Dirk Hartog Island

Fishing is among the world's best at Dirk Hartog Island in the Shark Bay Marine Park. Throw in a line from the side of a boat and you could snare a pink snapper, mackerel, yellow-fin tuna or sailfish. Other amazing marine creatures are regularly spotted off the beaches of Dirk Hartog Island including pods of bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, manta rays, dugong and turtles. This remote eco tourism island is a great place for four wheel driving along pristine beaches and over massive sand dunes. The snorkelling is out of this world, while the beaches are ideal for swimming and relaxing. Dirk Hartog Island has a unique place within Australia's history, as the site of the first recorded European landing on Australian soil, in 1616 by the island's namesake Dutch captain Dirk Hartog. This landing was more than 150 years before Captain James Cook officially discovered Australia. You can visit the island on a day trip from Denham, or pitch a tent and camp overnight. The island's homestead is located with the original limestone shearer's quarters, built over a century ago. It offers catered accommodation for up to 14 people.