Overview

This page has a full description of this section of the trail, including supporting photographs. You can read this page and/or

• Download a PDF summary of this (click on this link); and

• A JPEG version of the map only (the figure below - click on this link).

Starting point

The starting point is the carpark just to the west of the Safety Bay Yacht Club, opposite the round-about where Arcada Drive joins Safety Bay Road.

Getting there using public transport

The best way to get there using public transport is by bus 551 from Rockingham Station, getting off at the last stop, which is on Penguin Road, just passed the intersection with Watts Road. It’s a walk of around 250m to the carpark. Alternatively, take either Bus 552 or 553 which terminates at the same stop, but you can also get off at the stop before this on Safety Bay Road just before the intersection with Waimea Road. It’s also a walk of around 250m to the carpark.

Turn around point

The turn around point is where Warnbro Beach Road ends, turns inland and becomes Shelton Street.

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 the bus 557, and then transfer to one of the buses that take you back to the start (551, 552 and 553) – see Figure 2 below. As you can see, you can transfer to one of those buses at the Rockingham train station, although you can transfer to bus 553 on Council Ave.

Figure 1 shows the bus stop to go to, to catch the bus 557 – walk north along Shelton Street, turn right at the intersection with Hilda Road, and then right on to Safety Bay Road – the bus stop is just ahead.

If you want to get back to the Rockingham train Station, bus 557 will take you there.

Summary of the walk

Figure 2 above shows the route. The one-way distance is 4.35 km, making it an 8.7 km out and back walk.

Water and toilets

Any toilet blocks are noted below in the text in italics. These are also sources of potable water. Any additional drinking water taps and showers are also noted in italics.

Walking guide

This walk has two distinct sections:

• The path walk from the Safety Bay Yacht Club carpark to Waikiki main foreshore, which runs adjacent to Safety Bay Road;

• The path walk from Waikiki main foreshore, which is adjacent to Warnbro Beach Road, to the end (the road actually continues but heads inland and becomes Shelton Street).

This pretty much describes the walk in total – it is an easy walk with continual views of the ocean on one side and a range of different house types on the other. The details of the walk are as follows.

From the carpark (Plate 1), head south along the concrete path, which, for the most part, marks the edge of the vegetated part of the foreshore reserve and the start of extensive grassed areas (Plate 2).

As noted in the previous walk, this section of the beach is actively accreting. Plate 3 shows the eastern edge of Tern Island and the sand bar that is part of the ongoing accretion. The City of Rockingham has dredged a channel here to allow boating access, as there is a well-used boat ramp and jetty at this location, at the end of Brent Street.

Continue along the path towards Waikiki and you will notice that the beach changes from accreting to eroding (Plate 4).

Waikiki Beach is a significant node with picnic facilities, a toilet block and disabled access to the beach. (Plate 5).

The erosion problem at Waikiki is obvious. This beach also is one of two coastal locations in the City of Rockingham where there is a wall with memorial plaques for people who have passed away (the other being Rockingham Beach) – Plate 6. The wall has recently been relocated away for the erosion.

The land adjacent to this area is being redeveloped as a major commercial area and for apartments.

This is the location where the second part of the walk begins, where Safety Bay Road curves away the coast curves away from, and Warnbro Beach Road starts. Continue along the path. The foreshore here is primarily vegetated with minimal grass, and the dunes and path more elevated and undulating (Plate 7).

Compared to the houses in Shoalwater, where most of the older shacks have been demolished and replaced with modern mostly two story ones, this stretch of coast shows only moderate signs of re-development with many of the older house remaining – Plate 8.

About half the way along this section is an old toilet block that has been re-painted by local school children (Plate 9).

The walk ends where Warnbro Beach Road ends, turns inland and becomes Shelton Street. This is where the coastal setbacks for the residential area increases significantly, and the path continues on through the dunes (Plate 10).

There is a small carpark here, as well as a seat with ocean views, where you can site and have a break before returning. There are sweeping views from here back along the way you came (Plate 11) as well as the coast for the next walk (Plate 12).

Garry Middle, January 2018