Australia’s most Westerly Point – Steep Point

We packed up camp early to beat the flies and headed off to Steep Point – this is Australia’s most Westerly point and only accessible by either boat or four wheel drive and a few websites advise the sandy tracks can be quite tough.

But the flies came with us…

Got out to read a sign and a few bush flies arrived to say hello

Flies everywhere

oh no flies in my eyes!

The tracks were okay and we found them no problem for the Patrol or the Tambo. We were really lucky we called to book and the Rangers wife said that most people book to camp at Steep Point close to 10 months in advance. So we were lucky to get two nights and extended to a third as we loved it and after driving around the peninsula to the point we had time to fish and enjoy the beach. Steep Point is booked out because it is a fishing mecca being located close to the deep Indian Ocean and the beautiful Shark Bay marine park with various ocean currents, warm north and cooler southern current bringing a range of fish it is a reliable and loved fishing spot.

Views over Useless loop – across to salt mine.

There are emus swimming in this photo…very small 🙂

The road out to the steep point camp grounds.

View from a high point.

Another view of the road ahead…it is quite barren sandy land but very green after recent rain.

We were excited by the remote location and expected to enjoy secluded beach front camping we weren’t disappointed.

Our camp view to the dunes

Our camp view to the bay

It was an amazing little peninsula with clear blue waters on the protected eastern side of the peninsula where we camped and the picture perfect cliffs with ocean views on the Westerly side. Our camp was within 5 metres of the beach with gentle lapping waves from the bay and the closest nearby camps were 200m away.

Our neighbouring camps which are well spaced out had large groups of men heading off early for fishing expeditions so we had the beach to ourselves. We met WA man named Rod from a neighbouring camp and he offered to bring us over a couple of fresh fillets later in the day. We were thrilled when a lovely man delivered nearly a kilo of freshly filleted red snapper fillets ready for our fry pan! It was superb caught and eaten in the same day…doesn’t get better or fresher than that and I didn’t have to fillet it – even better. Love the generosity and friendly Australian way.

Fresh snapper fillets caught that day delivered from our neighbouring camp! Yum!

Aaron fishing off our beach.

We drove to the Western Point on the second day and other than one vehicle we past and a Kangaroo and joey we saw we didn’t see anyone else.

The kangaroo at the westerly point woke up

Hoping away

More stunning ocean views.

Kids at the most westerly point.

The point is a rocky out crop with cliffs and vast ocean views. It was the first of the geographic points for our trip and a landmark that due to its locations few Australian’s would get the chance to visit. Very cool. They have a photo pole for taking selfies…clearly many arrive and want to somehow photograph all members of the team at the point. This location was remote, secluded and beautiful and for a fisherman bountiful too. We loved it.

Family snap at the most westerly point of Australian mainland.

Hooray we are here too!

The Patrol makes it to most Westerly point.

A shovelhead ray that a man caught off the beach!

Aaron snorkeling…not too good at lining camera up!

Ready for snorkel.

Girls in snorkel gear.

As we were leaving Steep Point we visited the Blow Holes and they were spectacular…huge fountains of water sprayed out of two holes in the limestone cliffs. The come from underground tunnels worn through the limestone rock. They were quite a spectacle the girls were initially terrified of the sound and sudden rush of water but Aaron loved getting sprayed. The are an amazing example of the power of the ocean.