Burns Beach to Ocean Reef
Overview
This page has a full description of this section of the trail, including supporting photographs. You can read this page and/or
Starting point – arriving by car
The starting point is the beach front at Burns Beach, opposite the café and at the end of Ocean Parade.
Getting there using public transport and starting point
The best way to get using public transport is to catch the Joondalup line train to Joondalup train stations, and catch bus 470 to the end of its route on Ocean Parade, which is 90m from the start point.
Turn around point
The turn around point is park near the waterbody in the Ocean Reef marina.
Getting back to the start from the turn around point – if you don’t want to do an out-and-back walk
The best way to get back to the start using public transport is walk up the carpark to the southern end and follow the road out of the marina, about 330m. Turn left onto Ocean Reef Road, and turn right after about 220m onto Hodges Drive. Walk on the left side of the road for about 500m to a bus stop. Take the 460 bus heading north, which unfortunately only runs on weekdays. When the bus turn onto Shenton Ave, exit the bus at the first bus stop, cross over the road and then catch the 470 bus back to the start. You will need to order a taxi/Uber on weekends to get back to the start.
Summary of the walk
Figure 1 below shows the route and the bus stops and bus routes. The total one-way distance is 3.9 km, making it a 7.8 km out and back walk. At the time of writing this, the path extends another 900m north through a park with a showerand a lookout – there is about 4.5km of undeveloped coastal land between Mindarie Keys and Burns Beach. If you do this loop at the start of the walk it will add 1.8km to the one-way distance i.e. a total of 5.7 km, making it a 9.6 km out and back walk.
Figure 1.
Water and toilets
Any toilet blocks are noted below in the text initalics. These are also sources of potable water. Any additional drinking water taps and showers are also noted initalics.
Walking Guide
About 150m north of the starting point, ant the northern end of the carpark, is a toilet block and shower. There is also a look out opposite the starting point with sweeping views of the coast (Plate 1).
Plate 1: The viewing platform at the start of the walk
From the start point head south past the café and caravan park along the red bitumen dual use path. This is a very simple walk – take this path all the way to the Ocean Reef marina.
The dominant landform here is shallow soils over limestone, as can be seen in Plate 1, which results in the coastal vegetation being primarily less than 1m. This makes this walk one of the best in the region, with many places with sweeping coastal views (Plate 2).
Plate 2: An example of the sweeping views along the path and the low vegetation.
After 1.4km there is a formal look out (Plate 3) with sweeping views (Plate 4) and a park with a toilet blockat the southern end of the carpark and showeron the paths to the beach.
Plate 3: Lookout.
Plate 4: Views from the lookout.
There are two smaller parks after about 220m and 350m past the lager park, the second one has a shower.
About 3.2km into the walk, the path turns inland which will take you past a sailing and boat club (Plate 5), and then onto the Ocean reef Marina.
Plate 5: The sailing and boat club.
As you arrive at the marina carpark, turn right and take the path downhill to the main boating facilities (Plate 6).
Plate 6: The path down to the main boating facilities at Ocean Beach marina.
Turn left at the bottom of the path and walk to a park and very old toilet block– this is the end/turn around point (Plate 7).
Plate 7: The main park at Ocean Beach marina - the end/turn around point.
© Garry Middle, May 2019