Crisp white sand, baby turtles and more fish than you can swing a rod at? Getting tropical island vibes? Check out 80 Mile Beach in Western Australia.

Highlights

  • White sandy beaches scattered with thousands of amazing shells.
  • Although it is called 80 Mile Beach, it’s actually 220km (136 miles) of white sandy beaches.
  • 9-metre tides
  • The coastline where the Great Sandy Desert meets the Indian Ocean
  • Flatback turtles nesting and hatching between October – April every year
  • Peaceful remote camping – no towns within 2.5 hours

Eighty Mile Beach

Eighty Mile Beach is the longest beach in Western Australia. Being over 2.5 hours away from the closest town it’s a great place to escape from reality.

Whether it’s fishing, quad-biking along the 220km of sand, shell collecting or photographing the amazing scenery, there is something here for everybody.

Fishing Paradise

The 80 Mile Caravan Park is located beachfront with only a small sand dune separating it from the Indian Ocean. 80 Miles is renowned by the locals for being a fishing paradise. Spring tides are the best time to catch Mulloway and highly sought after Threadfin salmon.

However, swimming is not advised, despite how inviting the water may appear: there are plenty of sharks stalking the coast.

 

80 mile beach, zoe vaughan, WA, indian ocean, western australia, fishing, hero

 

Staircase to the Moon

If you’re in the North-West between March and November you will be lucky to witness the Staircase to the Moon. This is an optical illusion when the moon rises at low tide. It is fantastic to witness so be sure to pack your camera and tripod!

It is important if you are travelling during the winter months that you arrive at the caravan park early, otherwise you will have trouble getting a site, it’s a grey nomad hotspot.

No matter what your plans are, be sure to pack your camera as the sunsets over the ocean are incredible and not to be missed. Due to the huge tides at 80 Mile the scenery is constantly changing, there’ll always be a new shot to snap.

 

80 mile beach, zoe vaughan, WA, sunset, western australia

 

Essential Gear

  • Fishing Gear
  • Sunscreen
  • Hat & Sunnies
  • Tent
  • Camera
  • Plenty of water and shade as it can get very hot and humid during summer
  • There is limited phone signal at the caravan park. Worth taking a satellite phone is you are planning to go 4×4 driving

 

Activities

  • Fishing, Fishing and more Fishing
  • Beach strolls
  • Shell fossicking (best practice is to leave shells in the natural environment, souvenirs add up!)
  • Camping
  • Watching the sunset over the ocean
  • 4WD driving along the sandy beaches (must bring own car)
  • Quad biking (must supply own)

 

Facilities

There is a Caravan Park located at the entrance to 80 Mile Beach with:

  • Grassed and covered powered sites
  • Unpowered sites
  • All sites have fresh water taps
  • Cabins
  • Little shop to buy anything you have forgotten

 

Getting There

Located halfway between Broome and Port Headland along the Great Northern Highway, this gem will require a bit of driving no matter where you are coming from. It’s a great way to break up the 6-hour drive between Broome and Port Hedland.