Lucky Bay from the dunes
There are two bays in Western Australia which are known as Lucky Bay. One is located in the south east of WA, near Esperance, and the other is located on the west coast of WA, near Kalbarri and Wagoe. They are both beautiful places to visit, but this post is on Lucky Bay north of Perth. I have visited Lucky Bay a number of times, and each time I have a lot of fun. Accommodation is camping only (including your Camper Trailer or Caravan), unless you stay at the Wagoe Chalets. You also need a four wheel drive to get to Lucky Bay. The bay has a reef that runs parallel with the beach out about 50 metres, and it blocks most of the swell that comes in. The result is a bay that is flat calm, with some great fishing, snorkelling and surfing (the waves are further south).
How do I get to Lucky Bay?
Lucky Bay is located in between Port Gregory and Wagoe (and Kalbarri). To get to Lucky Bay, you just drive up the normal road to Kalbarri. The entrance to the track is about 10 kilometres north of Port Gregory. The track is on the left (obviously!) and you follow the track for a reasonable distance. There are a number of shacks at Half Way bay which will stand out. From there, you take the track that continues on to Lucky Bay. It’s almost impossible to miss; a huge reef that runs along with a brilliant coloured bay. There are some massive dunes at Lucky Bay, so be careful where you drive! The track before the shacks can often be flooded in winter; check the depth before you cross. Also, the track after you pass through the shacks can be tight, and scratches on your car are common.
Lucky Bay Point
Lucky Bay Point
Do I need a 4wd to get to Lucky Bay?
As mentioned above, having a four wheel drive is vital. If you don’t have one, then basically you can’t camp at Lucky Bay. The sand is very soft, and you will need the extra traction. For those cars that have little clearance and lack low range, you might want to give it a miss too, unless you are confident. You will need to run your tyres at around 15PSI, but there are areas where you may need to go much lower at times. A number of people tow camper trailers and boats into Lucky Bay, but you wouldn’t want anything too big, unless the sand is hard and you are very confident. Most of the boats that you see are smaller than 18 foot, and I have yet to see a huge caravan there!
Lucky Bay and Boats
To be honest, you don’t really need a boat at Lucky Bay. You can fish off the back of the reef, and you can easily get a good feed. In saying this, boats are popular (especially little dinghies). Launching is easy going as the sand close to the water is hard and the water is flat calm. Many people just drag their boats up for the night, but do what you are comfortable with. There is some great fishing outside of the reef, and you don’t need a big boat to get there. Be sure to let your tyres down on both the boat trailer and your four wheel drive, or you may find it hard going.
Lucky Bay Reef
Lucky Bay Reef
Lucky Bay Reef
The reef at Lucky Bay really makes the place worth going to. It has some great diving, and plenty of fish to see or catch. Spear fishing is permitted, but you still have strict bag limits and some species of fish cannot be shot. On a calm day you can snorkel around the back of the reef too, but be wary of the currents at the tip of the reef. There is plenty to see on the protected side of the reef, which is great if the wind and swell has picked up a bit. The water will flow over the reef occasionally, so don’t be too surprised if everything goes white and bubbly for a few seconds when you are swimming in the area!
Snorkelling on the reef
Snorkelling on the reef
Lucky Bay Fishing
Fishing off the bay often gets a good feed of herring and whiting, especially if you burley up well. For those looking for something a little bigger, you can fish off the beach further north or south, or off the reef. If the water comes over the reef more than a tiny amount it can be dangerous, so pay attention to the swell and what the weather is doing. We have caught some nice mulloway off the beach, and there are plenty of sharks, dart, tailor, garfish, parrot fish and other species. There is always a good place to go fishing at Lucky Bay; the beach heading north to Wagoe has some brilliant locations. Also, the tip of the reef had a lot of fish swimming around that you could catch easily no doubt.
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AU $13.50
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Lucky Bay Surfing
This is something that not a lot of people actually know about. Just south of Lucky Bay there is a break which seems to have some nice waves. There are quite a few people that go to Lucky Bay with surf boards, but you can’t expect waves every day. Just throw a board in and if the swell is up go for it. Otherwise, you can relax, fish, four wheel drive, go for a ride on the motorbikes or go diving.
Riding a quad in the dunes
Riding a quad in the dunes
The dunes behind Lucky Bay
The dunes behind Lucky Bay are some of the biggest that you will see in Western Australia. Four Wheel Drives, motorbikes, buggies and sand boarders are often common in the area. You really want to pick the right line, as some of the dunes have odd shapes and it is easy to get into trouble. Make sure you throw in a sand board or two, as there is a lot of fun to be had on these monster sand dunes. Motorbike riding at Lucky Bay is permitted. Having a sand flag makes for a much safer trip through the dunes, and this applies for both 4x4 cars and motorbikes.
The sunsets are amazing in this area
The sunsets are amazing in this area
Wagoe
Wagoe is a few kilometres north of Lucky Bay, and is known mainly for the accommodation on the farm; Wagoe Chalets. The only way onto Wagoe beach is through the property, or through Lucky Bay. To get access onto the beach through Wagoe, you need to stay at the farm. The prices for camping and the homes are very cheap, especially if you go with a large number of people. The houses are fairly old, but they are comfortable and prove to be a great place to stay. You have private access to the beach, a great view and very friendly hosts.
Cooking some food
Cooking some food
What do I need to take to Lucky Bay?
There are no provisions at Lucky Bay, so you need to bring everything. This includes water for cooking and drinking, firewood, a toilet and supplies, food, camping gear, plenty of fuel, a compressor to pump tyres back up, first aid kits, fishing rods, surf boards, snorkelling gear and anything else that you might want. We have found that an inverter works miracles (plugs into the cigarette lighter and can power 240v lighting for a few hours easily). Also, having a fridge in your car is helpful if you are staying for a while. You really need to be self sufficient, as there are not always a heap of people staying there, and driving out to Kalbarri or Port Gregory is a pain. A tyre deflator is a good idea, as it makes deflating your tyres quick and easy. I have a Ferret tyre deflator, but the ARB Ezy deflator is well worth the money.
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Toilets and Lucky Bay
If you are visiting Lucky Bay, you need to take your own toilet with you. When digging a hole, please be sure to dig down at least 50cm - it's only sand and will take you a few minutes to dig down. There is nothing worse than visiting such an amazing place to see toilet paper (or worse) lying around everywhere. Please take responsibility for this area and keep it so others can also enjoy it.
Camping behind the dunes
Camping behind the dunes
Where is the best place to camp?
Depending on the weather, most people will camp behind something that offers a bit of protection. The wind can be an issue when it is blowing off the ocean, so setting up behind the first dune can be a great source of protection. It also gives you a bit more privacy. There are no restrictions on where you can camp, so just find somewhere that is protected and private and set up. Of course, don’t camp on dunes or on the car tracks! There is no charge for camping at Lucky Bay, which makes it a great holiday for a family on a budget. Make sure you double check that you have everything you need before you leave! Camping can be terrible if you forget important items!
What to do with rubbish
Just near the shacks (that you drive past on the way in) there is a place for you to dump rubbish. Please ensure that all of your rubbish is taken away, and that the area is left clean. We have seen Hill River and Wedge Island closed for camping, and I would hate to give them a reason to close Lucky Bay.
The beach north of Lucky Bay
The beach north of Lucky Bay
Dogs at Lucky Bay
You are allowed dogs at Lucky Bay, but be sure to keep them under control. We found that the people at the bay were friendly and didn’t mind dogs running around freely, but keep an eye on them! It’s best if they are tied up at night, or when you are not able to look after them.
If you are looking for somewhere to camp that is quiet, relaxing and cheap to visit, then Lucky Bay near Wagoe is for you. It isn’t much more than 5 hours drive, but there is a lot to keep you occupied. Places like these are not very well known, but they are so worth telling people about.
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Aaron, the hilux looks great, have the same likes in these vechiles. Sold my previous 2 hilux petrol 4 x 4 have a 2005 Old model tdiesal 3.0 l. hate the new model design. last year my wife and self did a 12000 k perth 2 Darwin, alice springs back via the gt. central. to Kal.
this year may want to go to the Pilbara but wife is scared after the last trip and until we have 2 vechiles for the trip i will have to wait and see.
love the work you have done on your website. good on yuh.
That sounds great! I’ve only been as far north as Broome as of now, but will be certainly exploring more of what this great country has to offer in the future. You would be suprised at how the newer hiluxes look and perform with a few modifications on them! Its great to see you are able to get out and enjoy yourself. Have a safe and fun trip!
Aaron
Greetings. To start with I want to say that I really like your weblog, just observed it last week but I’ve been following it ever since then.
I seem to be to concur with most of the thinkings and opinions and this post is no different. totally
Thank you for the excellent website and I hope you retain up the excellent perform. If you do I will carry on to browse through it.
Have a very good evening.
Thanks for the visit
Great info. Thanks for the blog.
I have a subaru forrester, do you think I can get to Lucky Bay?
Alternatively if I stay at Wagoe can I drive down the beach from Wagoe to Lucky Bay and if so how far is it?
Cheers
Herb
Hi,
It all comes down to your experience on the beach and in the dunes, along with the car’s ability. I have had no experience with the forrester’s, but I know they lack a bit of clearance. I saw a WRX near the beach at Lucky Bay last time I was there, but its all about picking the right tracks and having someone there to pull you out if you need. Consider how many people are going to be up there with you, there experience, where you want to camp etc. You would get a two wheel drive into the edge of the dunes, where a number of people camp. I’d say you would be fine as long as you let your tyres down (at least 15PSI, if not 10) and you have someone there as a backup.
Make sure you have a snatch strap, a good shovel and a good tyre gauge/compressor. Some parts of the dunes and beach are incredibly soft (depending on the weather) and even the fully decked out four wheel drives struggle there. As for staying at Wagoe, its about a 30 minute slog down the beach to Lucky Bay, which can be very soft sand at times. When you are pushing a car hard on the beach you will find your fuel will drop quickly; you would need extra fuel.
They are both awesome locations though. Let me know how you go
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
Had a fantastic time at Wagoe with my son. 3 spanish mackerel, 20kgs each almost. Got bogged a couple of times but easy to push out. I was advised not to try for Lucky Bay as the sand was quite soft in parts so just cruised the Wagoe beach.
That’s awesome mate. Good to hear that you had a ball! The sand can get very soft towards lucky bay, especially after a lot of wind. Both Wagoe and Lucky Bay are amazing places to spend a few days though. How many times did you get bitten off though? There are plenty of big sharks up there too. We weren’t as lucky as you, but we did get a good feed of some smaller mulloway.
Aaron
Gday great info very detailed. around the new year i was fortunate enough to get up to half way beach lucky bay stayed at th shacks with th mrs just a great place. unfortunately we went up in a hyundau excel (haha i know) but it made it to the shack area as the track isnt too feral but from there it was a walk to the beach (borrowed car) keep up the great work and i will leave another post in a couple weeks as im taking up a 4×4 this time and a heap of rods!!!!! great work!
(“,)
That’s awesome mate. Don’t be afraid to give the reefs a shot that are quite a bit further south than the main one. A lot of people just fish the main one, and as a result there are less fish available. You will have a lot of fun!
Aaron
Hi there, have just bought an 80 series and am keen to give lucky bay a go although don’t have much 4wd experience. Does anyone know what the track is like at the moment ?
Hi Rob,
You won’t have any issues out there, assuming you let your tyres down enough. I have been to Lucky Bay when it has been incredibly soft and didn’t have any problems at all. I was with a GQ patrol which is very similar to the 80 series. Your car is a very capable four wheel drive, and won’t find beach work too difficult! Have a read of my Beach Driving post, and perhaps the Tire Deflators one too, as this will teach you a bit about sand driving. If you let your tyres down to 15 I highly doubt you would have any issues at all.
Have a great trip
Aaron
We are off to Kalbarri after new year and would like to visit lucky bay. What is the condtion like at that time of year. We have 1989 toyota landcruiser which i think would do great on the sand.
Hi Aldo,
I don’t know what the conditions will be like; it changes too often. However, in a Landcruiser you shouldn’t have any issues if you drop your tyres down correctly. Are you towing anything? You will have a lot of fun there. Some of the better camp sites are a few hundred metres south of the main reef, around the point. You will find a few that are just behind the first little dune – protected, but close to the beach. Don’t be afraid to explore the reefs further south too – they are great as well.
Have a great trip.
Aaron
Hi Aaron!!
Just wanted to thank you for great informative site! We are heading to Lucky Bay this weekend and your site has provided a lot of info for us to ensure we are well prepared..So a BIG THANK YOU!! and keep up the great blogs
Thanks a lot Tys and Dee. You will have a great time up there!
Aaron
Hi Aaron, We are thinking of going to Lucky Bay this Easter. I am just wondering if you have been up there lately and if there is anything else we need to know about going there at this time of the year. I imagine it will be busy but is it quiet a big area? Would we have a good chance of getting somewhere to set up our camper trailer?
Regards, Katie
Hi Katie,
The area at Lucky Bay is huge – it is just dunes that extend back for miles. We were up there last year for Easter, and it was a little busy, but still plenty of room for more. As with anything, the earlier you get there the better spot you will get. A lot of people get sucked into camping right by the bay, but this might not be what you want to do. There is a great camping site off the first beach entrance north of the bay, and plenty of spots further south of the point that are protected (but still with beach views!).
There is also a huge amount of room further back from the beach – near where the easy 2wd tracks are, but I prefer to be nearer the beach!
We arrived on the Friday Morning and still got a reasonable campsite, behind the first dune just near the bay. I haven’t been up there lately (unfortunately!) but I would imagine nothing much has changed. I would advise to camp behind a dune though, as it can be very windy and we watched people camped right on the beach get hammered all day by it. Just drop your tyre pressures down enough (it can be very soft up there) and you will have a great time!
Let me know how it goes
Aaron
Thanks Aaron, you have been a great help. We will definately be going so I will let you know how it goes after easter. Keep up the informative site, it has been very helpful.
Thanks, and have a great trip
Aaron
hi aaron, were heading up to lucky bay for easter, we have a nissan patrol but it only has road tyres on it, weve done the wedge beach run fine? is there good camp spots at the start of the track? (coming from perth) cheers mate
Hi Ryan,
Road tyres are fine for beach driving. Just remember to lower your tyres down enough; 15 to 18 PSI is probably where you want them. There is a massive variety of camping spots, but the closest you camp to the track the further you are away from the beach. I would head slightly south of the bay and find a protected camp area behind the first dune.
Have fun
Aaron
We will be driving up to Lucky bay with a Britz Renegade, I know I won’t be able to get to the beach, but is the shack area ok for the big motorhome or where will you suggest to park the motorhome in Lucky bay?
Hi Frank,
Honestly, I don’t know that you would be able to get in far enough to camp at Lucky Bay. The vehicle you are taking is considerably wider than a four wheel drive, and you could scratch the paintwork up as the track isn’t overly wide. Also, you would find it very easily to get bogged as they are heavy and the track isn’t exactly flat either. I would probably be giving it a miss – you would be better off going into Wagoe or Kalbarri. I have seen caravans go in there, but they are towed by a vehicle that can easily get out of trouble. I don’t remember the track in very well, so it might pay to have a look but be prepared to go on to Kalbarri if required. Let me know how you go.
Aaron
Aaron
Aaron
Hey aaron, heading to lucky bay up the normal road, you said the track is on the left? is there anything that actually makes it stand out from any other track? (just makin sure we dont get lost!) also does it get pretty packed there easter were heading down thursday? thanks very much!
Hey Peta,
It will be busy, but there is plenty of room to spread out. You don’t have to camp right near the main reef, just try to find a flat spot behind the first dune. I would recommend taking a toilet tent if you can – there isn’t much room to hide!
Have a look at this – http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lucky+bay+kalbarri&aq=&sll=-33.706896,137.040039&sspn=0.231912,0.445976&g=lucky+bay&ie=UTF8&hq=lucky+bay&hnear=Kalbarri+Western+Australia&ll=-28.017325,114.165072&spn=0.029816,0.055747&t=h&z=15 – this is Lucky Bay, and you can follow the road in from there. Make sure you have it on Satellite view, or look at it on Nearmap.com
The road is just south, and you can clearly see it come off the main highway, as long as you are on the lookout in the area.
Aaron
hi mate, been to lucky about 6 times now since 2004, manny magnificent moments there with family, have been lucky enough to have quads in the family, since then and have actually destroyed two of them in the sand dunes haha. if you dont mind me putting in my two bobs worth aaron, we actually stopped in for a couple days about july last year, driving from newman to lucky in one day, one thing i must say is travelling into lucky bay during the middle of the night is not advised, we left carnarvon at 7.30 pm and arrived on the beach where we set up camp at 2am the following morning. in this stretch we must have seen atleast 600 kangaroos and would not have done this treck without having an experienced driver(my dad) at the wheel while i was on spotting duties for the night. on this particular trip the tracks between the shacks and lucky were dry but the dew on from the cold air made the sand extremely boggy. towing a trailer with tyres that did not follow the tracks of the car as they stuck out wider did not help at all although the trailer was empty.
on another note, the bay can actually also be reached by some tracks as soon as the tracks take a 90 degree left hand bend of the red gravel onto a more grey coloured material. this takes you through the back of the dunes and is advisable when the area has been subject to flooding in recent times. this is probably the way we should have come in last time we came up for a weeks stay, as my ute now has a dented guard plate under the motor. the water was actually so deep that it was flowing over the bonnet and about half way up the windscreen.
the trip before this we towed my brothers 15 foot aluminum boat up to fish the back of the reef, it was agreed soon after we would not take a boat up again as we nearly lost a car to the rising tide even inside the bay as the sand was so soft trying to get the boat back on trailer the day we left.
it is a very dangerous place, that should be respected for the natural wonders of nature. the drop offs in the sand dunes could potentially kill and the reef is extremely dangerous when the tide rises (have actually walked 3/4 of the way to the break in the reef from the north side). new travellers should remember there is a small rubbish tip on the road in past the shacks because if we dont look after places like this, soon they will not be available for us to use.
longest post ever but in finishing, 5 of the biggest tailor i’ve ever seen have been caught here, two fish of 85+ cm were caught during the day on one trip, two fish of 75+cm were caught at night on another and during another, another group of campers had the skeleton of a tailor stretching one side of the bullbar of a subaru outback.
if you could be bothered to read it all, cheers and i hope you thoroughly enjoy this wonderful little world as much as i always have!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your contributions! I must say I haven’t seen many Kangaroo’s up that way, but then I tend to avoid driving at night if possible! I know the sand is very soft up there too – I have struggled through the dunes in many places. I am glad that you have had a lot of fun up there – I have too. I will modify my post about the rubbish tip, as I forgot about this.
Have a good one
Aaron
pleasure mate, also forgot to mention along with all the other stuff. be careful to watch out for wild animals (apart from the usual suspects) we have seen a few weird ones such as a massive wild pig carcuss laying just north of the lagoon.
love your blog by the way, sums up a lot of great areas of WA
Hi Matt,
There are some odd animals around. I remember finding a sheep on the beach miles away from the nearest town or farm.
Thanks for your comments. My blog is slowly getting bigger, but it is limited by a small budget at the moment!
Aaron
Gday Aaron. good site mate. very imformative. as a kalbarri local i have been going to lucky bay for many years. also take sand boarders there on occasion. one thing that annoys the hell out of me are the mongrels on jetskis cutting sick in the bay where people are snorkelling. there are many fish there,also sea horses , nudibranch and nice coral. if we want to keep lucky bay for the future then people must respect the place. Fisheries were there last week,also sea rescue from gero. news will get back to the fun police and the place will close. please please enjoy the place,drive safe and carefully and dont spoil it for others.
there is a much quicker way to the bay than through the shacks but its a secret.
cheers mate, frank
Hi Frank,
I appreciate your comments. I am surprised that those on jet skis are allowed in the bay. I know when I was snorkeling up there I had issues with the kite surfers getting very close, but I would imagine jet skis would be worse! You are lucky living in Kalbarri – lots to do up there
Thanks for visiting
Aaron
gday Aaron, a great place to camp is at the well dug by gregory in 1837 or so when he was forced to walk back to perth after being shipwrecked at blue holes. you wont get sand blasted and it is quiet too. another interesting thing is that after a big blow sometimes the remains of the first steam tractor in australia are uncovered. it was being driven to the geraldine lead mine and abandoned after getting bogged. this was in the 1860,s. the other tractor fell of the ship in rough weather at the port gregory reef entrance and is still on the sea bed.
lots of history mate and a fantastic place. we need people to visit and enjoy the area and respect it. Kalbarri is a great place to live and is a bit of a hidden secret really.
keep up the good work mate
Thanks again Frank,
Some interesting history there – I will have to look into it. I would love to get up to Lucky Bay, Wagoe and Kalbarri again soon but we will see how time (and money!) permits!
Take it easy
Aaron
Hi all,
Does anyone know of the condition for the track in at the moment? I have heard the water can get pretty deep at times. I plan on heading there in a couple of days.
Cheers
Kurt
Hi Kurt,
Are you referring to the puddles on the way in on the main track? I would imagine if there would be alternative pathways around the deep puddles. From memory there were only a few spots where the water would build up anyway. I’d check the depth of every puddle and if it is too deep just go around it. You could look on Nearmap and try to find an alternative way in. What vehicle have you got, and are you towing anything?
Aaron
tracks are reasonably clear as of 2 weeks ago, also had a mate go up a week ago and they were in even better nick apparently… by the way aaron, when we went up there 2 weeks ago as we were coming down the coast, fished for all of 3 hours, picked out a 86 cm tailor and a 54cm dart, bloke about 100 meters up had two way bigger dart and a tailor around the same size… going back to the tracks, they were reasonably clear, some paths had massive puddles that looked very deep but looked as if a grater had gone through and flattened some more of the bushes. so made it very easy to get in and out, also the bins have moved positions again guys, they are now closer to the shacks again rather then being right out near the main road in as they were the previous time i travelled up that way.
as always take care guys
matt.
Thanks for the update Matt,
I have seen some nice tailor photos from up that way – I will have to organize a trip up there.
Have a good one
Aaron
no worries aaron, seems as if ur missing out though, sounds like you havent been up there in a while. take care buddy!
I haven’t been up there for a while mate – getting withdrawal symptoms!
Aaron
Can any one tell me if you can take dogs to wagoe am goin in about 10 days
Hi Carmen,
Dogs are not permitted on the farmstead at Wagoe, but you are allowed to have them at Lucky Bay, as far as I am aware.
Have an awesome trip
Aaron
Hi all
We have been to Lucky Bay 3 times towing an off-road pop-top camper, the first time (which was a trial) we got bogged in the soft sand and were in the middle of letting out more air from the camper when a knight in shining armour appeared from nowhere, immediately drove his Landcruiser to the front of us, hitched up our Challenger and pulled that and camper out in one easy move….what a legend, we were so grateful. That was lesson number one, keep to hard areas of track if you are towing. Lesson number two, beware of the wind, this can be so strong (it tore up the toilet tent!), if you have a camper, don’t extend the window awnings! The 2nd time we went for 5 days (we worked out thats how long our water would last) was perfect, the third time was difficult as we discovered the flooded areas (wish I had read this blog before) and had to find alternate ways around, following what we thought were tracks other people had made only to find us in a dead-end and in trying to reverse the camper the bushes ripped the stoneguarding cloth on the front of the camper and scratches everywhere. Once we tackled all that and camped in our usual place, it was all good. We did a good scout around in the next couple of days for the best track out and marked bushes on the track for where we were to turn, worked well. As for the fishing well, not had too much to brag about unfortunately, I think we have just been unLucky!! When the weather/wind is good, the place is like no other, relaxing and exhilarating and you can be as private as you want. The nomad that lives up there with his two dogs is an interesting character and he has a wide range of unusual outfits! We hope people can enjoy this area for a long time, keep it clean (you wouldnt even know that we had been there when we pack up) and take your rubbish with you. Last time (end August) the bins were near the main road again, but I expect this was because of the flooded areas.
Cheers
Gail
Thanks for the interesting story. It can be very boggy up there, depending on the weather. I will continue visiting it – love the snorkeling, fishing, boating and four wheel driving
Aaron