Description
This trek passes through the Department of Defence Army/Navy ‘live firing’ range and at times is closed. Please phone: (08) 9311 2772 to check the access status. It is also important to check beach driving conditions as occasionally the beach is impassable just south of Wedge Island.
Although only 74km in length this trip will take a full day of driving but there's lots to do (sand surfing,
fishing, snorkelling, hiking, and wildflowers) so why not make a few days of the trip. If you intend to camp at Narrow Neck then please ensure you take your rubbish with you.
Undoubtedly, the trickiest part of this trip is
navigation. There is a maze of tracks around the beach headlands and through dunes and if the beach between Wedge Island and Grey is closed, then you'll need to pick up the inland track. You can try your luck with any track you see as they'll all lead either north or south eventually, however if you want the most direct route without getting stuck it is wise to take some digital
navigation equipment with you.
Interactive Route Map

Position: 115.0672ºE 30.4961ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Pinnacles Drive & Hansen Bay Rd
Distance: 5.48km
Average Speed: 66.37km/h
Features:

Position: 115.0900ºE 30.5187ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Nambung National Park
Distance: 14.94km
Average Speed: 75.52km/h
Nambung National Park
Coastal NP about 2 hours drive north of Perth. Eroded sand dunes reveal pillars of limestone - the famous Pinnacles with a silvery Indian Ocean as a backdrop.
Features:

Position: 115.1584ºE 30.5985ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Grey
Distance: 17.56km
Average Speed: 35.55km/h
Features: Place Name
Position: 115.1351ºE 30.6645ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Wedge Island
Distance: 20.75km
Average Speed: 26.79km/h
Wedge Island
Wedge Island is a coastal settlement between Lancelin and Cervantes located 160 kilometres north of Perth and is the site of about 360 shacks used as holiday homes to many Perth families. The area represents coastal sand dunes and bush land with beaches accessible to vehicles.
Position: 115.1906ºE 30.8211ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Beacon Rd & Dide Bay Access
Distance: 25.24km
Average Speed: 35.14km/h
Features:

Position: 115.3109ºE 30.9299ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Nilgen Nature Reserve
Distance: 4.42km
Average Speed: 47.33km/h
Features:

Position: 115.3250ºE 30.9641ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Lancelin
Distance: 10.01km
Average Speed: 40.56km/h
Position: 115.3365ºE 31.0225ºS (GDA 94)
Permits
An annual WA All Parks Pass will be needed for this trek note which allows unlimited vehicle entrance into any fee paying national park for a period of 12 months. Please check the status of the Department of Defence live firing range on: (08) 9311 2772. Also check the beach driving conditions.
Things to See & Do
Preparation
You will need to be prepared for a variety of terrains from hard capstone to soft sand, so an air compressor is mandatory. You'll need to use sand driving tyre pressures and be prepared to use 4WD in sections. Ensure that you have checked the beach conditions just south of the Wedge Island where a tricky section of the beach is often impassable, especially in Spring and Summer, when the wind and wave action steeply erodes the beach line. Many have unfortunately tried and failed. Check out the "wall of fame" at the Lancelin Roadhouse and take a tide chart for this area and avoid high tides.
Preparation for this route should be as for any other relatively remote 4WD track, including carrying sufficient fuel, water, food, supplies,
communications gear, safety equipment and
first aid, along with emergency backup supplies. It is advised that you affix a dune flag to your vehicle, as this trip has become quite popular in both directions and head-on collisions have occurred, especially on long-weekends. Please make sure you have adequate
recovery gear. Travellers should read the
4WDriving Topic for related articles and checklists for
vehicle setup and driver awareness.
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | Cervantes, Lancelin |
Diesel | 4cyl 14 litres |
ULP | 4cyl 16 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 20 litres |
| 6cyl 15 litres | 6cyl 18 litres | 6cyl 17 litres |
| 8cyl 16 litres | 8cyl 16 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Best Time To Visit
March - May when sea breezes are less persistent.
Closest Climatic Station
Lancelin
Distance from Trek Mid Point 31.09km SE
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
28.9 | 29.7 | 28.3 | 25.3 |
22.5 | 20.1 | 19.1 | 19.1 |
20.3 | 22.3 | 24.6 | 27.1 |
| Mean Min. °C |
17.4 | 17.9 | 16.7 | 14.5 |
12.5 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 9.9 |
10.5 | 11.8 | 14.1 | 16.2 |
| Mean Rain mm |
9.5 | 11.2 | 13.5 | 31.1 |
87.3 | 126.2 | 124.7 | 94.0 |
57.3 | 29.8 | 20.8 | 6.2 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Services & Supplies
The following locations have various services and supplies:
Cervantes,
Lancelin
Camp Sites & Accomodation
Environment
Hopefully you'll be taking it easy and will see the wonderful wildlife - emus, kangaroos, wallabies and you could even sample the local quandongs (both the fruit and the nuts are edible) growing along the edge of the track. If you are travelling during spring, you will see a beautiful landscape of colours with the various species of wildflowers growing in the region.
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.