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 Home Page > Visiting Shark Bay > Suggested itineraries |
Suggested Itineraries
If you have a 2WD:
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3 days or less express – Monkey Mia and sites on the World Heritage Drive
If you only have a few days concentrate your time on the World Heritage sites between the highway and Monkey Mia. To get any sort of appreciation of Shark Bay you really shouldn’t spend less than 3 days in the area.
Day 1 Visit the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool about 20 minutes drive in from the highway. A short boardwalk out over the stromatolites gives great views of these ancient organisms once thought to be extinct on Earth. Grab a bite to eat, and visit the historic Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station before heading for Shell Beach. Here an amazing natural accumulation of shells has formed a brilliant white shell beach. Take a stroll or a dip and then head for the town of Denham. Visit the World Heritage Discovery Centre to gain a full appreciation of the reason for Shark Bay’s World Heritage listing. Overnight in Denham. |
Stromatolites and boardwalk at
Hamelin Pool |
Day 2 Make an early start and head for Monkey Mia to see the world famous dolphins. Feeding occurs in the morning from around 8am so try to be early. The first feed of the day is often the busiest so you may want to consider staying on for the much quieter second and third feeds. Have lunch at the resort and in the afternoon either take a boat cruise to try and spot some local marine life, a cultural tour with a Malgana guide or get some solitude with a walk amongst the dunes on the 2km Wulyibidi Yaninyina Trail. Overnight at the resort.
Day 3 You may want to rise early to experience the dolphin experience again but if you don’t have time head back to Denham and then on to Eagle Bluff. Walk the boardwalk perched on the cliff top and try to spot some of the local marine life. You may want to consider visiting Ocean Park on the way to Eagle Bluff to gain an appreciation of some of the local marine life. Visit Nanga Resort for lunch before heading back out to the highway.
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Dolphin feed at Monkey Mia |
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5 day explore – Getting to know the Shark Bay World Heritage Area
5 days is a great amount of time to get to know the World Heritage Area. For a full outline of all there is to see and do
visit our ‘Things to do’ section.
Days 1 to 3 Consider making your own itinerary based on the sites and activities outlined in the 3 day trip above and add the following options for the extra couple of days.
Days 4 and 5 Take a 4WD tour into Francois Peron National Park to explore the rich red sand dune landscape and stunning turquoise waters surrounding the Peron Peninsula. At Skipjack Point you will have stunning views of local marine life including rays, turtles and sharks. Most tours feature a stop at the Peron Homestead to experience station life as it was before the area became a national park. The artesian hot tub and the ‘Station Life’ walk are attractions at the old homestead.
A scenic flight is an excellent way to get a full appreciation of the size and beauty of Shark Bay. The patterns of seagrass and the contrast of the red sand dunes with the turquoise ocean are visual feasts. |
Skipjack Point in Francois Peron National Park |
When at Monkey Mia consider a trip out to the pearl farm to see the amazing process of culturing the local black pearls.
Other options around Monkey Mia include camel rides on the beach and water activities such as sea-kayaking and snorkelling.
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Week or more – The full tour of Shark Bay’s best
Tailor your trip around the list of activities above and for the extra days consider the following:
A day trip by boat over to Dirk Hartog Island is a great way to get a taste of the island if you haven’t got a 4WD. The day
trip is run by the Dirk Hartog Island homestead and has limited departures each week. Check this website for tour dates.
 Take a boat charter into the Shark Bay Marine Park with one of the several charter companies operating out of Denham or Monkey Mia. Full or half day tours are on offer and some boats offer fishing, snorkelling and seasonal whale watching during the winter months.
Another excellent way to explore Shark Bay’s marine environment is via sea-kayak. Tour companies based in Perth offer tailored trips and if you have your own kayak there are virtually unlimited options for exploring the thousands of kilometres of coastline.
Spend a day exploring the seaside town of Denham. Take a stroll along the waterfront and explore the historic ‘shell block’ buildings. Shop, dine and relax.
If you have a 4WD
Shark Bay is an excellent 4WD destination. There are numerous locations that are only accessible by 4WD and they
include some of the most spectacular places in the World Heritage Area.
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Francois Peron – the top spots of the tip!
| In Francois Peron National Park, access north of the homestead is 4WD country. You can easily spend several days in this area camping and exploring beaches, coastline and the red dune landscapes. Camp at Bottle Bay or one of the other campsites nearby and try a spot of fishing for whiting or tailor. Head a few kilometres further north to Cape Peron, the tip of the peninsula where two nutrient rich currents meet, attracting a plethora of wildlife. Close by is Skipjack Point where viewing platforms perched on the dune top provide great views of local marine life. Further south in the park is Big Lagoon, a spectacular estuary that can be explored by kayak, canoe or boat. Campsites here and on the eastern side of the peninsula at Herald Bight are conveniently located on the water to allow access for boating and fishing. Check out our Francois Peron National Park pages for all the necessary information on visiting this beautiful area. |
Bottle Bay in Francois Peron National Park |
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Western explorer – week or more. A trip to Edel Land’s spectacular, yet challenging and remote 4WDing sites.
On the western side of Shark Bay lie some of Shark Bay’s most spectacular sites. With a week or so up your sleeve you will find plenty of things to do around the Steep Point and Edel Land area. Here the landscape is dominated by limestone and spectacular cliffs, blowholes and small beaches prevail. Allow for a days travel in and out of the area as the tracks are rough and slow going.
Many people will head straight for the Steep Point area where some of the best land based fishing can be found. This also marks the most westerly point of the Australian mainland which for some is an attraction in its own right.
Camping is permitted at both Shelter Bay and Steep Point, and they are a good base from which to explore the surrounding area. Shelter Bay, on the peninsula’s eastern side provides some protection from the southerly wind and offers access to the waters of South Passage for fishing and boating. Visitors generally spend much of their time fishing from the cliffs or exploring by boat but you can easily spend a full day exploring the Zuytdorp Cliffs along a vehicle track that traverses the cliff top. The views are spectacular and when the swell is running spectacular ‘blowholes’ start to go off. Further south are two nice bays, Crayfish Bay and False Entrance. Explore these areas for some fishing or just to walk the beach and watch the surf. |
False Entrance |
A permit is required to access these areas – visit our Steep Point pages or visit the separate Steep Point website for more details.
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Grand tour – Edel Land and Dirk Hartog Island explorer
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With some time up your sleeve and some careful planning you can visit remote and spectacular Dirk Hartog Island. You should dedicate at least a week to this trip to give the island the time it deserves and because of the effort required to get there. Vehicle access is via Steep Point (permit required) where the soft sand tracks are quite rough, so ensure you are well prepared. The barge from Steep Point arrives at Cape Ransonnet and needs to be booked through the Dirk Hartog Island staff.
Once on the island there are many places to explore. At the most northerly tip (3 – 4 hours drive from the barge landing) is Cape Inscription one of Australia’s most significant historic sites. It marks the landing point of several early European explorers, including Dirk Hartog way back in 1616, the earliest recorded landing of a European in Western Australia. A lighthouse now sits atop the cape and the views from this area are spectacular.
Camping is permitted at several basic sites around the eastern and norhtwest portion of the island which are popular for fisherman and offer excellent shore-based fishing. More formal accommodation is available at the Dirk Hartog Island Homestead on the sheltered eastern side of the island. Sandy beaches along this section of the coastline are also excellent for exploring and snorkelling is possible at some sites close to shore.
Along the western edge of the island lie spectacular cliffs that withstand the battering of the Indian Ocean swells. Blowholes surge into life when the swell is running. It is possible to drive along these cliffs at the north-western edge of the island.
Some essential information about Dirk Hartog Island for the traveller:
- Remember when planning your trip that the island is presently closed to vehicles during the summer months
- There are currently limits in place on the number of vehicles allowed on the island
- Anyone intending on taking a 4WD on the island should contact the homestead in the first instance. Visit this website for all the necessary information.
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Turtle Bay at the northern end of Dirk Hartog Island |
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