Hangover Bay

Hangover Bay is the perfect cooling tonic after a day of exploring the tracks and trails of the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park. Step off the white sands into the azure Indian Ocean for a swim or snorkel, launch your boat or fish from the beach to catch dinner as the sun sets. The secluded bay is less than 15 minutes’ drive west from the Pinnacles Dessert or south from the rock lobster capital of Cervantes. From Perth, you can get there in just two hours by joining the scenic Indian Ocean Drive at Yanchep. When the swell and sea breeze are up, you’ll find top-notch conditions for windsurfing and surfing in Hangover Bay too. And after good winter rains, the coast is coloured with clusters of pink and white banjine, yellow wattle, and many other wildflower species. Nature lovers may also spot bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, emus, kangaroos, bobtail lizards, Gould’s monitors and carpet pythons (which are completely harmless). Picnic tables and gas barbecues make Hangover Bay the ideal spot for lunch or dinner by the ocean. Or head into Cervantes to feast like a king on Western Australia’s most valuable delicacy, rock lobster.