Parryville: Coast, Trails and Historic Traces

The coast near Parryville offers various ways to enjoy a stay by the sea. Parry Beach Reserve provides public access to the Southern Ocean, beaches and Parry Inlet. The reserve can be reached via Parry Road in the locality of Parryville. Access arrangements and conditions may change; check them before your visit. This lets you plan your days around your interests in beaches, walking trails or water activities.

Coastal scenery and wildlife

Wildlife is also part of the reserve’s character: well-known species include the Baudin’s black cockatoo, Carnaby’s black cockatoo, quokka and Australian sea lion. These names bring a different focus from beaches and water sports, giving nature-minded travellers a specific subject to explore during their time at Parry Beach.

Camping close to nature and trails

Parry Beach Campground offers camping close to nature. Facilities include toilets, showers, some of which are solar heated, a barbecue, a beach boat ramp and an accessible toilet. Operations and facilities may change, so check the latest information before travelling. This allows you to include the campground in your accommodation plans based on the type of camping and the listed facilities.

The Shire background report from 2022 describes walking and hiking trails between the campground, beach trails, the inlet, William Bay and the Bibbulmun Track. Point Hillier Cairn is 1.2 km from Parry Beach and is located along a walking trail. Trail conditions may change; checking the latest information on the trails can help with planning. The trail connections and the distance to the cairn provide different points of reference: one for routes around the area, the other for a specific historic site.

Fishing and water sports

The Shire background report from 2022 says recreational fishing from boats and shore is possible year-round. Conditions and regulations may change. The same report describes surfing near the mouth of the inlet, at William Bay Beach and around the southern reef areas as a very popular recreational activity; surf conditions vary. According to the report, canoeing and kayaking take place in Parry Inlet and the Southern Ocean at Parry Beach; in 2022, this activity was described as increasingly popular with visitors.

Snorkelling and diving also vary depending on the area described: the report mentions shallow reef areas for snorkelling and deeper water for diving. This offers a specific point of reference when deciding between the two water activities. Fishing, in turn, is the activity for which the report explicitly notes a year-round opportunity from boats and shore.

Driving and historic traces

For recreational four-wheel-drive trips, the report describes the usual routes as running along the beach. They go from Parry Beach to Parry Inlet and William Bay Beach when the inlet bar is closed. Check whether this condition is met before setting out. The 2022 report also mentioned occasional hang gliding in a rehabilitated former limestone quarry southwest of Parry Beach Reserve; access was via the reserve’s road network.

Point Hillier Cairn has scientific and historic significance. A wooden boathouse and two other huts remain as built remnants of the original settlement at Parry’s Beach. The original settlement was dismantled sometime in the last decade of the 20th century. Together, the cairn and the surviving remains represent different historic points of reference in Parryville and at Parry Beach.

Discover more destinations: Woodbridge, Frankland River, Wickepin, Port Denison, Harvey, Karratha, Meadow Springs, Perth

For the broader travel overview: Western Australia.