Shark Bay

城市概覽

Shark Bay is a large inlet on the west coast of Australia, separated from the Indian Ocean by the Carrarang Prong, Dirk Hartog Island, and Dorre and Bernier Islands. The bay is divided by the long Peron Peninsula: at its tip are the resort towns of Denham and Monkey Mia, and Francois Peron National Park. The inlet east of this peninsula is further partitioned by a long shallow sand bar: south of this are two hypersaline lagoons with unusual habitats. Australian Aboriginals have dwelt in this hot arid climate for at least 22,000 years; the bay was a desert plain until flooded by rising sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age. The first European visitor was the Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog, who in 1616 landed on the island now named for him. He found nothing to interest the Dutch East India Company so he sailed on. At the start of the 19th century François Péron studied the area's wildlife and amassed a huge specimen collection. The shores and islands of Shark Bay became turned over to sheep and goat farms; there was also pearl fishing, salt pans, and quarrying for lime and gypsum. From the 1990s the government bought out the farms, created a national park on land and sea, and began restoring the original habitats. This work continues. Denham is named for the Royal Navy captain who charted the bay in 1858. "Mia" is an Aboriginal word for home or shelter, but there's no agreement on how a monkey might have been involved.

如何抵達

Rex Airlines flies daily direct from Perth to Shark Bay (2 hr), which their timetable calls Monkey Mia. These flights continue to Carnarvon then head straight back to Perth - so the return trip is 3 hr 30 min, with no Carnarvon to Shark Bay service. Neither Qantas nor Virgin Australia (the former Southwest) fly here. 1 Shark Bay Airport (MJK IATA) is 8 km northeast of Denham on the road to Monkey Mia, another 16 km. It's just a sealed landing strip with no passenger terminal, so you're straight out into the fierce sun and need to have your onward transport waiting. By road Shark Bay is 850 km north of Perth, so it can be done in one day, but you may wish to break the journey somewhere around Dongara / Port Dennison. By bus: good luck with that. Integrity Coaches from Perth towards Carnarvon and the north pick up / drop-off at Overlander Roadhouse on the main highway. That's 130 km away, it may be possible to arrange a shuttle with the coach line.

當地交通

You need a vehicle, the heat and distances are too great for bicycle. It's a good paved road from the roadhouse on Hwy 1 all the way to Denham and Monkey Mia. The side-road to Useless Loop is also suitable for 2WD. You need 4WD, preferably high clearance, to tour Francois Peron National Park and to go beyond the Useless Loop road towards Steep Point and Dirk Hartog Island. Even with 4WD, rental companies might not allow you to take their vehicle that far out. Consider joining an organised tour to save wear and tear on your own vehicle. Rental cars: Shark Bay Car Hire and Wicked Campers are local companies. None of the majors operate in this area.

必看景點

1 Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre, 53 Knight Terrace, Denham, ☏ +61 8 9948 1590. M-F 9AM–4:30PM, Sa Su 10AM–2PM. Start your trip here for a good orientation on the Shark Bay area and why it's a world heritage site. (updated Jan 2022) Little Lagoon 4 km north of Denham is a tranquil pool ideal for kiddy-bathing. 2 Francois Peron National Park is entered 6 km north of Denham, and covers the whole peninsula north of Hwy 353. A 2WD car can slither along the tracks as far as the old farm homestead, but you need 4WD to explore properly. It's named for François Auguste Péron (1775-1810) who collected over 100,000 specimens of Australian wildlife during an expedition of 1801-03. The peninsula, which to the Malgana Aboriginals is Wulyibidi, was later used as a sheep range and had a pearl-fishing camp; it became a national park in 1993. If you have a 4WD, this is one of the must-see places around Shark Bay. Deflate your tires to 20psi or less at the national park entrance (where you will be able to inflate them afterward as well) and head off onto the sandy tracks. There are several picnic areas in the park, and some beachside camping spots if you're staying overnight. Seeing sharks and stingrays swim close to shore from the cliffs at Skipjack Point will be something you'll remember for years to come. Mobile telephone coverage is limited or non-existent in most 4WD areas. In a life-threatening situation call 000. If you can only get enough signal for an SMS, text the SES at ☏ +61 417 097 330.

3 Monkey Mia. Monkey Mia is a marine park best known for its dolphins, members of the bay's population of 2000 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Several families regularly come inshore in the mornings, where five (and only five known individuals) are hand-fed by the rangers; you may be able to participate. There's a long-running study of the dolphins, for instance into their family structures and maternal behaviour, and their use of sponges as tools to win

體驗活動

Diving: the tranquil shallow bay is okay for basic training but not beyond. Its marine life is at snorkel-depth, and the waters are too hot for coral formation. Shark Bay Dive Centre is based at the Aquarium - their trips head out to the ocean off Dirk Hartog Island. Shark Bay Kitesurfing is at Nicholson Point Denham, open daily 7AM-6PM. Tours head into the park or out into the bay. Operators include Naturetime Tours, Shark Bay Quad Bike Tours and Wula Gura Nyinda. Fishing is permitted around Denham and on the peninsula, plus out at Steep Point and Dirk Hartog Island, but check the rules on prohibited areas and species. Hamelin Pool is off-limits.

購物

Fuel: there's a lot of ground to cover, so don't leave Hwy 1 on less than half a tank: the Overlander Roadhouse has an Amphol station open 24 hours. Nothing after that for 140 km till you reach the filling station and EV point in Denham. Supermarket: Denham has one at each end of Knight Terrace, both open daily 7AM-7PM. Pharmacy in Denham is open M-F 9AM-1:30PM, 2:30PM-5PM, Sa 9AM-1PM.

美食

The Old Pearler, 71 Knight Terrace, Denham (east side of Discovery Centre), ☏ +61 8 9948 1373. Daily 5–9PM. Great seafood with only the occasional malfunction, it's small and popular so best book. (updated Jan 2022) Shark Bay Cafe, 51 Knight Terrace, Denham (next to Old Pearler), ☏ +61 8 9948 3222. Good breakfast and lunch place with western and Asian choices, but quality erratic and pricey for what you get. Sa-Th 7:30AM-2:30PM, F 7:30AM-2:30PM, 5PM-7:30PM. (updated Jan 2022) Shark Bay Bakery on Knight Terrace has a good selection. It's open M-F 7AM-4PM, Sa 7AM-2PM. Boughshed is the restaurant within Monkey Mia Resort. It's open daily 8AM-8PM and serves non-residents but you need to book. Dogs on leash welcome.

飲品與夜生活

Dirk Hartog Island Distillery produces gin. It's not the heavy Dutch-style gin, in spite of the historic connections: the botanicals change with the vagaries of the seasons. You m