From Wikitravel

Shark Bay [1] is a subregion of Western Australia's Gascoyne.

[edit] Towns

• Denham is the largest town in the region, close to the airport, with the most facilities.
• Monkey Mia is is pronounced Monkey MYah, and is a tourist desination for the dolphine, beaches, bays and walks.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

The European history of the area goes back to when Dirk Hartog, the Dutch explorer landed at Shark Bay in 1616, over 150 years before Captain Cook made his first landing at Kurnell in 1770 leading to the establishment of the British colony at Sydney 18 years later. The Dutch didn't care for the area, as it contained none of the spices or other valuables they were looking to trade or acquire. Their further visits were largely the result of being blown off course on route to the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia).

[edit] World Heritage

Shark Bay was given World Heritage status in 1991. The Shark Bay World Heritage Discover Centre [2] is in Denham.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Shark Bay Airport (MJK) is around 8km from Denham, and around 16km from Monkey Mia on the Monkey Mia Road. The airport has a sealed landing strip, but no terminal facilities of any substance.

Skywest [3] services the airport from Perth four times a week, and from Exmouth weekly.

Carnarvon is 350km from Denham, and has daily flights from Perth.

[edit] By car

Shark Bay is around 1000km drive north from Perth. It is around 5000km drive from Sydney, and about as far away from Sydney as you can get on the Australian mainland.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By car

Shark Bay Car Hire [4] is a local operator. None of the majors operate in the area.

[edit][add listing] See

• The wild dolphins come close to shore at the bay in Monkey Mia.
• Hamelin Pool and the oldest living organisms in the world
• Shell Beach is kilometres long beach, comprised of small shells, metres deep.
• Eagle Bluff
• Francois Peron National Park
• Dirk Hartog Island is accessible by plane from Shark Bay airport by charter flight, or by 4wd and barge. Barge crossing must be prearranged. There is accommodation on the island.
• Point Quobba -- blowholes
• Steep Point -- the most westerly point on the Australian mainland

• The salt mountain at the Useless Loop salt mines can be seen from Denham beach.

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Stay safe

[edit] Get out

Carnarvon and onto Exmouth heading north.

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!