Getting to Jurien Bay
From Margaret River we headed north to Perth to stay with our friends Kerry & Rob on their beautiful property in the Perth Hills. It was wonderful to catch up and to get a tour of the local sights. We had met while travelling on the Gibb River Road and the Bungle Bungles in 2019. They also kindly let us leave our van on their property while we flew home to Qld for a couple of weeks. Sadly my camera was off being repaired, so I couldn’t photograph the stunning and abundant bird life in their garden.
PERTH HILLS, Kerry & Rob’s property
Jurien Bay
Jurien Bay is 250 km north of Perth. We stayed at Jurien Bay Caravan Park, a short walk to the beach and shops. Even though the wind was fierce, around 34km/h most days, temperatures were high, around 40°C , so it was great to cool off with a swim at the beach each day. Keeping our things from blowing down the beach while we swam was a challenge.
Places we visited near Jurien Bay.
SANDY CAPE (North of Jurien Bay)
- about 20k north of Jurien Bay.
- A lovely camp with camp hosts, toilets, shady spots.
- Just outside the camp near the info board are rubbish bins and 2 dump points.
- Lots of rotting seaweed on beach, a bit smelly.
- We took the short 4WD track to the other side of the point. Interestingly, there was no seaweed on the beach that side.
- There are two 4WD bush camps nearby
GREEN HEAD (North of Jurien Bay)
A beautiful coast line, with lots of bush camping. Popular for surfing, snorkelling and fishing. The only down side is the wind and smell of rotting seaweed on the beach. But it really is an amazing area. There are large dunes of brilliant white quartz silica throughout the area, but we didn’t see much on the beaches.
Green Head includes
- Dynamite Bay
- Point Louise Lookout
- Mulligan Island
- Window Rock
One side looked good for snorkelling, clear blue water, a rock ledge to snorkel along. The beach on the other side had quite a lot of rotting seaweed. The coast line is beautiful, quite rugged but stunning.
Milligan Island is more like a small outcrop, so close to shore we wondered if one could walk out at low tide. The camp ground is not on the island.
Window Rock
Another place that looks good for snorkelling. Milligan Island is right next to it.
CERVANTES (South of Jurien Bay
We were looking forward to a swim at the beach, but the seaweed / seagrass was thick in and out of the water so we didn’t.
The Lobster Shack, at Cervantes.
We had lobster sushi and lobster tacos which were very tasty. But to be honest, it could have been any meat or vegetable. The seasonings and sauces were nice but covered any flavour of lobster. On our way out we bought a whole lobster, the biggest one, which cost less than our lunch, and we very much enjoyed the simple unadulterated flavour of it for dinner.
Once again we headed out for a swim, only to find the beach and water populated with bluebottles. Tim got stung on the foot before he reached the water. Hot water poured over the sting is the recommended first aid, once all the tentacles have been removed.
Hangover Bay in Nambung National park
Such a beautiful beach, and the water looked lovely. Tim bravely ventured in for a swim while the wind roared around us. Our thongs took flight down the beach, as did anything else we dared put down.
Swimming with Sea lions
We had an amazing time swimming with Australian Sea Lions at Essex Rocks, then snorkelling around the Underwater Pinnacles near Boullanger Island. Too many photos to add here, so I will write a separate blog post for that.
Cheers from Helen & Tim……Seal lions coming soon.