Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage Area

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Francois Peron National Park

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Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay World Heritage Area

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Length: 3.9 miles / 6.3 km
Duration: Full day

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Overview: François Péron National Park lies 10km from Denham, 340km from Carnarvon and 430km from Geraldton and approximately 800km from Perth. The park was once a pastoral station, and you can reach the Péron Heritage Precinct by two-wheel drive (entry fees are payable) to experience what life would have been like on a remote sheep station. Adventuring beyond this precinct requires a high-clearance four-wheel drive.

One of the park's highlights is its scenic coastline, where dramatic red cliffs contrast with blue water and white beaches. From the cliffs of Skipjack Point visitors may see bottlenose dolphins playing, dugongs feeding, green and loggerhead turtles surfacing for air and large manta rays gliding past just beneath the surface. The Péron Peninsula, including the Péron National Park, is interspersed with gypsum claypans known as birridas. Most birridas were landlocked saline lakes when sea levels were much higher than at present, and gypsum was deposited on the lake floors. In some places the sea has invaded the claypans, such as at Big Lagoon, to form a shallow inland bay.

Tips: The park is accessed from the Monkey Mia Road, about 4km east of Denham. Péron Heritage Precinct is usually accessible to two-wheel drive vehicles but conditions vary so check with DEC’s office in Denham first. To travel further north into the park a high-clearance four-wheel drive (4WD) is essential and it is imperative to lower your vehicle's tyre pressure because of the very soft sand tracks. This area is unsuitable for large caravans or boat trailers; only camper trailers and dinghies may be taken beyond this point.

Many old station tracks are being revegetated, and some are for management purposes only. Follow the signs and stay on the correct roads. Do not drive over the soft gypsum pans (birridas). They have a thin surface crust over a bog mire, kept wet by groundwater. Vehicles attempting to cross birridas will become bogged. Recovering bogged vehicles is costly and time consuming, scars the birrida and degrades the surrounding vegetation.

Entrance and camping fees apply. A visitor fee collection box is located at the park entrance, where you turn off the Monkey Mia Road. Your fees are used to maintain and develop the park.

You may camp at Big Lagoon, Gregories, South Gregories, Bottle Bay and Herald Bight. There is no booking system so sites are available on a first come, first served basis. The busiest times are during the school holidays and when the southerly winds drop in winter. Only limited facilities are provided in these camping areas. No provision is made for caravans.

Points of Interest

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Peron Heritage Precinct

The Peron Heritage Precinct provides an insight into how life was when the park was a working sheep station. The self guided ‘Pepper trail’ explores the history of the area, visiting the shearing shed, shearer’s quarters and stock yards. Signs explain the station’s interesting history along the way.

A small interpretive centre depicts stories of Shark Bay’s indigenous inhabitants, European colonisation and current park conservation programs such as Project Eden. This bold environmental project is attempting to reintroduce locally extinct species to the peninsula by controlling feral predators. Woylies, bilbies and malleefowl have already been released and the red-tailed phascogale, rufous hare-wallaby, banded hare-wallaby, western barred bandicoot and chuditch (western quoll) may soon be reintroduced. Project Eden is set to make the Shark Bay World Heritage Area one of the wildlife wonders of the world.

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Artesian 'hot tub'

Within the Péron Heritage Precinct you will find the artesian hot tub, a popular spot to relax and soak in hot artesian waters that originally supplied vital water to the station’s stock. A barbecue and lawns are provided for picnicking.

Artesian groundwater exists in the sandstone below an impenetrable layer of shale. The artesian bore for Peron Homestead was drilled in 1922, to a depth of 542m. The water was brought to the surface by pressure and pumped from the reservoir tank at the homestead by three windmills to nine watering points.

Please remember when using the hot tub, keep glass out of the hot tub area and supervise small children when soaking in the tub. The artesian water is hot and soaking for extended periods can cause dehydration. Take regular breaks and drink plenty of water. The hot tub’s artesian waters are not safe for drinking.

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Big Lagoon

An important fish nursery, Big Lagoon's northern waters are a sanctuary zone within the Shark Bay Marine Park, where fishing is prohibited. Exploring this attractive turquoise lagoon by canoe or sea-kayak is a great way to get up close and personal to this natural gem. For another perspective take a scenic flight and the lagoon's true grandeur will be revealed. A small campground with gas barbecues and toilets is located at the lagoon and there is a site for launching boats nearby. Camping fees apply.

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South Gregories

South Gregories is an attractive camping area that offers easy access for launching dinghies and trying a spot of fishing. Facilities are basic with only toilets and gas BBQs provided; therefore campers will need to be self reliant. There is no drinking water so ensure you bring enough for your stay.

Fishing is popular and whiting, bream and kingfish can all be caught in the area.

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Gregories

Gregories is a beautiful beachside campground with basic facilities (toilets and gas barbecues). You are able to launch dinghies from the beach but take care. Campers will need to be self reliant. There is no drinking water so ensure you bring enough for your stay.

A rock shelf parallel to the coast at Gregories is an excellent spot to snorkel in the adjacent Shark Bay Marine Park, with the chance to drift along the wall and spot some of the local marine life. Always dive on a slack tide as local currents can be tricky.

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Bottle Bay

This popular campground alongside the beach has access for launching dinghies. Facilities are basic with only toilets and gas barbecues provided and therefore campers will need to be self reliant. There is no drinking water so ensure you bring enough for your stay.

Take a walk along the beach and marvel at the rich red cliffs contrasting with the surrounding turquoise water.

Fishing is popular along this stretch of coastline either from the shoreline or small dinghies launched off the beach. Whiting, bream and kingfish can all be caught in the area.

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Cape Péron

At the northerly tip of the national park is Cape Péron. Sitting at the confluence of two major currents, the cape attracts an impressive array of marine life.

However, this location is perhaps best known for its wonderful contrasts of white beach, red cliffs and blue waters. There is interpretive signage, a picnic area with tables, toilets and beach access. Try your hand at fishing here to see what might be lurking offshore. However, it is a special purpose zone for wildlife observation because of the prevalence of dolphins and dugongs, so set netting, spearfishing waterskiing and freestyle jet skiing are not permitted. The kids may enjoy fossicking in the rock pools on the beach but swimming here is not recommended due to the strong currents.

The Wanamalu Trail stretches for 1.5km along the cliff edge between Cape Péron and Skipjack Point offering fantastic photo opportunities. The 45-minute (one-way) walk provides excellent views of the coastline and it is common to see marine wildlife such as rays, sharks, dolphins, schools and fish and flocks of cormorants.

Photos are courtesy of Tourism WA

Cormorants on the beach at Cape Peron Photo

Stunning coastal scenery at Cape Peron Photo

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Skipjack Point

At Skipjack Point you can view an impressive array of marine wildlife from two spectacularly located viewing platforms, perched on the cliff edge with views out across the Shark Bay Marine Park.

Linking Cape Peron with Skipjack Point is the Wanamalu Trail stretching for 1.5 kilometres along the cliff edge overlooking the surrounding waters. Spectacular red sand cliffs extend in either direction offering fantastic photo opportunities. The 45-minute (one-way) walk provides excellent views of the coastline and signs along the trail provide an introduction to the features of the area. It is not unusual from the track to see marine life, such as rays, sharks, dolphins and schools of fish, as well as large flocks of cormorants along the coastline.

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Herald Bight

In the late 1880s, Herald Bight was an old pearling camp and old pearlshells can still be seen in the area.

The only camp site on the eastern side of the national park, Herald Bight offers some protection from the prevailing south-westerly winds.

The informal campsite has a toilet and small boats can be launched from the beach for access to the Shark Bay Marine Park.