Lots of sharks, and so much more, at Shark Bay

Denham, Shark Bay, WA

Saturday 29^th October – Tuesday 1^st November

We drove into Denham through some stormy weather, which didn’t ease up all afternoon. In between showers we walked along the beach in front of the caravan park and up to the foreshore playground, however the wind was howling and it was freezing! Instead of battling the elements to try to do anything else, we holed up in the van and enjoyed our first Netflix movie for about 6 months!

The next day the rain had gone but the wind was even more ferocious. I insisted we still had to try to see some of the sights, so we went to Eagle Bluff lookout where we got sandblasted whilst being  nearly blown off the clifftop boardwalk! After persisting with a few other beaches/lookouts we headed back to meet up with Deb and Peter, who Daniel worked with at Port Campbell. One of Daniel’s other workmates, Darryl, was also staying at Denham so we had a lovely afternoon/evening catching up over a few red wines (in the comfort and warmth of the indoor camp kitchen).

On Monday Deb & Peter, along with Darryl and his wife Tanya, joined us to explore the nearby Francois Peron National Park. It is a rough, sandy track so we all had to let our tyres down at the start and by the end us ladies all wished we’d worn sports bras!!

The park is just out from Denham, on the Peron Peninsula and as such has some spectacular coastal scenery, although it is also very open to the elements. We’d been hoping to camp there for a few nights, but the predicted wind made us change our minds. Instead we settled for a day trip, and being able to return to the comfort of the van. We had a great day exploring South Gregories and Gregories beaches, Skipjack Point lookout and the tip of the peninsula, Cape Peron. The boys fished at the beaches and at Cape Peron, so we ended up with a feed of whiting which was a bonus! 

At Skipjack Point we braved the gale force icy winds to enjoy the view from the lookout (which was shaking in the wind!). The water is so clear that you can spot so much marine life. We were all very excited to see some large grey shapes and realise they were dugongs! As well as the 3 pods of dugongs we spotted, we also saw plenty of sharks, big stingrays and some turtles. If the wind wasn’t so strong it would have been the perfect place to sit for an hour or two as you could see for miles. After Skipjack Point I decided to walk the sand dunes to Cape Peron, whilst the others took the cars around. I am so glad I did as the trail took me along the top of the dunes, giving me an outstanding view of the coastline and the vibrant contrasting colours of Shark Bay. Whilst doing the walk I saw firsthand that the bay is aptly named. At one point I counted 11 sharks all within close vicinity of each other, and all so close to shore that their fins were poking out of the water. It was an incredible sight. Once I joined the others at Cape Peron we had lunch then spent an hour enjoying the area, which was sheltered from the wind. Whilst the boys added to the day’s tally of whiting and Pete swam (watch those sharks!), Deb, Emilia and I walked along the beach and around a few rocky points to see if we could find the sand ‘waterfall’ that we’d been told about. We found it and it was amazing. The strong winds were blowing the sand off the top of the dunes and it was cascading down over the rocks, looking just like a waterfall. The contrasting colours as the different sand fell down the cliff was a visual delight. We all had a great day, which ended with a quick stop to look at the old shearing sheds from when this area was pastoral land.

When we got back it was all action! Jackson had been invited to go trick or treating with a local kid, Levi, whose parents manage the caravan park. We only had 5 minutes to get him ready but somehow managed an adequate costume with the limited supplies we have in the van. He spent a great hour and half walking around Denham with Levi, following the map all the kids were given so they knew the ‘Halloween friendly’ houses. The Police even participated, getting all the kids to take a mug shot before getting their lollies! He very kindly shared half his haul with his sister so they both gorged themselves on sugary treats whilst Daniel and I packed for Steep Point, and 3 nights in a tent (ensuring we didn’t forget the kids' sleeping bags and mats like we did last time!).

Denham is a nice place and we loved the National Park. The wind this time of year is getting pretty wild along the coast, but even with the wind we still had a great time.

Braving the icy wind to explore South Gregories beach.

The tide was exceptionally low so some interesting coral was exposed along the reef at Gregories beach. Whilst the boys were fishing off the rocks a huge Bluebone kept swimming up and down, taunting them! 

The contrast of the red sandy dunes, the white sand and the turquoise water was just stunning- although the colours are never as vibrant in the photos.

Standing on the lookout at Skipjack Point- we spotted turtles, sharks, stingrays and even dugongs!

Check out the fence on the left - not much is visible anymore! Just shows how windy it gets here.

Looking back to Skipjack Point from the dunes walk I did.

It was hard to capture in a photo as I didn't have my long lens, but here are some of the 11 sharks I saw all near each other.

There were hundreds and hundreds of sea birds lined up along the shore.

Sand dune selfie :)

The contrasting colours of the dunes and the sea.

Looking back to Cape Peron from the rocky points we walked around. 

The sand 'waterfall'

Emilia ran up the dune and the disturbance in the sand created some interesting patterns as the different coloured sands all cascaded down.

The sand looked like liquid pouring down the dune.

Emilia enjoyed a bit of rock hopping.

Putting on more bait to get a few more whiting - they ended up with 15 by the end of the day.

Exploring the old shearing shed- life would have been very hard on the homestead back then.

Halloween pics- Jackson's new friend Levi had some incredible face paint. Jackson's costume was the best we could rustle up with 5 minutes notice!

At one of the houses they'd decorated the whole front yard and they made the kids do tricks on the trampoline before they got lollies.

Mug shot at the Police Station. 

Saying goodbye Pete and Deb- it was great catching up with them.