into the cliffs south of Steep Point in 1963. 1963. in Point Steep of south cliffs the into Shark Bay, including the fishing vessel Nor 6, which smashed smashed which 6, Nor vessel fishing the including Bay, Shark shells were depleted through overfishing. overfishing. through depleted were shells Access Things to see and do Between Steep Point and Thunder Bay From 1712 to 1963 a number of ships were wrecked around around wrecked were ships of number a 1963 to 1712 From about the same time and continued into the 1930s when the the when 1930s the into continued and time same the about Steep Point can only be accessed by high clearance four-wheel- stripped from Shark Bay’s islands around 1850. Pearling started started Pearling 1850. around islands Bay’s Shark from stripped South Passage and Shelter Bay Zuytdorp, wrecked against the cliffs south of Shark Bay in 1712. 1712. in Bay Shark of south cliffs the against wrecked Zuytdorp, drive vehicles or by boat. Settlement followed these voyages of discovery. Guano was was Guano discovery. of voyages these followed Settlement The Zuytdorp Cliffs were named after the Dutch ship, the the ship, Dutch the after named were Cliffs Zuytdorp The It is about 185km by road from the Northwest Coastal Highway The four-wheel-drive track between Steep Point and Thunder used into the 1960s. the into used Shipwrecks to Steep Point, including 140km of unsealed road. The last 30km Bay follows the Zuytdorp Cliffs and offers a series of spectacular Denham surveyed the area in 1858, producing charts that were were that charts producing 1858, in area the surveyed Denham is a single lane of soft track winding around sand dunes. Camp sites at Shelter Bay offer idyllic beach camping and views with a few special stops. in 1801−03 and Louis de Freycinet in 1818. Henry Mangles Mangles Henry 1818. in Freycinet de Louis and 1801−03 in increasingly important. important. increasingly The journey to Shelter Bay from Denham by boat is about views of Dirk Hartog Island. The most popular time to visit • The Nor 6 is a monument to the fishing vessel that was Voyages of scientific discovery were conducted by Nicolas Baudin Baudin Nicolas by conducted were discovery scientific of Voyages pearl farming, fishing continues and tourism has become become has tourism and continues fishing farming, pearl 50km via the South Passage. is from April to October when winds are lighter and the sea wrecked on the rocks below. In the 21st century pearling is making a comeback through through comeback a making is pearling century 21st the In confirmed. calmer. Make sure you book camp sites for these months • Enjoy a 360-degree view of the peninsula from the lookout. died in Mauritius without reaching France and having his claim claim his having and France reaching without Mauritius in died Camping and facilities well in advance. was the area’s economic mainstay from the early 20th century. 20th early the from mainstay economic area’s the was • Stop and listen to the Thunder Bay blowholes as they claimed the western half of New Holland for France, but he he but France, for Holland New of half western the claimed Sandalwood was cut from the 1890s until 2000, but fishing fishing but 2000, until 1890s the from cut was Sandalwood There are camp sites at Shelter Bay, The Oven (Steep Point) and breathe deeply during a light swell. Be careful around during his New Holland coast exploration. In 1772 St Alouarn Alouarn St 1772 In exploration. coast Holland New his during False Entrance. Permits are required and camp sites are popular Steep Point these large holes and stay well back during heavy Willem de Vlamingh. In 1699 William Dampier studied this area area this studied Dampier William 1699 In Vlamingh. de Willem years. years. so book well in advance. For details see www.sharkbay.org, seas when water shoots through them 20m into the air. pastoral stations have become conservation areas in recent recent in areas conservation become have stations pastoral European in Western Australia. He was followed in 1697 by by 1697 in followed was He Australia. Western in European email [email protected] or phone (08) 9948 3993. has been through good times and droughts since then. Some Some then. since droughts and times good through been has n 1616 Dirk Hartog made the first recorded landing by a a by landing recorded first the made Hartog Dirk 1616 n I Camping fees apply. Sheep were introduced in the 1860s and the pastoral industry industry pastoral the and 1860s the in introduced were Sheep False Entrance When anchored off the southern tip of Dirk Hartog Island Recent history Recent Facilities are basic with some drop toilets. Make sure you have in 1697, the Dutch seafarer Willem de Vlamingh named this enough food, water and fuel as there is nowhere to purchase Parks and Wildlife and Parks point , translated as Steep Point. Zuytdorp Cliffs. Photo – – Photo Cliffs. Zuytdorp Steyle Hock plenty of good food. food. good of plenty supplies in the Edel Land area. Prong. The number of middens and camp sites indicate there was was there indicate sites camp and middens of number The Prong. Today many people come to this most westerly point as part This break in the Zuytdorp Cliffs was named False Entrance because was fresh water at Willyah Mia, on the eastern shore of Heirisson Heirisson of shore eastern the on Mia, Willyah at water fresh was of a pilgrimage to visit all of the extreme cardinal points on many early mariners mistook it for the South Passage, the entrance at Crayfish Bay provided stone for spear tips and tools, and there there and tools, and tips spear for stone provided Bay Crayfish at the Australian mainland. Close by, The Oven and The Faultline to Shark Bay between Dirk Hartog Island and Steep Point. Pam Dickenson Pam Turtle hatchling at Shelter Bay. Photo – – Photo Bay. Shelter at hatchling Turtle Edel Land was an important place for Aboriginal people. A quarry quarry A people. Aboriginal for place important an was Land Edel are popular fishing spots. Today visitors come here to fish, enjoy a walk along the beach for Shark Bay is Gutharraguda, meaning ‘two bays’. ‘two meaning Gutharraguda, is Bay Shark for and to see the nearby blowholes. Edel Land, was occupied by Malgana speakers. The Malgana name name Malgana The speakers. Malgana by occupied was Land, Edel Nhanda speakers while the central part of Shark Bay, including including Bay, Shark of part central the while speakers Nhanda avid visitors to Steep Point. Steep to visitors avid Watch your step at the Blowholes. Photo – DBCA South Passage from Shelter Bay. Photo – DBCA westerly part of the Australian mainland, fishers are the most most the are fishers mainland, Australian the of part westerly The area south of Henri Freycinet Harbour was occupied by by occupied was Harbour Freycinet Henri of south area The While also visited by sightseers and those seeking the most most the seeking those and sightseers by visited also While groups: the Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta. Yingkarta. and Nhanda Malgana, the groups: beauty of this coastline is of World Heritage value. Heritage World of is coastline this of beauty Shark Bay is the traditional country of three Aboriginal language language Aboriginal three of country traditional the is Bay Shark and animal life. Set against waters teeming with marine life, the the life, marine with teeming waters against Set life. animal and Aboriginal occupation Aboriginal this dry and windswept limestone coast hosts resilient plant plant resilient hosts coast limestone windswept and dry this Backed by sweeping white sand dunes and secluded beaches, beaches, secluded and dunes sand white sweeping by Backed unusual for sharks to take fish before they are landed. are they before fish take to sharks for unusual beauty, the Zuytdorp Cliffs. Cliffs. Zuytdorp the beauty, haul their catches up cliffs using special gaffs, although it is not not is it although gaffs, special using cliffs up catches their haul Shark Bay are outstanding features of exceptional natural natural exceptional of features outstanding are Bay Shark Serious fishers float baits offshore with helium balloons and and balloons helium with offshore baits float fishers Serious Rising 200m above the Indian Ocean on the western side of of side western the on Ocean Indian the above 200m Rising especially during summer. summer. during especially World Heritage World in Australia with mackerel, trevally and sailfish caught there, there, caught sailfish and trevally mackerel, with Australia in Point is renowned for having some of the best land-based fishing fishing land-based best the of some having for renowned is Point crescent-shaped beaches form the western boundary of Shark Bay. Shark of boundary western the form beaches crescent-shaped Passage is the most diverse in the Shark Bay Marine Park. Steep Steep Park. Marine Bay Shark the in diverse most the is Passage Belefin Prong. Its contrasting coastlines of tall rugged cliffs and and cliffs rugged tall of coastlines contrasting Its Prong. Belefin With more than 320 species of fish, the marine life in South South in life marine the fish, of species 320 than more With to just south of False Entrance and encompasses much of of much encompasses and Entrance False of south just to Fishing The proposed Edel Land National Park extends from Steep Point Point Steep from extends Park National Land Edel proposed The Take care by the sea More information Strong gusts of air and water may suddenly erupt from Drive carefully Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions blowholes and the rocks around them may be slippery.