Sunset Coast

The Sunset Coast is a stretch of fine sandy coastline on the Indian Ocean that extends north from the western Australian city of Perth, with a population of 1.5 million, and serves as a recreational area for the residents of the metropolitan region, especially on weekends.

The 100% west-facing coast was first given its name in the 1990s by the tourism authority of the state of Western Australia ( Tourism Western Australia ) as an effective trademark because of the spectacular sunsets that can be experienced on all beaches in good weather.

Demarcation

Cottesloe Beach

The Sunset Coast begins in Cottesloe , a southern suburb of Perth between the lower reaches of the Swan River and the open sea, immediately north of Fremantle . According to your own definition, it ends approx. 60 km further at Two Rocks Beach , where the greater Perth area ends .

The tourism authority also includes the pristine section to Lancelin , which is 125 km north of Perth and is the starting point for 4W-Drive enthusiasts for a difficult, approx. 65 km long stretch of sandy slopes to the Pinnacles . The coast between Two Rocks Beach and Lancelin is not accessible by any coastal road. The remote apartment and camping colonies of Guilderton , Seabird , and Ledge Point are approached from the inland by spur roads from trunk road 60 ( Wanneroo Road ); Wanneroo Road ends in Lancelin.

Administrative division

Within the greater Perth area, six Local Government Areas are part of the Sunset Coast:

Town of Cottesloe
Town of Claremont with Swanbourne
Town of Cambridge with City Beach and Floreat
City of Stirling with Scarborough and Trigg
City of Joondalup with Sorrento , Hillarys , Mullaloo and Burns Beach
City of Wannaroo with Mindarie Keys , Quinns Rocks , Yanchep and Two Rocks

If you include Lancelin, the Shire of Gingin would still be affected.

course

Scarborough Beach

From south to north, the coast runs through the suburbs and satellite towns of Perth parallel to the West Coast Highway, which is called north of Trigg Beach Marmion Avenue, past the following beaches and harbors:

Cottesloe Beach : Favorite city beach, bordering on Fremantle to the north ;

Swanbourne Beach : Quiet beach not visible from the highway; partly nudist area;

City Beach : Well-tended sun and bathing beach, regularly awarded in the competition organized by the tourism authority for the best city beach in Perth;

Floreat Beach : Similar in character, but smaller;

Scarborough Beach : Favorite surfing beach; urban tourism infrastructure;

Trigg Beach : Small surfing beach with particularly high waves, meeting point for surf professionals;

Bay Beaches : Quiet, cliff-enclosed bays for swimmers and snorkelers;

Sorrento Beach : Guarded beach with barbecue facilities, southernmost district of the satellite town of Joondalup City ;

Hillarys Boat Harbor : Small harbor with the AQWA marine aquarium, which is the largest of its kind on the continent;

Pinnaroo Point : beach for windsurfing and kite surfing ;

Whitfords Animal Exercise Beach : Dog Training Grounds ;

Mullaloo Beach : family- friendly , guarded bathing beach;

Burns Beach : Bathing and snorkeling beach , with access to the hinterland.

Mindarie Beach : Surf beach for beginners and the port of the Mindarie Keys, the southernmost part of the satellite town of Wannaroo .

Quinns Rocks Beach : Guarded surf beach and dog beach.

The coastal highway ends north of Quinns Rocks at Butler . The two most northerly attractions on the Sunset Coast are accessible via Hester Avenue, Wanneroo Road and Yanchep Road:

Yanchep Lagoon : Shallow lagoon for swimmers and snorkelers in the immediate vicinity of the national park of the same name.
Two Rocks Beach : Practice area for paragliding and hang-gliding at a small harbor

Regional character

Trigg Beach in winter with storms and heavy seas

The southern part of the coastal strip from Cottesloe to Sorrento has an urban character in the immediate catchment area of the metropolis of Perth and is heavily frequented on the weekends in the summer months. The range of accommodation in all performance categories from 5-star hotels to backpacker accommodation, sports facilities and shopping facilities, dining facilities, nightlife and entertainment venues is also concentrated here .

The middle section belonging to the Joondalup administrative area is characterized by quieter stretches of beach. An exception is Hillary's Boat Harbor with Australia's largest marine aquarium as the main attraction, where the underwater world is documented on 12,000 km of coastline in Western Australia through 5 climate zones. The inland Joondalup, which is still heavily influenced by British immigrants, on the lake of the same name, has extensive sports facilities and one of the most famous golf resorts in Western Australia.

On the less frequented northern section with simple apartment and camping facilities - popular with snorkelers and divers - the inland is pristine bushland , which was inhabited by Aborigines from the Nyoongar tribe in prehistoric times . In Yanchep National Park , which is criss-crossed by limestone caves, guided bush walks are organized for tourists today , during which Nyoongars explain the culture of their past; These are particularly popular in spring during the wildflower season (September / October), which transforms the homogeneous evergreen bush land on red sand for a few weeks into a multicolored sea of flowers for the rest of the year. There is also a koala park; however, these are not endemic animals of Western Australia.

climate

Yanchep Lagoon

The Sunset Coast experiences an average sunshine duration of eight hours a day as an annual mean.

In the bathing season in the dry summer months (December to February) the average maximum daily temperature is around 30 ° C; there are only two to four rainy days per month and a total of 5–6 mm precipitation / m². In the afternoons, there is often a fresh sea breeze from the south, popularly known as The Fremantle Doctor because of its healing properties .

In the wetter winter months (June to August), the coasts are only frequented by experienced water sports enthusiasts with maximum daily temperatures of 19 ° C and strong winds on dry days. Statistically, every second day in this time of year is a rainy day, with an average of around 150–160 mm precipitation / m² and day.

literature

Günther, Janine / Mohr, Jens: Westaustralien und das Top End, Verlag 360 °, 1st edition 2005