Denham Western Australia
Gorgeous and relaxing, with beautiful beaches and clear blue waters, Denham is a great gateway for the surrounding tourist areas.
At a Glance
Denham is part of Shark Bay, one of the most important tourist and historic site in Western Australia, being the site of the first landing by Europeans on the Western Australia mainland. The town started out as a romantic pearl fishing town then slowly evolved into a major tourist area it is today.
Denham is truly a beautiful place to behold, where magnificent photographs can be taken. The area was known to house 10% of the world’s dugong population, with many other interesting animals roaming freely. Here is where you can see groups of emus strolling around casually. Being on the Coral Coast, the coasts around Denham are pristine, with white smooth beach pitted against the deep blue ocean stretching to the horizon.
Where is Denham?
Denham is 837 kilometres northwest of Perth.
Denham is part of the Shark Bay World Heritage area and lies on the western side of the Peron Peninsula. One of the best ways to get to Denham is to hire a car from Perth Airport.
Things to see in Denham
Monkey Mia
Just a short 30 minutes drive from Denham lies Monkey Mia, best known for the bottlenose dolphins that come ashore regularly to interact with humans. A possible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents for you to get close to the dolphins and feed them from your hand.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Hamelin Pool
While they may look like ordinary rocks to you, stromatolites are considered ‘living fossils’, they are in fact microbial reefs formed by cyanobacteria. The Hamelin Pool is one of the few home to these important world heritage worthy stromatolites, each telling a story about the evolution of planet Earth.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Shell Beach
Most beaches in the world are full of sand, but this interesting beach in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area is full with millions and millions shells! These shells come from the abundance of cockle in Shark Bay, making this beach unique and rare. In the past, these shells were quarried and cut into blocks to construct a number of cool buildings in Denham. The water around the beach is known to be more salty than usual, so you may be able to float on the water just like you could at the Dead Sea.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
Eagle Bluff
Eagle Bluff is a high cliff overlooking the ocean and the surrounding area just over 15 minutes away from Denham. A boardwalk is installed along the coast for visitors to admire the amazing view while taking a leisurely walk. If you are lucky, you may even spot some dugongs coming up to the shore to feed during the summers. The best time to visit is during sunset, as you will be able to enjoy the sunset from an amazing vantage point.
Image © Tourism Western Australia
What's the weather like?
Both being on the Peron Peninsula, Denham and Monkey Mia experiences fairly similar climate. The climate of Denham is classified as a ‘semi-arid’ climate where it is warm and dry in summer, with more rainfall during the winter The area is also prone to infrequent thunderstorms and influences from cyclones. In Summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 31°C with an average minimum temperature of 23°C. In Winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 22°C with an average minimum temperature of 5°C.
Get to know Denham' history
Denham was among first place on the Western Australian mainland to be discovered when Dirk Hartog made a landfall nearby on an island that is now called Dirk Hartog Island. Despite its early discovery, the area was not settled by Europeans until the 1850s.
The eventual settlement was prompted by the discovery of an abundance of pearl-shell oysters. Denham in its old pearling days was named “Freshwater Camp”, but it was later renamed after the Royal Navy Captain Henry Mangles Denham. Today, Denham serves as the administrative town for the Shire of Shark Bay and as the gateway for visitors that have come to see the popular Monkey Mia dolphins.
Looking for visitor and tourist information, maps and brochures, booking assistance and local expert tips in Denham? Check out the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery & Visitor Centre!