PARK ALERT
ROAD CLOSED – D’Entrecasteaux National Park
Alert Type: Park Road Closures

Description:
Warren Beach Track is closed until further notice to allow bushfire suppression activities, for a bushfire to the west of Northcliffe, to be safely carried out.

Start Date: 2023/12/21 10:36 AM
Affected Site/s: Warren Beach, Warren Beach Track and Lewis Road

D’Entrecasteaux National Park is an important conservation area of wild, pristine beauty; blessed with white beaches, rugged coastal cliffs and towering karri forests. This park takes its name from French Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux who sailed past on a scientific expedition in 1792. That may seem like ancient history, but no, fossil evidence show that Noongar Aboriginal people lived in this area over 6,000 years ago!

D’Entrecasteaux National Park is a narrow strip of land which stretches along 130km of coastline between Augusta and Walpole. You’ll discover hexagonal-shaped volcanic rock columns, tall forests, freshwater lakes and super-sized sand dunes – the largest land-locked mobile dune system in the southern hemisphere. This landscape of contrasts will have you reaching for your camera/phone for that Insta-worthy shot!

In 1911, a small iron sailing ship called the Mandalay was wrecked off Mandalay Beach. If you are there when the tide is out you might be able to see what remains of it from the shore.

Long white beaches are good for swimming, snorkelling, diving, and fishing. Follow the coastline on walking tracks for ocean views. From September to November, you might see migrating southern right whales along the coast and New Zealand fur seals have been seen at Black Point.

The park is rich in plants, mosses and lichens and is home to many native animals. Look out for woylies, quokkas, chuditch, possums, wallabies and bandicoots. Inland, the freshwater wetlands are an important habitat for waterbirds.

We think you’ll love it here, so take a walk on the wild side.

Safety information
Plan when to visit. Consider travelling with a personal location beacon (PLB). In the event you need to be rescued it could save your life!

D’Entrecasteaux National Park is a remote area and visitors should come prepared.
Coastal risks include king waves, tidal surges and cliff collapses. Lives have been lost along this coast so please take care in and around the water.
Exercise extreme caution near cliff edges especially when fishing.
Supervise children at all times.
Mobile phone communication in the park is generally poor and should not be relied upon. Be aware that you need mobile coverage to contact emergency services on 000. Ensure you monitor mobile phone signal while in the park and seek high points in the landscape to aid communication.

Smartreka Maps
Before you go, download free, geo-referenced maps of D’Entrecasteaux National Park to your mobile device and locate yourself without the internet. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Plants, Wildlife and Fungi
Vegetation is mostly coastal heathlands, grasslands and low woodlands, with scattered pockets of karri forest. Mount Chudalup, a large granite outcrop, boasts a unique ecosystem with 42 species of moss, 28 species of lichen and 6 species of liverwort, some of which are found nowhere else. Much of the biologically diverse flora of the south-west is represented in the park, with more than 850 native plant species to be found here.

D’Entrecasteaux is home to a number of threatened species, including woylies, quokkas and the chudditch. New Zealand fur-seals have been seen at Black Point. Other animals which can be seen include possums, wallabies and bandicoots. Southern right whales migrate along the coast from September to November. Sandy Island is an important nesting site for flesh-footed shearwaters and Lake Jasper and Lake Maringup are recognised as two of the 5 most important wetlands for waterbirds on the south coast.