Some Beaches Around Bremer Bay

Australia Day in 2018 was on a Friday – a perfect way to create a four day break. After multiple days of 40+°C at Port Gregory in 2017 we decided to move south again. The initial thought was Fitzgerald River National Park but after our ‘recce’ in early December 2017 I found it to be totally unfeasible for a group such as we get on our nation’s proclaimed birthday. So after a bit of research I decided that the Beaches Around Bremer Bay would suit our purposes and we booked into Tozers Bush Camp, 22 kilometres west of the very crowded holiday resort of Bremer Bay.

Thursday was a leisurely drive to our destination. The planned 4WD trip to Bremer Bay didn’t eventuate – it came the next day – but we had plenty of time to set up a comfortable camp.

Tozers Bush Camp has clean showers and toilets, a huge camp kitchen, and a friendly, outdoor socialising area with a number of fireplaces. Camping bays surround this focal point in a giant U, with easy access and plenty of room. It really is a fantastic place to stay. Each campsite is delineated by a strip of an amazing array of native plants and the whole campground is within 700 acres of bushland inside a working sheep farm. Even a cursory inspection of this website would reveal that we have a vast experience in places offering camping accommodation. Tozers Bush Camp is right up there with the best.

: Tozers Bush Camp

Friday 26 January 2018

Seventeen people in twelve vehicles drove out of Tozers Bush Camp just before 8.00 a.m. on Australia Day 2018, heading to Reef Beach. And so begun a weekend of fantastic four wheel driving, swimming, spearfishing, snorkelling, fishing and lazing around on the beach.

: To and from Reef Beach with a side visit to Bremer Bay Beach.

We departed Tozers Bush Camp, turned left onto Bremer Bay Road and drove 14 kilometres to our planned turnoff to the beach – Reef Beach Road.

: On Reef Beach track.

Access to Reef Beach is via the eponymously named Reef Beach Road – the suffix of the designation is most certainly not deserved – it is definitely a bush track and, closer to the beach as it drops quicker, it is a goat track!

: Dunes can be seen once over a hill on Reef Beach track.

Like so many of our south coast beaches Reef Beach is stunningly beautiful and, for first-time visitors, an amazing experience – regardless of the number of jewels we have previously visited. White sand that stretches out of sight. Big sky. Blue sky. Clear sky. Turquoise water. Constant, crashing waves.

: Arrival on Reef Beach.

Unsurprisingly, Reef Beach received its name because of the fringing reef that extends for about seven kilometres, approximately 50 to 200 metres offshore.

: Reef Beach

The Reef Beach Dunes extend about four kilometres along the beach and at least that distance inland. Lack of shadows and reference points calls for caution when first driving on them.

: Lineup on the Reef Beach dunes.

: Mike and Sue in the Patrol Wagon.

: Phil in his Landcruiser.

: Greg and Margot in their Colorado.

: Lexie the kelpie climbs the dune.

: Jeff and Micaela in their Prado descend the dune.

: Phil and Kurt in the Triton.

: Aaron takes his Patrol down the dune.

: Nick takes his Jeep down the dune.

: Mushy in his Troopy.

: Cliff takes his Maruti down the dune.

: Mushy bogged on Reef Beach.

: Phil bogged on Reef Beach.

: Lunch on Reef Beach.

: Lunch on Reef Beach.

: Lunch on Reef Beach.

The trip out on Warramurrup Track was just as interesting and challenging as coming in, particularly at the beginning of the track close to the beach.

: Nuytsia floribunda on Warramurrup Track.

: Warramurrup Track

: On Warramurrup Track.

We headed to Bremer Bay townsite, refuelled, and drove out to the Bremer Bay Beach.

: Kim’s Patrol on Bremer Bay Beach.

: Phil bogged on Bremer Bay Beach.

: Phil snatches out Phil’s bogged ‘Cruiser.

: Mushy and his Troopy at Bremer River mouth.

: Phil takes his Triton through water near the mouth of the Bremer River.

It was then back along the bitumen to Tozers for cocktails.

: Tozers’ camp kitchen.

Saturday 27 January 2018

: To and from Foster Beach, Stream Beach and Dillon Beach.

On Saturday we chose to drive to Foster Beach. The trip in on Minarup Road was uneventful until we neared the beach. The track then gets interesting, even challenging at times.

: Nuytsia floribunda on Minarup Track.

: Spent banksia on Minarup Track.

: Melaleucas on Minarup Track.

: Melaleucas on Minarup Track.

: Large melaleuca on Minarup Track.

: Approaching Foster Beach.

: Belting leading onto Foster Beach.

: Patrols on Foster Beach.

: Foster Beach

: Foster Beach

: Jeff on Foster Beach.

: Birds on Foster Beach.

: Birds on Foster Beach.

We drove east along the beach with no plan in mind. Mushy and Fish started exploring in the adjacent dunes for a way off the beach so we would not have to return along Minarup Road.

: Travelling across the Foster Dunes to get to the Cape Knob track.

: On top of Foster Dunes.

: Aaron’s Patrol on the Foster Dunes.

: Waiting for Fish and Mushy to find a way across the dunes to the Cape Knob track.

: Micaela next to Prado on Foster Dunes.

: Moving off the dunes.

With a combination of scouting around, reference to satellite imagery via MMS (moving map software), and commonsense they came onto the track after about 20 minutes.

Once on the track we were able to head north and then drop down into Stream Beach. This track is very steep but it has a firm base.

: Stream Beach from above.

: On the track into Stream Beach.

: On the track into Stream Beach.

: On the track into Stream Beach.

: On the track into Stream Beach.

: Stream Beach

: Mushy and Lexie on Stream Beach.

While Aaron caught some sand whiting and Phil speared a striped cod, the rest of us had lunch.

: Lunch on Stream Beach.

: Lunch on Stream Beach.

: Stream Beach

: On the track out of Stream Beach heading to Dillon Beach.

: Connecting ‘ramp’ on Dillon Beach.

Getting off Dillon Beach was a challenge. We found a blown out track that took us to Tooreburrup Road, aired up and headed back to Tozers.

: Kim directing traffic at a difficult obstacle just off Dillon Beach.

: Lexie

A front had moved in bringing very light rain accompanied by fresh winds that had upset some of the ‘gazebo’ style shelters.

: Aaron, Mike and Greg at Cocktails.

: Carrie and Nick

: Kerry and Cliff having cocktails.

Sunday 28 January 2018

: Sue and Mike at camp.

On the trip home we travelled through farming country to the Porongorups.

: A magnificent Kingia Australis near the corner of Syred and Takalarup Road.

: Lineup of vehicles during a break just before we reached the Porongorups.

We travelled to the Porongorups to see the Granite Skywalk at Castle Rock. The Parks and Wildlife Service may disagree but they have done a spectacularly unsuccessful job of promoting what is an amazing, world class attraction.

: Along the 2.2 kilometre track to the top of Castle Rock.

: Jeff at Balancing Rock.

: Granite slab at the summit.

: Interesting gap.

: The last obstacle before climbing up to the Skywalk.

: The beginning of the Granite Skywalk.

: Phil on Skywalk.

: End of the Granite Skywalk.

: The Granite Skywalk on Castle Rock.

The Castle Rock Granite Skywalk is an engineering masterpiece. Workers abseiled over the face of the rock from the summit and drilled into the granite to provide anchor points for the walkway supports. The walkway was then lifted into place by helicopter.

: The Granite Skywalk on Castle Rock.

This trip was predominantly about beaches (with a specular Granite Skywalk thrown in at the end) – beautiful, stunning beaches. Other beach trips.

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