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" />Some of the most remarkable places that I visited on my travels around Australia were also some of the most remote. In some cases it involved trekking down a a rough dirt road for many kilometres and in other cases hiking on foot. I have to admit that these places were very special and I would like to share them with you.
21 kilometres south of Penong on the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia is the famous surfing beach called Cactus Beach. The corrugated dirt road takes you via Lake McDonnell and vast sand dunes with coastal vegetation bursting with birdlife and Australian native animals.
The lake is very high in salt concentration which gives the impression of being salmon pink on clear days. Lake McDonnell can look blue in one direction and pink in the other and also often reflects the white sand dunes.
Cactus Beach is an iconic surfing mecca. Surfers from all over the world converge on Cactus Beach to test their skills on two left-hand breaks ‘Castles’ and ‘Cactus’ and one powerful right-hander ‘Caves’.
Nearby is the idyllic little cove of Point Sinclair with a jetty and shark enclosure for swimming. The enclosure was erected after the tragic death of an eleven year old boy taken by a White Pointer Shark in 1975.
Located on a promontory 32km to the south west of the town of Port Lincoln, Whaler’s Way is a series of unsealed tracks which pass through private property along its 14km length, giving access to one of the most dramatic sections of coastline on the Australian mainland. The coast is inundated with a series of natural crevasses, giant fissures, caves and steep cliffs.
As the name suggests Whalers Way was once a whaling station and the nearby Fishery Bay still reveals some evidence of the whaler’s presence. Fishery Bay is now a magnificent snow white sandy beach that is popular for free-camping, swimming, surfing and fishing.
56 kilometres east of Esperance in the south west of West Australia is Cape le Grand National Park. This grand park features sweeping heathlands, rugged coastal peaks and white sandy beaches voted the best in Australia. Where else do you see kangaroos on the beach and an Aboriginal Barista serving coffee from a caravan on the pristine beach called Lucky Bay?
Explore the park’s wild reaches on the Le Grand Coastal Trail, that links many of the parks most spectacular coastal sections between Cape Le Grand Beach and Rossiter Bay. If you still have energy to burn then a hike up Frenchman Peak (262m) will reward you with panoramic views of the park and islands of the Recherche Archipelago.
A short drive on Indian Ocean Drive, heading north 13 kilometres from Jurien Bay, and 225 kilometres north of Perth in West Australia, is the 4WD Sandy Cape recreational area. It is part of the Jurien Marine Park that is a protected area for the local Sea Lions that breed in and around the area.
The white sandy beaches offer a magnificent beachfront campsite with many activities to enjoy such as swimming, snorkelling, beach fishing or bush walking along the tracks provided through the native vegetation. It is also popular for a spot of sand dune tobogganing down the tall sand dunes of the cape.
Located on the southern tip of the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, 70 kilometres north of Carnarvon, Western Australia is a working station called Quobba. The Quobba experience includes land based game fishing, dramatic blowholes, isolated beaches, world renowned surfing, snorkelling right off the shoreline, whale watching and other abundant marine and wildlife in an arid outback landscape.
The virtually unexplored and unspoilt Red Bluff and Gnaraloo are popular areas for nature-based camping, secluded eco-friendly ocean-view retreats and seascape bungalows. However it is a further drive of 70 kilometres north of Point Quobba on a rough dirt road, but fully worthwhile.
Located 128 kilometres south of Broome, in North Western Australia, and 9 kilometres off the Great Northern Highway ,is a unique beachside station stay called Barn Hill. It is actually a caravan park with full amenities, lovely shady trees and even a lawn bowling green.
Fishing right off the beach is great or you can launch your boat from the boat ramp. There is a huge of expanse of beautiful untouched beach known as Eighty Mile Beach with the most vibrant coloured rock formations and fabulous sea shells. Swimming is enjoyable in the turquoise blue waters, and there are plenty of walking areas or you can take your 4WD on to the beach and drive in either direction.
Heading 45 kilometres north from Broome in West Australia, is Quondong Point on Cape Leveque on the Dampier Peninsula. It is a spectacular coastline with a free camping area and although heralded as crocodile country, it is reasonably safe to swim in the sea.
Here in this remote paradise you can fish off the shores or launch your boat, explore the tidal pools for octopus or fresh oysters off the rocks. It is also a great place to whale watch during the whale migration season. You won’t get much more remote than this.
Where in the world have you travelled to that could be described as being wild and remote?
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
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Bonny
November 3, 2014My favourite wild and remote places are the Ningaloo coast (away from the towns and roads), the coastline east from Albany, and the mountains and fjords of New Zealand, especially Doubtful Sound. I’m looking forward to spending some time in the NZ mountains again early next year and Ningaloo in the second half of the year.
Thanks for reminding me of Sandy Cape.. I think I might go camping there this summer.
Kathy
November 3, 2014Bonny, I know I should have included Cape Range National Park near Exmouth. It was a remarkable place on the Ningaloo Reef. The coastline east of Albany was also exquisite. I am yet to do Doubtful Sound in NZ, but it is on the list. Aren’t the remote places so special?
Red Nomad OZ
November 3, 2014I’m so jealous! I’ve only been to a couple of these places – but all the others are SO on my list!! Interesting that most of the remote places are in WA – I’ve also had AWESOME remote experiences in Outback areas like Central Australia and
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in South Australia. Even the Tasmanian wilderness is remote!! Thanx for the inspiration!
Kathy
November 3, 2014I can imagine that there are some remote and remarkable places in Central Australia. The Victoria River area in NT was sensational, as was The Kimberleys in WA. I haven’t seen the Flinders Ranges nor the Tasmanian wilderness, but both places are on my list!
travellingbag
November 3, 2014There are some really amazing, hidden places once you get off the beaten track – I was in the Kimberleys some years ago and would love to go back – the Bungle Bungles were simply stunning.
Kathy
November 3, 2014There are indeed some amazing remote places. When people tell you “you must see a certain place” they are normally spot on. We followed fellow traveller’s advice and we were not disappointed. Oh yes, the Bungle Bungles were sensational!
Michelle Weaver (@pinkypoinker)
November 3, 2014I don’t think I’ve ever travelled anywhere off the beaten track. The Town of 1770 seemed to be in the middle of nowhere when I was a kid but it’s pretty well-developed now I believe. Amazing places Kathy!
Kathy
November 3, 2014The Town of 1770 is fairly remote, but no dirt road to get there. There were some amazing places on our trip. I think I might have to do a part two of ‘Remote & Remarkable’!
Marisol@TravelingSolemates
November 3, 2014Hi Kathy, these remote places are definitely worth the trek. They are all beautiful but the pink water of Lake McDonnell really stood out for me. What I like about off-the-beaten path places are they are often unspoiled and these places you’ve shown wonderfully raw and uncrowded. I hope I can visit some of them sometime.
Kathy
November 4, 2014Thank you Marisol, the pink lake was an amazing sight and the white sand dunes surrounding the lake were also spectacular. I loved the isolation of some of these places and the feeling that you were the only person there. Everybody would enjoy these places as an alternative to city scapes.
Rae Hilhorst
November 4, 2014I look at your lovely photos and can feel peace x
Kathy
November 4, 2014Oh Rae, what a lovely compliment. I guess there was a sense of serenity and peace in some of these isolated places. I wish I was back there right now!
Johanna
November 4, 2014What some amazingly remote places you’ve visited Kathy, and as Rae says, they do exude a sense of peace. I guess it’s the lack of human intrusion ;) We are so lucky in WA to have so much space, and I can particularly relate to the emptiness at Cape Le Grand near Esperance.
Kathy
November 4, 2014Cape Le Grand is one of the most amazingly remote, untouched and pristine place I have ever been to. It really did take my breath away.Take me back right now!!
Leigh McAdam (@hikebiketravel)
November 12, 2014What an incredible list of places to visit – all new to me. I will add Cape Le Grand though to my expanding bucket list.
Kathy
November 12, 2014Good choice! Cape Le Grand was a magical place to see. This is the great thing about reading other travel blogs. It gives inspiration for more and more places to travel to! Thank you for dropping by my blog. :)