TravellingWA as put together some information on the different parts of Western Australia and have added some external resource sites to help you find what you need

• Department of enviroment and consevation
• Government
• Emergency contacts.

We hope you have a safe and enjoyable time whislt visting Western Australia.

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Shark Bay world heritage area

Shark Bay is located around 870 kilometres north of the Western Australian capital Perth on the 26th Parallel some 200 kilometres south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Shark Bay represents the most westerly point of the Australian mainland and has approximately 1300 kilometres of coastline bordering the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean and Shark Bay Marine Park covers an area of 748,735.

Shark Bay is the only World Heritage area in Western Australia originally inscribed in 1991. It is one of the few places in the world that actually satisfies all 4 categories of World Heritage listing. This places the Shark Bay region in the same category as other significant locations such as The Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Island. The categories are as follows; for a list of world heritage places. http://whc.unesco.org/heritage.htm

• Outstanding examples of earths evolutionary history.
• Ongoing geological and biological processes.
• Examples of superlative natural phenomena.
• Providing significant and important habitats for biological diversity.

Things to see and do in Shark Bay

Monkey Mia Dolphins: Bottle nose dolphins have always been in the monkey mia area and have visit the beaches since the early 1960s and before that the local fisherman use to feed them the scaps from the days fishing. You must remember that the dolphins are wild animals an dare fed in a manner allowing human contact whislts ensuring they do not become stressed or dependent on hand feeding as did become the case in the early years . Monkey mia dolhins need about 6 kg of fisj a day so they are only fed about a third of this amount. The dolphins will therefore still have to hunt for extra food for them selves and also helping their calves to fend for themselves. The dolphins feeding times are around 8.00am but no gaurantee. Check out the webcam at Monkey Mia. http://www.naturebase.net/webcams/dolphincam.html

Monkey Mia Resort : is situated right on the famous dolphin beach ,it has quality accommodation to suit all budgets, It has a freshwater swimming pool,Hot Tub,Tennis & Volleyball nets, Supa market ,cafe, Resturant and a Cocktail bar an excellent place to stay. Check it out . www.monkeymia.com.au Enjoy a wild life cruise on one of the luxury catamarans. www.monkey-mia.net called the "Aristocat 2" or www.monkeymiawildlifesailing.com.au The " Shotover" or maybe a ride in a stretch limo or some stargazing.

Denham Town : A small seaside town and Shark bays centre for the Fishing & Tourism industries. The town was once a thriving community centred around the pearling industry, the streets were paved with pearl shells that were not good enough to send to England. Denham got its name from Capt Henry Mangles Denham who charted the bay in 1858. The town was Gazzeted in 1898 and as all amenities. For more things to do and places to stay www.sharkbay.org

Francis Peron National Park : Named after the french naturliste who visited the area in 1801 and 1803 with the Geographic expedition .Bought by the government in 1990 before this it was a sheep station the park covers 40,000 hectares .the homestead is still standing and gives you a taste of what life would have been like in years gone bye. For more info on the park http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/national_parks/previous_parks_month/peron.html

Tribal lands : Before Shark Bay was settled by the Europeans it was inhabitated by the Nganda and Malgana people Their main source of food was from the bay itself this would be shell fish, fish ,turtles,dugongs ,sharks basicaly any thing they could catch. They would of also collected fruit from the low bush that inhabits the area. They have found artefacts dating back to 2200BC and there are caves at Monkey Mia which have signs of Aboriginal habitation.

ShipWrecks : There have been hundreds of Shipwrecks along the West Australian Coast and quite a few in the Shark Bay region. Ships like the Gudrun,(1901) a marine reserve has been established to provide protection for diving on the site. The most Famous The Zuytdorp was wrecked (1712) on the cliffs that takes it name south of Shark Bay over 285 people on board their fate unknown. Others are The perservant (1841), Prince Charlie (1850) North Star (1856) Maquarrie(1878) and one of the biggest mysteries in Australian naval history the second world warship HMS Sydney went missing somewhere of the coast. For more info check out http://www.mm.wa.gov.au/Museum/toc/dmatoc.html

Shell beach: The high water Salinity (salt concentration) levels in the Shell Beach area have resulted in the proliferation of the bivalve Cardiid Cockle Shell and has lead to the accumulation of these tiny shells along the shore of L`Haridon Bight and Hamelin Bay . Predators of these shells can not cope with the high saline waters and this alouds the small white shells to live untroubled in their millions in the bay.

Blue Lagoon Pearls: Just a few minutes ride on the ferry boat "Blue Lagoon Pearl" from Monkey Mia`s World famous Dolphin beach to the crystal pristine waters of Red Cliff Bay is the magnificent pontoon "Sea Lab 1" ,the operational home of Blue Lagoon Pearls. This is a working farm. Learn how shells are seeded. Watch our skilled technicians prepare shells for seeding and operate with surgical precision as they insert the nucleus of what the oyster will, in two years, transformed into the lustrous pearl. Shark bay is where William Dampier discovered the Pinctada Albina Pearl Shells. www.bluelagoon.com.au

Hamelin Pool & The Stromatolites

Hamelin Pool is one of only two places in the world with living marine stromatolites, or "living fossils". It also has the distinction of being Western Australia's only marine nature reserve. It covers over 132,000 hectares and protects the earth`s oldest life form.

Stromatolites are able to survive in the area because Hamelin Pool's water is twice as saline as normal sea water and seagrasses and many other forms of life cannot survive there.

The stromatolites are one of the most important features of the Shark Bay World Heritage area. They look like rocky lumps strewn around the beach but are actually built by living organisms too small for the human eye to see. Within the structures are communities of diverse inhabitants with population densities of 3000 million individuals per square metre! The organisms use sediment and organic material to build stromatolites up to 1.5 metres high - up to 10 million times their size. Because they grow very slowly, a metre-high stromatolite could be about 2000 million years old.

When the Shark Bay stromatolites were discovered by scientists in 1956, they were the first growing examples ever recorded of structures, found fossilised in very old rocks, that had puzzled geologists for more than a century. The living microbes that built the stromatolites are similar to those found in 3500 million year old rocks, which are the earliest record of life on Earth.

A wooden boardwalk at Hamelin Pool allows people to view the stromatolites without damaging them. It incorporates informative panels that give visitors a fascinating insight into the formation and lifestyle of the stromatolites and is a good way to find out about the beginnings of life of Earth.

Find out more about Hamlin pool nature reserve. http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/national_parks/hamelin_pool_mnr.html

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Where is it?:
105 kilometres from Denham or 35 kilometres from the Overlander Roadhouse.

Travelling time:
The reserve is about an hour's drive from Denham and 30 minutes from the Overlander Roadhouse.

Access:
Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve protects 1,270 square kilometres, but the main visitor site is a tiny proportion of this area. The access road, the tearooms, and most of the land adjacent to the visitor site is part of Hamelin Station, including the historic Hamelin Pool telegraph station.

Facilities:
The marine nature reserve is a day use area only. Accommodation is available elsewhere in the World Heritage Area, such as at Denham, Monkey Mia or Nanga. There is an interesting museum and tearooms at the adjacent Hamelin station. Souvenirs and other merchandise can be purchased here and there are faculties for camping.

Best season:
The best time to visit is between June and October, when winds are generally lightest and the temperature is in the mid-20s. Temperatures can be extremely hot in the summer months.

What to see and do:
Walk the stromatolite boardwalk and learn about the beginnings of life on Earth. The visitor site is adjacent to the historic Hamelin Pool telegraph station, which is now a Museum.

Please take care when visiting these areas

The great outdoors is now becoming an important part of the Australian way of life and this is emphasised by the sales of recreational products such as 4WD vehicles, campers, mountain bikes and trail bikes. A general desire to escape the everyday humdrum, has resulted in a major increase in numbers of people participating in outdoor activities.

Our aim is to educate all who use our outdoor environment for recreational activities to Tread Lightly! and to leave no trace. We do this in cooperative arrangements to provide brochures, posters etc; restoration projects; education; amongst other things to convey our message to the general public and future generations of outdoor recreationalists. We need your support to continue this work. www.treadlightlyaustralia.com.au

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The Shark Bay Peninsula represents a meeting point of 3 climatic regions and forms a diverse transition zone between the Southwest and Northern Regions of Western Australia. Travelling by road west from the main highway, the World Heritage Park and its vast and diverse population of native animals are protected from non native predators by an electric fence running approximately north to south. All vehicles must cross the electric fence line to gain access onto the peninsula. In addition to the electrical barrier, visitors by vehicle will also hear pre-recorded audit tapes which imitate the sounds of barking dogs. Again, this is intended to discourage non native animals.

Shark Bay is indeed unique. The features are perhaps endless although some notable points are as follows;

• The largest and most diverse Seagrass beds in the world incorporating some 11 different species.
• The region is known for the largest population of Dugongs (a large sea mammal) in the world. Some estimates put the population at over 10,000.
• The Stromatolites. Due to the hyper saline waters notably at an area known as Hamlin Pool, Shark Bay is host to the Stromatolites believed to be the first form of life on earth.
• The last remaining pristine habitat for some of the rarest and most endangered animal species in Australia.
• Spectacular landscapes where the opaline waters of the Indian Ocean contrast with the deep ochre colours of the dunes and rock formations.
• The first landing place for Europeans in Australia. The Dutch explorer, Dirk Hartog first landed on the Shark Bay peninsula in 1616.
• Shark Bay is home to around 35% of all Australia's Bird species.
• Vast range of diverse amphibians, marsupials and reptiles believed to number in excess of 100.
• Large breeding group of Tiger Sharks.
• The waters of Shark Bay are a traditional resting and feeding point for Humpback Whales whose migration route follows the Western Australian coastline.
• Flourishing Bottle Nosed Dolphins particularly famous at Monkey Mia.
• Useless Loop so named by the early navigators and now home to a Salt Mine arguably being the most environmentally sensitive mining operation in the world.

Monkey Mia,: perhaps the most well known place in the World Heritage Park, is in fact only one of two larger settlements on the peninsula, the other being the fishing town of Denham. Both fall within the authority of the Shire of Shark Bay which covers an area of 25,000 Kmsq. The Park includes around 300 kilometres of sealed bitumen road together with an additional 600 kilometres of unsealed road. Whilst the population is transient due to seasonal fishing, census' have indicated a permanent annual population of around 950.

Monkey Mia, from its humble beginnings in the 1960's, has now responded to increased visitor numbers with the provision of an environmentally sensitive Resort. This provides a selection of accommodation facilities ranging from camping to on site chalets plus swimming pool/spa, licensed bar and restaurant and a wide selection of recreational activities including diving, sailing, eco tours and fishing.

The famous Dolphins still visit the beaches of Monkey Mia on a daily basis and are easily accessible from the resort by way of a short walk from the camping and accommodations areas. Previous unrestricted access to the Dolphins by visitors was believed to be having a negative effect on their behaviour in particular hand feeding. Feeding and interacting with the Dolphins has now, quite sensibly, been controlled by way of Rangers working on behalf of the DEC www.monkeymiadolphins.org