Hangover Bay, Kangaroo Point & Grey

Pick one beach

Hangover Bay is the usual picnic/swim/snorkel choice. Kangaroo Point leans fishing and boating. Grey is the southern swim/fish option. One beach after the Pinnacles is plenty; three beaches is a different holiday.

If the limestone is why you came, the desert still goes first. A beach is the extra stop when you already have a Cervantes clock — not a replacement for the loop on a tight Perth day.

Cervantes half-day itinerary is the honest pairing: morning desert, then lake or one beach. Walk / site note: Hangover Bay.

Hangover Bay — the usual extra stop

Official pages describe swimming, snorkelling, surfing and picnic facilities. Gas BBQs, picnic shelters and toilets are commonly listed, with some paths described as wheelchair-friendly — [VERIFY] the live Hangover Bay page for your date. Carry water anyway.

Wind wrecks a snorkel plan faster than a brochure admits. Have a desert or lake Plan B. The sea breeze that feels nice on the sand does not make the ocean safe, and it does not cancel UV on the drive back.

This is Jurien Bay Marine Park water, not a hotel lagoon. If you are not a confident ocean swimmer, picnic and paddle at the edge of your skill — or skip the swim.

Kangaroo Point and Grey

Kangaroo Point is the fishing/boating-leaning picnic site. Grey sits south of the Pinnacles for swimming and fishing. Neither is “secret Hangover Bay.” They are different jobs. Pick the one that matches the group, then stay.

Facilities are thinner at Grey — confirm toilets and access on official pages. Do not park on dunes. Follow signs from Indian Ocean Drive; do not cut through vegetation for a closer bay.

Marine park respect

Offshore is Jurien Bay Marine Park. This unofficial guide does not map every sanctuary zone. Read official marine-park pages before you snorkel, fish or approach islands.

Sea-lion breeding sites have access restrictions. “I only wanted a photo” is not a permit. Stay off closed islands and follow signed rules.

After limestone: heat, fire and skip-if

If the desert already ran long or hot, skip the beach. Town lunch in Cervantes still counts. Dusk wildlife on Indian Ocean Drive is a real reverse-clock problem for Perth day-trippers who “just pop to Hangover Bay.”

No open fires in the park. Check emergency.wa.gov.au when summer smoke or total fire ban news is in the air. Dogs are not permitted in Nambung National Park.

Spring heath and wildflowers are a bonus layer on the same coastal/desert day — stay on tracks (dieback). Article: wildflower timing.

Highlights at a glance

• Hangover Bay: swim, snorkel, surf, picnic, gas BBQs, toilets [VERIFY facilities]
• Kangaroo Point: fishing, boating, picnic
• Grey: swimming and fishing south of the Pinnacles
• Dune and kwongan scenery; spring wildflowers on heath

Walks & lookouts nearby

Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Explore Parks WA / DBCA before you go.

Itineraries that use this area

Related articles

Longer notes for this precinct — then come back to the area page for logistics.

• Wildflower timing on the Turquoise Coast

  When Nambung’s heath and wattles typically bloom, why September–October is the best overall visitor window, and why you still do the Pinnacles first.

• Photographing the Pinnacles: light, crowds, don’t climb

  Practical photo notes for Nambung: early and late light, midday coach reality, and why climbing a pillar is a failed photo and a safety problem.

Map

Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

FAQ — Coastal beaches