Preparation     Fuel Information, Best Time to Visit     Permits, Supplies/Facilities » Things to See & Do » Driving Notes » Waypoints » Related Shop Items

2 on File None on File 2 Plots

Researched By ExplorOz - Michelle Jacka   Latest Update 24 Oct 2005

 Description

Mud Map
This arid coastal area has extraordinary appeal. The sand country dominates the bitumen highway section linking Carnarvon with the turn-off to Shark Bay. The World Heritage listed Shark Bay area is home to more than a few unique natural wonders: living stromatolites (the earliest forms of life dating back 3.5 billions years); Shell Beach (60km of tiny shells up to 10m deep); Ospreys (sea-eagles), green turtles, dugongs, wild goats and of course the famous Monkey Mia dolphins.

Dolphins at Monkey Mia

Denham and Monkey Mia

The Shark Bay turnoff is 194km south from Carnarvon along the bitumen North West Coastal Highway. This stretch of highway is very bare with no trees and only a few tuffs of scrub. It is hard to imagine that you are skirting the shores of the Indian Ocean. There is a bush camp at Glandstone, 6km off the highway. This spot is south of Wooramel Roadhouse and 54km north of the Overlander Roadhouse.

28.3km from the highway on the Denham-Hamlin Rd you will come to the historic telegraph station and Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve where you can view the ancient stromatolites. It is another 12.2km to the turnoff on the left to Useless Loop, where you would turn if going to Steep Point (317.5km return). And 86.3km further on is Denham, Australia's most westerly town. Traditionally a pearling and fishing town, it is now the gateway to the famous bottlenose dolphins at nearby Monkey Mia (25.5km). There are a couple of free camps around the Denham area although you need to contact the Denham council for permission. These are Whalebone Bay, Fowlers Camp and Eagle Bluff, which you'll pass on your left on the way into Denham.

The Monkey Mia Resort is right on the beach where the bottle-nose dolphins come in to the beach for a hand feed. The most popular time to view the dolphins is from 7am - 9am, although they often come in a few times a day and occasionally they don't come at all. Although they seem to enjoy the interaction with people they are not reliant on the food given to them so just come when they feel like it. The dolphins don't usually come in after 1pm but you can spend a whole day at the dolphin information centre watching videos and talking to the researchers permanently based there.

Hamlin Pool

Francis Peron National Park

North of Denham lies our favourite National Park - Francois Peron. The natural features include a dramatic red-cliff coastline, white beaches, dense coastal scrub, colourful wildflowers in season and gypsum salt pans called birridas (dangerous). The park is teeming with wildlife: kangaroos, euros, emus and reptiles. While underwater are whales, sharks, dolphins, dugongs, rays and rock lobsters. This spot seems to be highly under-rated. It is not a difficult drive and you can take your trailer. The tracks are relatively flat, a little sandy but the tracks are clear and well used. Heeding the warning signs about birridas is essential. The quicksand-like mires lie just below a thin crust of dry, cracked clay and will easily get you bogged! There are lots of them here but if you stay on the formed tracks that skirt them you will be safe.

There are quite a few bays and headlands to visit: Herald Bight (fishing, camping), South Gregories (camping, boating, fishing), North Gregories (camping, boating, fishing) and the magnificent Cape Peron and lighthouse. The views are spectacular - you can easily feel like the first people to ever have been there. Many sandy tracks led to steep cliff faces with magnificent views to the waters below. The Cape is a popular spot to sit and watch huge schools of rays, giant green turtles and dolphins. The campsites vary from rough and basic to well equipped with free gas BBQs and hotplates, clean toilets and easy access sites.

Steep Point

Leaving Denham along the Denham-Hamelin road you turn right at the intersection of Useless Loop Road after 86.5km to start the trip out to Steep Point. Make sure you have obtained your permit in ADVANCE and have read the Conditions of Entry. This is a new Access Protocol for Carrarang Station, which is part of a world heritage site.

The Access Protocol must be read and signed by you or a responsible person accompanying you, or your group. All persons names must accompany the access protocol although only one person to sign. Contact (08) 9948 3993 to obtain the permit.

There is a long list of conditions of entry which includes amongst other things, the fact that you must carry either an UHF (C.B. CH 16) radio or a satellite phone or an EPIRB, or C.D.M.A; a first aid kit; sufficient supplies of water (10 litres of water per person per day); food and fuel, vehicle spares, and a shovel. Campfires are allowed, but you will need to take your own firewood.

Vehicle's entry fee is $20.00 per trip, plus $2.00 G.S.T. Each Person is $5.00 per day for the length of your stay. Children under the age of 15 years are Free. A $100.00 Environmental levy is payable and will be refunded when you depart. If you are found to be not conforming to the Permit requirements, you will forfeit the $100.00 levy.

All visitors must stop at the Rangers Headquarters if arriving between 8am. & 8pm. Arrival's outside of these hours are asked to quietly pass the Rangers residence, select a camping area and the Ranger will visit you later in the day. At the time of writing the Ranger/Caretakers of the Steep Point area are Paul & Pam Dickenson.

The track has undergone significant repair over the last couple of years and is now mostly smooth all the way to the Useless Loop turnoff.

If you're looking for a free camp just outside Kalbarri there's a great spot beside the upper reaches of the Murchison River just off the highway under the Galena Bridge just north of the turn-off to Kalbarri. When you leave, instead of driving along the tar into Kalbarri take the dirt tracks out of Galena camping area across the highway. This leads to some historic relics of the old Yarranda mining communities. Further up the track you'll meet up with the main smelter of the Geraldine Mine where there is an information board and a walking track to the top. This track eventually meets up with the main road into Kalbarri well before the National Park areas.

The main road into Kalbarri passes the natural formations Ross Graham Lookout, Hawks Head Lookout, the Z-Bend, The Loop and Natures Window all within the National Park. Entry is free but there is no camping here and its dirt tracks to all lookouts where walking trails lead to the main features. It is very hot here in summer so take plenty of water, a hat and good walking shoes.

 Preparation

 Things to See & Do

 Driving Notes

If you're looking for a free camp just outside Kalbarri there's a great spot beside the upper reaches of the Murchison River just off the highway under the Galena Bridge just north of the turn-off to Kalbarri. When you leave, instead of driving along the tar into Kalbarri take the dirt tracks out of Galena camping area across the highway. This leads to some historic relics of the old Yarranda mining communities. Further up the track you'll meet up with the main smelter of the Geraldine Mine where there is an information board and a walking track to the top. This track eventually meets up with the main road into Kalbarri well before the National Park areas.

The main road into Kalbarri passes the natural formations Ross Graham Lookout, Hawks Head Lookout, the Z-Bend, The Loop and Natures Window all within the National Park. Entry is free but there is no camping here and its dirt tracks to all lookouts where walking trails lead to the main features. It is very hot here in summer so take plenty of water, a hat and good walking shoes.

 Waypoints

 Related Shop Items

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1. Gascoyne			$7.95
Scale 1:750,000  4th Edition   Excellent, detailed map including camping areas, caravan parks, picnic areas and covers major towns and attractions. Includes town maps and street indexes of Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon and Denham. Full Description (inc coverage) Dimensions 225 x 115 x 3mm ItemID E179 Weight 74grams Shipped from ExplorOz
2. Mid West			$7.95
Scale 1:1,000,000  3rd Edition   Excellent, detailed map including camping areas, caravan parks, picnic areas and covers major towns and attractions. Also includes town maps and information on Cue, Gascoyne Junction, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, Mullewa, Sandstone, Wiluna and Yalgoo. Full Description (inc coverage) Dimensions 226 x 115 x 4mm ItemID E187 Weight 60grams Shipped from ExplorOz