Shark Bay
We stayed at the Denham Seaside Caravan Park for the first few days of our visit to Shark Bay. It’s a great spot on the foreshore, close to everything in Denham and twenty minutes from Monkey Mia. It has ocean views and the grounds are covered in tiny white shells.
There are a few different parks to choose from in Denham and this one offered discounts for members of TAWK (Travel Australia With Kids – no school holiday discount, but otherwise, kids stay free for 2 nights) and G’day Parks (10% off the total bill). During the off season (now) they also offer stay 3, pay for 2 nights.
Little Lagoon, Shark Bay
Just five kilometres from Denham, turning off Monkey Mia Road, is Little Lagoon Recreation Zone. Originally a land locked salt pan it was overcome by sea water thousands of years ago. You can drive your car on to the beach to find your own patch of paradise (no fees applicable).
Little Lagoon has clear calm water making it ideal for families. We saw paddle boarders and you can kite surf there too, which we would all love to get in to when the boys are older.
There are toilets and barbecue facilities available under shade and remember to take your drone as the aerial views are breathtaking. Little Lagoon is a relaxing spot for a walk with various trails on offer, it’s a good spot for bird watching and we were lucky enough to see emus with their chicks. Definitely worth a stop.
Monkey Mia
Located to the east of Francois Peron National Park, Monkey Mia is a beautiful bay best known for its dolphin viewing experience and it did not disappoint. We also saw our first beached emu 
who wasn’t afraid to scrounge through belongings in the search for food!
who wasn’t afraid to scrounge through belongings in the search for food!Monkey Mia is named after a combination of the Malay pearlers who stayed at this location with their pet monkeys and the Aboriginal word Mia, pronounced My-ah, meaning home/ camp/ resting place. There was also a ship that visited the area in the 1800’s that is said to have contributed to the monkey part of its name.
All visitors to Monkey Mia pay a visitor fee additional to the WA National Park Pass. This fee covers the dolphin experience, maintenance and conservation of the area. We did a day trip from Denham (~ 30 minute drive) so it was a once off fee however if you stay in Monkey Mia further fees will apply. It is recommended to arrive at 7.45am for the first feeding experience however the dolphins visited all throughout the morning while we were there so it wasn’t essential. There is a ranger who chats to the crowd about the dolphins and the conservation work being done. Volunteers also feed the dolphins.
Monkey Mia has a variety of other activities available including walking trails, wildlife watching cruises and the pearl farm tour. There’s a visitor centre, gift shop and the RAC Caravan Park with pools and playgrounds. The beach area has clear water for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding.
We enjoyed our trip and had a late breakfast at the Boughshed restaurant before a quick swim, we’d recommend taking a beach shelter and some drinks, then you can sit back and watch the dolphins swim in the bay. A unique and beautiful experience that our boys won’t forget.
Goulet Bluff
Goulet Bluff was a hidden gem for us, an excellent last camp on the way out of Shark Bay. We had the entire place to ourselves in a sheltered bay beside the cliff. The sandbanks and cockle shells make for a beautiful walk and the boys enjoyed playing in the water and seaweed.
The shire of Shark Bay manages four campsites on the western side of Peron Peninsula including Goulet Bluff, Eagle Bluff, Fowler’s Camp and Whalebone Bay.
Campers require a $15 permit from the shire. Permits are for 24 hours and restricted to one night only at any of these 4 camps. The ranger did make his way around in the morning to check that we’d made a booking. There are also no formal facilities so you must be fully self contained.
Shell Beach
Shell Beach is located 50km south of Denham, a picturesque bay stretching 60km with crystal clear water. It’s unlike most beaches as tiny Hamelin Cockle shells (up to 10 meters deep) take the place of beach sand.
These cockle shells were previously used in construction, being hard packed and cut in to blocks as on display at nearby Denhams Old Pearler Restaurant and St Andrews Anglican Church.
An interpretive walk, toilets and parking for cars and caravans (with a large turn around circle) are available for visitors.
FRANCOIS PERON NATIONAL PARK
Big Lagoon
Our next stop was Big Lagoon, the first campground on offer as your enter Francois Peron National Park. The 52,500 hectare National Park was named after zoologist Francois Peron, who joined an 1801 expedition of the area and made some of the first records of Shark Bays people and wildlife.
After turning off Monkey Mia Road, you stop and make payment for entry to both the the National Park and to camp at the various bays within the park. You will also need to air down your tyres and there are two air compressors available a short distance (7km) from the entrance for when you’re leaving.
On the way to Big Lagoon you will pass the Peron Heritage Precinct which is a historic site with an information centre, walking trails and various farming equipment on display. The former working station also offers a popular gated Artesian Hot Bath for visitors. It is free to use and previously supplied water to stock. There are picnic tables here and the hot tub is surrounded by a well maintained and sheltered grassed area. The water is really hot so make sure you bring plenty of drinks and have time to relax (and recover) before you head off again.
Big Lagoon is another 12km on a 4WD only access track, it was a stunning drive to the campsite with rich red sand surrounded by low scrub and bright blue skies. We saw various lizards and more emus with their chicks. When we arrived at camp there was only one site left and it was right next to the water. We were fortunate to have a site with its own raised deck with a ramp that led to the beach. It didn’t take us long to setup the camp chairs and moments later we spotted a group of emus wandering through the water.
Big Lagoon is striking as the azure blues of the ocean meet the rusted red sand cliffs. People had their kayaks out, there is a boat ramp and a sheltered barbecue area with seating. The lagoon is great for swimming and fishing and the wildlife is abundant.
Gregories Beach
One of the beaches toward the tip of Francois Peron NP is Gregories. It is a decent drive out (~36km from the Big Lagoon turn off) and the sandy road in was bumpy. The boys spotted lizards, emus and rabbits.
Parking and a shaded barbecue area with picnic tables is available for day trips, overlooking the bay. The beach had white sand backing on to deep red cliffs. The rusty red coastline was impressive against the low lying scrub and bright blue water.
Gregories offers camping, swimming, fishing and kayaking. It is close to Bottle Bay, Cape Peron, Skipjack Point and Cattle Well. If you are going to head out there for a day trip we’d recommend taking lunch and plenty of drinks.
The area has so much to enjoy and you could easily spend the day driving between the various spots. Having a capable 4WD with recovery equipment is essential for the tip of Francois Peron National Park, especially if you’re not travelling in convoy.
This area is well worth a visit despite being off the beaten track, it is truly stunning!
Herald Bight
One of our favourites stops in Shark Bay was Herald Bight. Located on the eastern side of the Peron Peninsula it was one of those incredible spots that you could spend the whole day.
We drove out on to the soft and very boggy sand at low tide. The mud flats went for a few hundred meters from the shoreline and contained all sorts of marine life. The kids loved the many hermit crabs and there were a variety of clams. It was a beautiful and scenic spot that you could stop at for lunch and spend hours exploring.
Herald Bight offers 4WD access, camping, toilets, kayaking, fishing and you can launch your boat. There is also the Fish Canning Factory to visit, a historical site established in 1933 which became a fish freezer in 1938 before closing in 1947 when nearby Denham built a new freezer plant.
We will definitely be returning to Herald Bight. There was plenty of campers and I can see it becoming a very popular camp as word gets out about this hidden gem.
Skipjack Point
Shark Bay is definitely a location that spoils you with incredible coastline and Skipjack Point near the tip of Francois Peron NP certainly tows the line. It’s another rough boggy sand drive to get in there and the end result is so worth the effort.
The various shades of blue water against the high red orange sand cliffs is beautiful and intriguing. There’s a bench to take it all in, not far from the carpark, and a boardwalk which leads you to a few different lookouts. Watch your kids because it’s a long way down and (thankfully) not all fenced off, showcasing the areas natural beauty. We visited on a stormy day and Mother Nature generously threw in a rainbow for good measure.
A good place for spotting turtles, dolphins, dugongs, stingrays, manta rays and sharks in the shallow water below the viewing platforms. We saw large fish jumping out of the water and were in
