About the Region

Shark Bay is a world heritage site situated on the western most point of Australia in the Gascoyne region; it is where Europeans, namely Dirk Hartog, first set foot on the continent of Australia in 1616. Shark Bay is about 800 kilometers north of Perth and is surrounded by water with a coastline of over 1,500 kilometers and a population of is fewer than 1,000 people. A number of small communities occupy less than 1% of the total area making it an ideal place to ‘get away from it all’. The journey from Perth takes about 8 hours and there are stopping places on the way. Geraldton is about 400kms away from Shark Bay and its main town, Denham, is 129 km from the Overlander turnoff on the North West Coastal Highway.

The main industry of Shark Bay is tourism with major attractions that include:

• The World Heritage listing enhanced by the World Heritage Drive,
• The pristine waters of Monkey Mia and the Monkey Mia Dolphins ,
• The Peron Peninsula and return to ‘Eden’ (Project Eden),
• Hamelin Pool Stromatolites,
• Shell Beach,
• The most westerly point of the Australian Mainland at Steep Point,
• Countless un-crowded bays for fishing, walking, swimming and relaxing,
• Boating, swimming, snorkeling in shallow waters,
• Flora and fauna and close contact with nature.

Shark Bay enjoys a mild climate, in the height of summer the area is kept cool by a southerly breeze (well, wind) but this drops during the cooler spring and autumn months to make Shark Bay an ideal place to be.
For more information about the area see:

Shire of Shark Bay  http://www.sharkbay.wa.gov.au

Department for the Environment and Conservation (DEC) http://www.sharkbay.org/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Bay

If you would like to visit and want to know more about things to do, accommodation and facilities visit:
Accommodation & Tourist Attractions: http://www.sharkbayvisit.com/Default.asp

Shark Bay Tourism Association www.sharkbay.asn.au