Day 90 – 13th April 2018 – Denham, Francois Peron National Park

We headed off for a day of exploring Francois Peron National Park, and we were not disappointed!  So many amazing spots to see.  It took us approximately 5 hours on the way in to reach the furthest point being Skipjack Point.  This included stopping at all the sites on the way there, stopping for lunch as well.  It took us about an hour and a half on the way out as the the track is sandy and slow.

Our first stop was a place called Big Lagoon and although the photo is beautiful, it does not come close to capturing the colours, the size or the magic of this place.  There were people kayaking and fishing, and it would be a beautiful spot to swim.

Big Lagoon, Francois Peron National Park WA
Big Lagoon, Francois Peron National Park WA

There was a fairly new campground next to Big Lagoon and the facilities were great.  We were intrigued by these though.  We did work out that they are platforms for setting up your tent on, but we were confused for a while.

Big Lagoon Campground Platform, Francois Peron National Park WA
Big Lagoon Campground Platform, Francois Peron National Park WA

Our next stop was at a beautiful beach called Cattle Well.

Cattle Well, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cattle Well, Francois Peron National Park WA

For those that like collecting shells on beaches, this was a goldmine.  I found these in a matter or minutes.  I don’t like taking them but I do like finding them.

Shells, Cattle Well, Francois Peron National Park WA
Shells, Cattle Well, Francois Peron National Park WA

We continued our drive through the National Park and stopped for some photos along the way.  The track was quite deep and sandy and we had to lower our tyre pressure to prevent getting bogged.  I drove part of the way out and it is surprising the concentration required to drive this type of track and the arm fatigue.  You have to fight the car the entire way to stay on the track.  I enjoyed the challenge but was impressed that Col had driven most of it.  Way more draining than driving on a bitumen road.

Francois Peron National Park WA
Francois Peron National Park WA
Francois Peron National Park WA
Francois Peron National Park WA

We stopped at Cape Peron and Col tried a bit of fishing from the rocks.  It was an amazing spot but no luck with the fish that day.

Col fishing Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Col fishing Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA

Cape Peron is the point where two major currents meet, the Leeuwin Current and West Australian Current.  You can actually see the line from the shore going out to see where they collide.  The other thing that was amazing at this lookout was the contrast of the red sand, white sand and blue ocean.

Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA
Cape Peron, Francois Peron National Park WA

Our next stop was Skipjack Point and I think this was my favourite spot in the park, if I had to pick one.  From here you could walk along a boardwalk looking out over the ocean and you can see Stingrays and Sharks swimming below.  I could have spent hours here just sitting and watching, but unfortunately we had to start heading back.

Skipjack Point, Francois Peron National Park WA
Skipjack Point, Francois Peron National Park WA

It took us about an hour and a half to drive back out.  There is a station to deflate and inflate your tyres in this park too, which I thought was a great idea.  There is also a hot tub that you can use, but we ran out of time.  Looked good in the brochure though and might be worth a visit if you plan to come here.

 

 

10 thoughts on “Day 90 – 13th April 2018 – Denham, Francois Peron National Park”

    1. Definitely do that Son. We went to Monkey Mia, haven’t blogged about it yet, but they have a resort there and are in the process of building a new one. You would LOVE it and I thought of you guys. You can get a flight from Perth but it is pricey as they are small planes. Otherwise it is an 8 to 10 hour drive, so you would want to stay somewhere overnight on the way. However you get here, it is worth adding it to your bucket list for sure. xx

  1. Amazing place ,love all the colours ,love the inlet bay pool ,pitty no swimming due to stingrays swimming in there .Love an outback hot tub ,always needed when tried from driving .soothe sore muscles .
    Now that platform for a tent looks awesome ,as long as you stay sober and don’t fall off the edge hahahah

    1. It really was Jo! Luckily there are heaps of other beautiful places to swim, so I was happy to just observe the rays and sharks and not jump in with them. But you are right it was a spectacular spot.
      Yes a pity we didn’t make it to the hot tub, but another thing to add to the list for next time!
      Ha ha that made me laugh, you are so right. It could be dangerous depending on intoxication levels. Although Tania was sober when she fell out the van wasn’t she :)

  2. More beautiful coastline & colors of our land & waters. Camping on a platform – snakes?
    Look at that long sandy road..goes forever. What’s the song “wide open road”
    Yep hot tub would have been good try.
    Enjoy!!

    1. Yeah I wondered the same Karen, if it was to get people off the ground due to snakes. Whatever the reason, it would be good to be off the sand/dirt and away from any creepy, crawly, slidies!
      That is something I am enjoying with the driving and also in the National Parks, just seeing the road unfolding before you, off into the distance. Such a feeling of freedom. And yes I am a bit disappointed we didn’t make it to the hot tub, but we just underestimated how much there was to see and do in the National Park, so we can’t complain.

  3. Photos are absolutely “Mickey Hughes”. I would think a camping or 4WD magazine would be interested in some of the shots you’ve been posting….. maybe a way to get some extra funds. The contrasts between land & sea just amazing . Wondering how you’re finding petrol and diesel costs so far … also supermarket prices.

    1. Thanks Tania, it is a good idea and something that we should explore a bit more.
      Petrol/Diesel and food costs were definitely underestimated in our budget. We did download two great Apps though, it is Fuel Map Australia and is a Wiki app that shows you where the cheapest petrol/diesel prices are. This has been fantastic. They also do a gas bottle one, Gas Finder.
      Fuel costs have been the major one, but that is to be expected taking two vehicles and towing. We are planning to do a bit of a budget to share at the end of the trip, to help people that might be planning something similar. But definitely download those apps if you don’t have them.

  4. What an amazing and beautiful place. Sad we could never access it because we don’t have the right sort of vehicle. Breathtaking!! xx

    1. It is a pity that some of these places are restricted to 4WD access. You can join tours but then that makes it a bit expensive to see the country. Really was beautiful xx

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