Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE MIDWEST & THE NORTHWEST 467
A GREAT SEA-LIFE CRUISE, LIVING “FOSSILS” & MORE
Don’t do what so many visitors do—see the dolphins, then shoot back to Perth.
Stay to see Shark Bay’s incredible marine life on the sailing catamaran Shotover
(& 1800/241 481 in Australia, or 08/9948 1481). During a 2 1 ⁄2-hour dugong
(manatee) cruise, you will see a huge range of creatures, possibly hammerhead
sharks, a baby great white, sea snakes, turtles, dolphins, and dugongs. Every passenger
is given polarized sunglasses, which help you spot underwater animals.
Sometimes you see dozens of dugongs (though they leave the area from mid-May
to Aug). The cruise departs 1pm daily from Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort and
costs A$54 (US$35). The Shotover also does a fascinating 2-hour dolphin cruise
every morning—worth doing even if you already saw the dolphins on the shore.
It costs A$49 (US$32). Children 7 to 16 pay half price. The Shotover also does a
daily 2-hour dolphin cruise at 10:30am (A$39/US$25) and a 90-minute sunset
cruise (A$44/US$29).
On your way in or out of Monkey Mia, stop by the Hamelin Pool Historic
Telegraph Station (& 08/9942 5905), 41km (25 1 ⁄2 miles) from the highway
turnoff. A small museum houses old equipment, farming tools, and historical
odds and sods from the 19th-century days when Monkey Mia was a repeater station
on a telegraph line. The A$5.50 (US$3.60) admission fee to the museum
includes an explanation of the stromatolites, rocky formations about a foot
high that were created by the planet’s first oxygen-breathing cells—in other
words, Earth’s first life. You might want to skip the museum, but wander down
to Shell Beach and have a look. You may find them something of an anticlimax,
but following the signposted boardwalk over their tidal zone in Hamelin Pool (a
shallow part of Shark Bay) proves them a little more interesting. The “sand” on
the beach consists of millions of tiny white shells, which were quarried as bricks
to build some of the local buildings. There is a cafe and gift store here, too.
You can explore the saltpans, dunes, coastal cliffs, walking trails and old homestead
in the nearby 52,500-hectare (129,675-acre) Francois Peron National
Park, either alone (you will need a 4WD) or on a half- or full-day tour—although
not everyone will appreciate the park’s harsh scenery. You should easily spot wallabies,
birds and emus, and turtles, dolphins, rays, dugongs and, in season, whales
from the cliffs. Other activities in the region include half- and full-day sport fishing
trips from Denham and a couple of pearl farm tours.
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort Set right on the beach the dolphins visit, this
oasis of green lawns and palms doubles as a town settlement. Most comfortable
are the spacious air-conditioned motel rooms; safari tent “canvas condos” with
carpeted floors, bathrooms, electricity, a fridge, and a kitchen/dining area separate
from the bedroom (but no air-conditioning); and air-conditioned demountable
“park homes” with cooking facilities. The pleasant open-sided all-day
restaurant overlooks the sea. Most tours in the area depart from the resort. A
1.5km (1-mile) nature trail leads from the resort.
Monkey Mia Rd., Shark Bay (P.O. Box 119), Denham, WA 6537. & 1800/653 611 in Australia, or 08/9948
1320. Fax 08/9948 1034. www.monkeymia.com.au. Tent sites: 58 powered sites; 10 on-site caravans; 6 “canvas
condo” permanent tents to sleep 6; 13 park homes to sleep 6, none with bathroom; 72 motel rooms.
A$40–A$55 (US$26–US$36) for 2–4 people sharing caravan rented from resort; A$82 (US$53) up to 4 people
in canvas condo; A$92 (US$60) up to 4 people in park home; A$163–A$186 (US$106–US$121) double or
triple motel room. Extra person A$8.80–A$11 (US$5.70–US$7.15). Linen A$11 (US$7.15) per person in park
homes, canvas condos, and caravans for duration of stay. Lower rates Feb 1–Mar 31 (excluding Easter) and
May 1–June 30 except in on-site vans. Weekly rates available. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar;