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
There is a carpark just north of Malcolm Street, and there is a track from the car park to the jetty.
Getting there using public transport
The best way to get using public transport is to catch the 423 bus from either Stirling or Warwick train stations. Get off at the bus stop at the southern end of Flora Terrace. Head south along Flora Terrace and turn right along Malcolm Street to the end where it meets West Coast Highway. Take the path north and at the junction, take the left path which will leads to the jetty - less than 100m.
Turn around point
The turn around point is the amphitheatre at Scarborough Beach.
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 to first catch bus 421, which first heads north from Scarborough Beach and then ends up on Sackville Terrace. Get off at the bus stop just passed Ravenscar Street. Walk east along Sackville Terrace, passed Huntriss Road, cross over to the other side of the road to the bus stop about 70m passed Huntriss Road. Catch the 423 bus from here and get off at the first bus stop on Flora Terrace. Head south along Flora Terrace and turn right along Malcolm Street to the end where it meets West Coast Drive.
Summary of the walk
Figure 1 below shows the route. There are a number of ways to do this walk. The simplest way is to walk all the way along the dual use path that, for the most part, runs parallel to West Coast Drive. The total one-way distance of this walk is 4.5 km, making it a 9.0 km out and back walk.
The more interesting way to do the walk is to take two short side tracks between the main path and the ocean. As well, there is also a section of the dual use path which runs parallel to a very busy section of West Coast Terrace/Highway. It is recommended that the beach walk is a more enjoyable way to walk this section. The total one-way distance of this walk is 4.64 km, making it a 9.28 km out and back walk.
Of course, you can opt to do only one of the side tracks and/or not do the beach walk.
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.
Figure 1
Walking guide
There is a shower just opposite the jetty on the path.From the jetty, head south along the path, which joins the main coastal path after about 90m. This path runs adjacent to West Coast Drive for about 2km (Plate 1).
Plate 1: Section of the path that runs parallel to West Coast Drive and the start of the first short side path.
After about 100m there is a concrete path that off to the right which is the start if the first short side path (see Plate 1 above). This narrow path ends at a set of steps (Plate 2) which then re-joins the main path at the start of a carpark after about 60m.
Plate 2: Steps at the end of the first short side path.
There is a park area with toilet block after another 550m, (750m from the start)
After another 600m you arrive at the Mettams Pool Beach, with a toilet block and shower.
After about 100m take the path off to the right which is the second short side walk. The path stops at a rocky beach, and re-commences at the southern end of the beach (Plate 3). The path leads back to main path after about 50m.
Plate 3: Rocky beach part of the second side walk
After another 70m there us another carpark with a look out.
After another 250m is the northern end of the main grassed area at Trigg Beach, and the path leaves West Coast Highway and follows the western edge of the grassed area (Plate 4).
Plate 4: Main grassed area at the northern end of Trigg Beach.
The path goes through a larger carpark, passed a toilet blockthrough the main carpark and facilities, including café/restaurant, and toilet block. The path runs along the western edge of the main carpark, through a grassed area with toilet blockand passed another large carpark.
At the southern end of the carpark, the path continues, heads left and runs parallel to West Coast Highway for about 600m, where the path bends right away from West Coast Highway between some apartments and the foreshore. Given the level of traffic on West Coast Highway (Plate 5), this is not a pleasant walk and is not recommended. The path will, after about 250, come to the northern end of the main Scarborough Beach area and head towards the beach away from West Coast Highway (Plate 6).
The recommended route is described after Plate 6.
Plate 5: Showing the path that runs parallel to West Coast Highway and the busy traffic.
Plate 6: Path leading off to the main Scarborough Beach
The recommended route from the southern end of the last carpark – there is a drink fountain here (Plate 7) - is to take the track to the beach, and head south along the beach for about 750m.
Plate 7: Thedrink fountain at the southern end of the last carpark, with the track to the beach heading right.
The path leading from the beach to the northern end of the main Scarborough Beach area is obvious.
From the northern end of the main Scarborough Beach area take the main path through the area until you arrive at the amphitheatre – about 500m. This is the turn around point. There are several toilet blocks here.
NOTE: at the time of writing this, there were major re-development works happening at Scarborough, and the main path through the area was not in use. It was still possible to walk through the carpark and service roads.
When I visited the site early in 2019, all of the works had been completed.
Garry Middle, February 2018.