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Published Dec 2024
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Travel & Touring| WA Things To Do
By: Monique Ceccato
It’s hard to believe just how many beautiful beaches one city can have within its bounds.
And, if you venture just north of Perth, you’ll come across plenty more picturesque bays, many of which are so sparsely populated you’ll have the entire place to yourself.
RELATED: 9 easy overnighters from Perth » RELATED: Camping spots by the water within two hours of Perth »
1. Yanchep Lagoon
Distance from Perth CBD: 56.7km or 44min drive.
Facilities: parking, showers, toilets, barbecues, fuel, cafes
As far as versatility in your beachside day trip goes, you can’t beat Yanchep Lagoon. Within its 300m span, you can swim, snorkel, SUP and even hunt for abalone, so long as you hold a valid license and do so within season.
As a large rock shelf protects it, the water here is clear and calm year-round, which makes it the perfect place to bring children and anyone who’s not so confident in the ocean. If you want to bring your furry friends, too, they’ll have to stay on the lead unless you head to the off-lead beach south of Brazier Road. To the lagoon’s north, you’ll find a true local spot known — ironically enough — as ‘The Spot’. It’s some of the best surfing this side of Perth. But it’s recommended only intermediate and experienced surfers tackle it as it’s a fair paddle out to the left-hand break.
2. Wilbinga
Distance from Perth CBD: 75km or 1hr drive.
Facilities: none
It’s not feasible to let the tyres down and go for a drive along the sand on Perth’s busy beaches. But, head just an hour out of the city, and you’ll reach Wilbinga — a quiet stretch of beach off a dirt track and the closest coastal four-wheel driving you can find.
If you’re new to off-roading, follow RAC’s comprehensive four-wheel driving checklist before heading off. It’s easy to miss the turn-off onto Wilbinga Road, so keep your eyes peeled for the short green signpost in the scrub halfway between Two Rocks and Guilderton. Follow it to the coast, where there are tracks, beach runs and steep dunes to fine-tune your sand driving skills. There’s not much else around, so bring all your own food, water and fishing gear to sustain you for the day. If you want to play for more than one day, the next closest town is Moore River, 25 minutes to the north. Book a campsite and pick up extra supplies there.
3. Wedge Island
Distance from Perth CBD: 165km or 2hrs drive.
Facilities: none
Around 350 old fishing shacks make up the township of Wedge Island. They’re set just back from the fringing beach and inhabited almost entirely by locals and regular holidaymakers. With its protected waters and blindingly white sand, it’s easy to see why so many people keep coming back to this haven halfway between Lancelin and Cervantes.
Though you can’t stay at Wedge without knowing someone with access to a shack, the beach is open to all. There, you can head out four-wheel driving, go swimming, try some sandboarding, throw a line in or explore the seabed with a snorkel. On a windier day, kitesurfing is also possible. If you are one of the lucky ones with accommodation for the night, remember to bring plenty of fresh water and possibly even a generator, as running water and mains electricity aren’t available.
4. Guilderton and the Moore River
Distance from Perth CBD: 91.6km or 1hr 15 min drive.
Facilities: all access fishing platforms, public toilets, gas barbecues, general store, picnic tables, fuel, camping and other accommodation
There’s no need to choose between fishing on the river or body surfing the waves into shore because you can easily do both in Guilderton. On the Moore River Estuary, the tiny township is a haven for anyone who loves the water, with plenty of activities to entertain the whole family on a short getaway.
A sandbar separates the river from the ocean most of the year, making the river a safe place to paddle about in a canoe or SUP. If you head further up the river to Silver Creek, there’s an accessible fishing platform where you can throw a line in and hope to catch some bream. If you prefer tailor and herring, cast off from the beach on the opposite side of the sandbar. No such luck catching dinner? There’s always the Moore River Cafe and General Store for a feed of fish and chips.
5. Ledge Point
Distance from Perth CBD: 119km or 1hr 20min drive.
Facilities: parking, general stores, fuel, camping and other accommodation
Ledge Point has become a firm favourite in beach-going West Australians’ books for umpteen reasons. But the presence of Vergulde Draeck — a diveable Dutch United East India Company (DUEIC) shipwreck — is one of the more unique. It was the first DUEIC wreck discovered in WA in 1963 and sits some 5.6km offshore. Launch your boat off the beach to head out for a dive, and pack a rod or two to squeeze in some fishing afterwards.
If you’re staying on shore, there’s still plenty to do. Try fishing off the jetty, going for a dip, or getting the windsurfer or kitesurfer out if the wind is blowing. Ledge Point is renowned for windsurfing, with the annual Ledge to Lancelin windsurfing race kicking off from Main Beach. There’s plenty to do away from the beach, too, with Ledge Point being one of the more built-up towns along this section of the coast. On a more extended visit, fit in nine holes of golf or a round of lawn bowls at the Ledge Point Country Club, then stay on for dinner and a few pints at the tavern.
6. Lancelin
Distance from Perth CBD: 127km or 1hr 30min drive.
Facilities: parking, barbecues, public toilets, general stores, camping and other accommodation
If there’s one thing Lancelin is known for, it’s the town’s blisteringly white dunes. Interestingly, you don’t head to the shoreline to find them. Instead, you’ll see them inland, between town and Indian Ocean Drive. Bring a board or hire one from Lancelin Sandboards Hire and spend a few hours barrelling down them at speed. Alternatively, traverse the lunar-esque dunescape on a quad bike or four-wheel drive bus tour.
On the coast, find Lancelin Watersports, and you can zip about on a jetski within the eye line of the pros or join them on a tour around Lancelin Island and the Edwards Island Nature Reserve. They’re just 600m offshore and a haven for sealife and birdlife. Equally as adrenaline-inducing are tubing and flyboarding, but for a calmer ocean adventure, try SUPing, pedal boating, or fat biking along the shore. While on the beach and water, keep your eye out for pods of dolphins and visiting sea lions.
7. Hangover Bay, Cervantes
Distance from Perth CBD: 195km or 2hr drive.
Facilities: barbecues, wheelchair accessible, parking, toilets, cafes, fuel, general store, camping and other accommodations
Nambung National Park is home to the otherworldly Pinnacles Desert. It’s also home to a secluded sweeping bay fringed by summer-scented wattle and coastal banjine-covered dunes. You can do almost anything at Hangover Bay, from snorkelling and swimming to surfing and windsurfing. One of the few things you can’t do is bring pets with you, as the beach comes under the national park classification. RAC members receive discounts on WA national park passes.
Can’t leave the dog at home? Head into Cervantes instead, where they can join you for swims and beach runs at Hansen Bay. Ronsard Bay is another dog-friendly beach in town, right by the RAC Cervantes Holiday Park. Take a rod down with you and try your luck at some beach fishing. Taylor, whiting or herring could well be on the menu for dinner.
8. Sandy Cape, Jurien Bay
Distance from Perth CBD: 218km or 2hr 20min drive.
Facilities: parking, barbecue facilities, picnic areas, barbecues, public toilets, walkways, fuel, cafes, camping and other accommodation
Outside of Perth, Jurien Bay is the only place in WA where you can snorkel with the playful and extremely rare Australian Sea Lion. Only 8,000 to 10,000 of them are left, and the Jurien Bay Marine Park breeding grounds play a vital role in their existence. Tours depart from the Jurien Bay Boat Harbour daily, within the season.
Further north of the boat harbour, you’ll find Sandy Cape Recreation Park, where swimming and paddling all day is highly encouraged. It’s a protected bay, so the waters here are calm and clear in most conditions. Make a weekend of it and book a camping spot at one of the 88 sites accessible by 2WD or the few that have 4WD access only. They’re unpowered, and there’s no potable water, so fill up, unplug and enjoy the serenity in seclusion.
9. Green Head
Distance from Perth CBD: 252km or 2hr 45min drive.
Facilities: boat ramp, fish cleaning facilities, public toilets, parking, caravan black waste dump point
Green Head is pockmarked by bays, sandy and calm, protected from the elements by large rocky shelves. The most popular is Dynamite Bay, where you can snorkel the shallow reef, go beach fishing or just enjoy a picnic in the sunshine. There’s a grass area behind the beach where you can set up your blanket if you don’t feel like an afternoon on the sand.
Take the Three Bays Walkway between Dynamite Bay and the South Bay Lookout, and you can watch beginner and freestyle windsurfers whizzing along South Bay. Try it yourself, or stick to less athletic endeavours like snorkelling and fishing. The latter is best offshore, where snapper and dhufish roam, but you can throw a line in off the recreational jetty to catch some smaller-eating fish and squid.
10. Leeman
Distance from Perth CBD: 264km or 2hr 50min drive.
Facilities: jetty, boat ramp, public toilets, parking, barbecues, picnic areas, campsite and other accommodations
Unofficially, the tiny town of Leeman has been crowned ‘the home of WA’s dhufish’. They’re abundant along this coast, wherever there’s a rocky outcrop and 20-50m of water. Launch the boat off the ramp to find a spot to fish for them or stick to the jetty for a feed of whiting or tailor. If it’s crayfish you’re after, don the diving gear and get searching the rocky crevices for them. Like dhufish, they’re everywhere, but you must have a license to bring them in.
Non-fisherpeople can enjoy the sandy shallows at Back Beach by swimming, building sandcastles, or just walking along the coastline. There are picnic tables and playgrounds all along the foreshore for families to utilise, and a fish and chip shop just a street back to fill hungry bellies.
BONUS: Dongara-Port Denison (a little bit further)
Distance from Perth CBD: 349km or 3hr 40min drive.
Facilities: parking, barbecues, picnic facilities, toilets
Each year, from November to January, Dongara’s South Beach transforms into a windsurfer’s paradise thanks to strong and consistent south-westerly winds. It’s also one of the safest places in the region to catch a wave or have a dip, with the beaches patrolled each weekend and on public holidays.
Even safer is the calm waters of Granny’s Beach, a popular spot for families to make sandcastles, swim and snorkel. For thrilling adventures, try jetskiing further out off Granny’s, four-wheel driving on South Beach, or heading for a dive off north or south harbour.
Post-beach, sit and admire it more from a table at Southerlys. The family-run tavern sits right on the marina and is the prime seat for our glorious West Australian sunsets. Plus, they serve the town’s best pub grub, including a moreish whole local crayfish.
Banner image credit: Tourism Western AustraliaTile image credit: Tourism Western Australia
Last updated 21 February 2024
