Exploring Point Peron on Foot

As I walk along the beach at Mangles Bay I take in the beauty of the area and enjoy the lack of people. Even though it is such a great walking area there are very few people around. In the distance I can see a man walking his German Shepherd. A dog off a leash? Suddenly a vivid flashback hits me ... last time I was here ... at this location ... I was ... unmercifully attacked by a rabid Silky Terrier ... my new shoes raped by the nipping of a little mongrel. Luckily for me, the German Shepherd couldn't give two hoots about me. As I crawl out of the foetal position I find myself in I continue my walk along Mangle Bay towards Point Peron.

Unlike previous walks along Mangles Bay the tide is low. Can I make it all the way to Point Peron without walking along the road? Unfortunately, no. I did get further along the beach this time (got past the Cruising Yacht Club), but when I hit the Mangles Bay Fishing Club the water was right up against the retaining wall of the clubhouse. Oh well, through the Fishing Clubs carpark to the road it is. Doesn't matter anyway, as the Garden Island Causeway Bridge makes it impossible to walk all the way along the beach to Point Peron. The Garden Island Causeway Bridge is the link between the mainland and the Naval Base stationed on Garden Island, and therefore not accessible to the public. I am a bit apprehensive about getting too close or taking pictures at the entrance to the naval base. The military might think I'm a terrorist and I could soon find myself the victim of waterboarding in a secret torture chamber on Garden Island.

After a short walk along Point Peron Road and the carpark next to the Rockingham Naval Club I find myself at the beach again, this time on the western side of the Garden Island Causeway Bridge. I feel a little bit safer taking pictures of a military base from here.

It is a beautiful beach walk between the Garden Island Causeway Bridge and Point Peron. The area is a good place to watch dolphins feeding in the waters of Cockburn Sound and often you see the sightseeing boats full of tourists out this way. Unfortunately I didn't spot any dolphins today, but the views more than make up for it.

As I mentioned previously, on another walk along the north coast of Point Peron I was attacked by a Silky Terrier. This time I was attacked by a German Shepherd (not the one previously at Mangles Bay), a much larger dog with much larger teeth. As I walked peacefully along the shores I approached the dog in question and the owner walking in the opposite direction. At first the dog did not seem interested in me at all, but just as we passed and exchanged pleasantries the dog lunged at me and then had a snap at my hand, luckily missing. My response was "F**cking hell!" The dog owner's response was ... nothing ... absolutely nothing. Not even a sorry. What the hell is wrong with some dog owners? There really should be an intelligence test before you can purchase a dog. I really should have said something but I just kept on walking.

Soon I was at Point Peron. Lucky, because I was still pissed off about that dog. But now everything is good as it is time to explore. I didn't have a planned route around Point Peron so I just walked around randomly. Here are some of the best natural scenes.

Point Peron isn't just about exploring rocky outcrops and natural beauty, it is also home to a WWII battery which is a lot of fun to explore.

Once I have finished exploring the old man-made features of Point Peron it's onto a more recent addition to the area. The Cantilevered Lookout.

It might be hard to see, but in the picture above there are four people (two heterosexual couples) on the Cantilevered Lookout. They are what we Australians term as Bogans, basically lowlifes. Bogans are common around Rockingham. The two Bogan guys are the sort that think they are tough so wear singlets to show off their guns (i.e. not literal guns but their muscular arms). They are big and tough, no doubt, but they are not what I would regard as fit or athletic. I like to refer to the style as buff-fat, muscular but still overweight. Well ... let's just say the two buff-fat Bogan males did not like me walking on the path towards the Cantilevered Lookout. As we approached each other from opposite directions their buff-fat gait would not allow two people to pass easily on the path. Even though I said excuse me I was forced off the path and received a "F**k off c*nt" from one of the specimens. That's real Rockingham class right there.

With that unpleasantness behind me I enjoyed the views from the Cantilevered Lookout in solitude.

From the Cantilevered Lookout I head home via the western beach between Point Peron and Shoalwater. Absolutely glorious along here today and with minimal seaweed (I have been this way before when there were massive piles of stinking seaweed).

Apart from a dog trying to bite my hand and an unpleasant encounter with a troop of Bogans todays walk was brilliant. If you are ever in the Rockingham area please visit Point Peron. If you don't believe me, here is an example of the beauty I enjoyed at the end of my walk (before heading back to the Shoalwater shops).