2 0 TO U R IN G H O T S PO TS
WORDS EMMA RYAN PICS ELLEN DEWAR
A D VE N T U R E S
Francois Peron NP, WA
Francois Peron NP is a pristine wilderness area where
red earth crumbles into turquoise water.
FASTFACTS
GETTING THERE
Francois Peron NP is located 830km
north of Perth.
ACTIVITIES
4WDing, beachfront camping, snorkelling,
wildlife viewing, soaking in the artesian hot tub.
STAY
At Gregories Campground for the beautiful
sunset views.
MORE INFORMATION
www.parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/francoisperon
10
ADVENTURES
T
he stark contrast between the
outback countryside and the
brilliant blue sea leaves you in
awe as you head along the Monkey
Mia Road from Denham, WA, towards
Francois Peron National Park (NP). It is
but a preview of the beauty that awaits
you inside the national park, so named
in honour of the French naturalist who
documented much of the region’s flora
and fauna between 1801 and 1803.
Have a quick poke around the old Peron
Homestead at the park's entrance, where
you can take a self-guided tour through
the shearers’ quarters and woolsheds and
bathe in the 40-degree artesian hot tub.
Then it's time to put down the tyres and
start exploring the park itself.
Make the tip of the cape your
destination, where red rock rolls into
still blue water like a crimson tidal wave
frozen in time. But take your time and
enjoy a couple of detours along the way.
You will spend a good half-hour bouncing
along the blood-red sandy track whose
long straights and gentle rises are broken
up intermittently by large, flat gypsum
claypans. Over time, several of the outer
clay pans have been flooded with sea
water, forming huge circular lagoons that
are surely nature’s best attempt at resortstyle swimming pools. Turn left to visit
the biggest of the pools, the rather aptly
named Big Lagoon. If driving on sand is
your bag, you’ll get a serious kick out of
the track to the lagoon.
The cape looks out over Shark Bay,
and the crimson red rocks that Francois
Peron NP is famous for. Shark Bay earns
its World Heritage status in a number
of ways, but one is its flourishing sea
grass banks which sustain one of the
world’s largest concentrations of dugongs.
Keep an eye out and you might see them
breach lazily in the background as you
take your happy snaps of the cape.
From the cape, head to Gregories
Campground on the western side of
the peninsula to make the most of
the stunning WA sunset. We found
a completely empty campsite by the
water’s edge with large, flat grassy sites.
Campfires are prohibited in the park,
so we cooked up satay prawns on the
stove, cracked a Corona and watched the
sunset give way to the rising full moon –
the perfect end to a fantastic day in one
of Australia’s unique destinations.