Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SUNSET COAST
The coast road north of Perth leads to some popular spots for travellers. Within an hour's
drive, Perth's outer suburbs give way to the bushland oasis of Yanchep National Park, with
wonderful wildlife and walking trails.
The coastline ranges from tranquil bays at Guilderton, good for swimming and fishing,
to windswept beaches at Lancelin, with excellent conditions for windsurfing and kitesurf-
ing.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Yanchep
POP 2482
Yanchep and its close neighbour Two Rocks are effectively Perth's northernmost suburbs.
The town was developed extensively during the 1980s by (now convicted fraudster) Alan
Bond, and the legacy of this era includes a large marina and some dubious bits of sculpture
(dolphins, a dragon and a giant Neptune).
Apart from nice beaches, the big drawcard is the woodlands and wetlands of
Yanchep Na-
tional Park
(
www.dec.wa.gov.au/yanchep
; Wanneroo Rd; per car $11; visitor centre 9.15am-4.30pm)
, home to
hundreds of species of fauna and flora, including koalas, kangaroos, emus and cockatoos.
The free
Wild About Walking
brochure outlines nine walking trails, from the 20-minute
Dwerta Mia walk to the four-day Coastal Plain walk. Register with the park centre for
longer walks.
The park features splendid caves, which can be viewed on 45-minute tours (adult/child
$10/5; five per day). On weekends at 1pm and 2pm, local Noongar guides run excellent
tours on Indigenous history, lifestyle and culture (adult/child $10/5), and didgeridoo and
dance performances (adult/child $10/5).
Within the national park,
Yanchep Inn
( 08-9561 1001;
www.yanchepinn.com.au
; hotel r $80, old motel
r $115, new motel r $170-210; )
is more attractive from the outside than the inside. The inn it-
self has basic rooms with shared facilities and a cafe downstairs. It's more comfortable in
the newer of the two motel blocks, with lake views and rammed-earth walls, but perhaps a
little overpriced. Prices jump up by $25 to $55 at weekends.
