Follow the coast north from Perth, visiting its northern beaches,
before reaching one of Western Australia's oldest national parks
and a string of isolated coastal fishing and holiday settlements. This
is where the locals go for some peace and quiet, to catch a fish or
two, swim or canoe in the river or ocean and generally do as little
else as possible.
Distance: 260 km
Journey east from the city along Cambridge Street and Oceanic Drive
to City Beach, one of the most sought after beachside suburbs of the
west coast with some of Perth's most expensive, luxurious houses.
Drive north up West Coast Highway past a Scarborough and Trigg, both
favourites with board surfers. Where West Coast Highway sweeps inland,
take West Coast Drive and follow the coastline north past North Beach,
Marmion and Sorrento to Hillarys.
Hillarys Boat Harbour
Hillarys Boat Harbour is a very popular day-and-night destination in
Perth's northern beachside suburbs, as much because of its
diverse range of eateries, bars and nightclubs and attractions, as it
being the sole coastal point from which to catch a ferry to Rottnest.
The Hillarys Marina is home to the Naturaliste Marine Discovery Centre, Aquarium
of Western Australia and numerous fishing charter, whale watching tour
operators and diving schools. Keep heading north; following the tourist
drive signs, passing by Mullaloo, Burns Beach and Quinns Rocks which,
only a decade or so ago, were little more than collections of
fisher's shacks.
The Alkimos in 1964
What remains of the wrecked Greek freighter Alkimos can be seen off
the coast at Yanchep. There isn't much to see these days. In 1963 the merchant ship ran aground several times along the coast of Western Australia, beginning on a reef off Beagle Island 240 kilometres north of Perth on March 20 and finally stranding itself 56 kilometres north of Perth near Quinns Rocks. The ship was said to be haunted. Countless people who have been near the ship have slipped and fallen or become very ill. It is stated that horses ridden on the beach near the ship became very nervous. They either bolted or refused to pass the ship.
One of the two rocks on the beach at Two Rocks
Head north from Yanchep Beach to Two
Rocks and see remnants of the glory days of the 1980's when
development was at a peak and intrepid entrepreneurs were busy building
theme parks, marinas and hotels. At Two Rocks is Wild Kingdom Wildlife
Park, a native animal zoo where visitors have the opportunity to feed
kangaroos and handle the rare golden hairy-nosed wombat.
Yanchep Beach
Yanchep Lagoon is a small ocean lagoon protected by a reef. Alongside the lagoon is an open surf beach, making it the perfect choice if some family members want to swim in protected seawater and other in open surf. The beach is 600 meters long, with a prominent reef connected to the southern end of the shore. This forms a natural lagoon that is great for swimming, even for kids. From the southern end, the reef dive site 20 meters away from the shore. There are plenty of octopus, prawns, manta rays, cuttlefish, western blue devil, and crayfish to keep you company while snorkeling.
Yanchep National Park
A short way inland from Yanchep Beach is Yanchep National Park, one
of Perth's oldest attractions, created around one of the many
coastal lakes in the region. The Park features over 600 limestone caves and a koala sanctuary. Situated just beyond Perth's northern outskirts, Yanchep National Park gives a snapshot view of the tuart and banksia woodlands of the Perth costal plain. It abounds with native animals, water birds and plants in their natural surroundings. Western Grey kangaroos are commonly seen on the walk trails or grazing on the picnic lawns and golf course. Boat tours are conducted on Loch McNess; daily guided tours of Crystal Cave; Aboriginal cultural demonstrations on weekends. Park entry fees apply.
Guilderton
Further north along Wanneroo Road is the small fishing community of Guilderton, near the mouth of Moore River. It is a popular holiday spot for Perth families wishing to escape the rat race and do nothing but swim, canoe, fish (bream, tailor and herring) or laze around. The town is home to the Gravity Discovery Centre which works to integrate art, science and technology while providing a cross-cultural understanding of cosmology, with theories that range from the Aboriginal Dreamtime to the Big Bang.
Mouth of the Moore River, Guilderton
Guilderton was thus named because a number of Dutch guilders were found in the sand in the vicinity in the 1950s. They came from the Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon), a Dutch trading ship wrecked off the coast in 1656, which was finally found in April 1963 at Ledge Point, not far from the mouth of the Moore River.
The coins came from the Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon), a Dutch trading ship wrecked off the coast in 1656, which was finally found in April 1963 at Ledge Point, not far from the mouth of the Moore River. Further north are the commercial and recreational fishing settlements of Seabird, Breton Bay and Ledge Point before reaching the end of the road at the crayfishing town of Lancelin. Here you can end your day in the crayfishing town of Lancelin tackle the mighty sand dunes by 4WD or sand board. The unique Pinnacles Desert of natural stone monuments is located only 4km from the beach.
Further north are the commercial and recreational fishing settlements of Seabird, Breton Bay and Ledge Point before reaching the end of the road at the crayfishing town of Lancelin. Here you can end your day in the crayfishing town of Lancelin tackle the mighty sand dunes by 4WD or sand board. Lancelin is the gateway to Australia’s finest windsurfing and is noted on the International Windsurfing Circuit.
Return to Perth via Wanneroo Road.
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