SOMETHING SPECIAL

WORLD HERITAGE-LISTED, SHARK BAY IS A NOT TO BE MISSED FEAST OF INCREDIBLE LOOKOUTS AND STUNNING BEACHES

By the time the sun set on our first day in Monkey Mia, we knew this place was something special. We had followed kangaroo tracks through the red sand dunes, and taken our afternoon walk on a deserted beach alongside a mother dolphin and her calf. They casually swam just a couple of metres from the shore, while mother taught her baby to feed in the protected shallows of the bay.

This was our welcome to Monkey Mia, and the two-hour drive to get there had been absolutely worth it.

SHARK BAY WORLD HERITAGE AREA

Monkey Mia is located in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, about 850km north of Perth. In 1991, Shark Bay was the first location in Western Australia to receive World Heritage status, and is one of only a few areas in the world to meet four of the 10 natural criteria. Translation: this place is world-class special.

Shark Bay takes in some diverse landscapes – from ancient living fossils and cockleshell beaches, to dramatic red coastal cliffs, which meet the white sandy beaches and turquoise waters of the bay.

While the Monkey Mia dolphin experience is a huge drawcard for the area, there is more than one reason to detour from the highway and experience what this enchanting pocket of Australia has to offer.

THE DOLPHINS

Dolphins have been visiting the beach at Monkey Mia for more than 40 years, and it is now one of the best places in Australia to witness these majestic marine mammals in their natural environment.

While the dolphins are wild and don’t work to a visitor timetable, they generally head to the beach about 7.30 each morning for their free feed. Visitors are invited to stand in the shallows, waiting to see if they will be chosen to feed one of the playful residents.

The dolphins are fed three times each morning, with each one receiving only 10 per cent of its daily food intake. The number of people chosen to feed the dolphins varies each day, depending on who shows up for breakfast. Feedings generally take place between 7.45am and noon, but it is advised to get there early as feeding times vary.

FRANCOIS PERON NATIONAL PARK

Despite being used by the Aboriginal people for more than 25,000 years, and as a working sheep station until 1990, Francois Peron has a raw, untouched and untapped feel to it. Accessed from Monkey Mia Rd, the park is a world unto itself with landscapes from which a photographer’s dreams are made.

The vast majority of the park is only accessible by 4WD, which adds to its rugged and wild persona. Travel over the red dirt roads, white salt plains and soft sand to reach the incredible lookouts, lagoons and hidden beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for sharks, turtles, rays and whales at the Skipjack Point and Cape Peron lookouts. You may even steal a glimpse of the ever-elusive dugongs. Cattle Well beach is great for fossicking and the hot tub in the heritage precinct, fed by an artesian bore, is the perfect place to rest your tired legs at the end of the day.

There are a number of 4WD tours that can take you through the park and show you the hidden gems that may be missed by the unfamiliar visitor.

HAMELIN POOL MARINE

NATURE RESERVE

Ever heard of a stromatolite? Nor had we – let alone knew how to pronounce it – before