Shark Bay’s a solid day’s blitz up the national highway from Perth, but it’s so, so worth the long haul.

Visitors find themselves ensconced by natural beauty on all sides. The bay itself is a world heritage site that’s home to a healthy population of dugongs, as well as dolphins and other threatened species.

Dirk Hartog Island lies just offshore, and the towering cliffs of nearby Steep Point offer up some of the finest landbased fishing platforms in the country.

Monkey Mia is a world-renowned tourist attraction and an opportunity to encounter the bay’s famous Indo-Pacific dolphin population at point blank range.

You’ll want to allocate a week for this trip in order to factor in driving time and to give yourself enough time to see all the highlights.

STUFF TO DO

4WDING: Explore the white sandy dunes of Edel Land and the red plains and dunes of the Peron Peninsula. If you take the barge out to Dirk Hartog Island there are some fantastic beach runs as well as uncharted inland trails.

FISHING from the cliffs of Steep Point is as wild as it gets. It’s possible to get connected to rampaging pelagic species on live baits or lures and an array of delectable reef species including coral trout and spangled emperor are regularly taken on baits and soft plastics.

MONKEY MIA is located nearby and is your best opportunity to come face to face with the pods of dolphins that visit the shoreline each day. Keep an eye out for the dugongs, sea turtles and manta rays that frequent the area too.

IMPORTANT INFO

LOCATION: 834km north of Perth on Western Australia’s Gascoyne Coast.

CAMPING is available at the eco lodge on Dirk Hartog Island as well as at the Shark Bay Caravan Park.

FUEL is available at Denham.

MORE INFO is available at www.sharkbaywa.com.au