Have you ever wanted to go camping at Yanchep National Park? Guest blogger Jane Bahrehbar shares her family’s experience and why you will love camping at Yanchep National Park.
I have come to appreciate lately, with having to fit camping trips into hubby’s 4 weeks of annual leave, that a short camping trip away more often might be better than a longer trip we wait all year for. For that purpose, Yanchep National Park, located on the coast 40 mins north of Perth City, is an ideal location for one of those 2 to 3 night camping trips.
The park has 18 camp sites, nestled within Tuart and Banksia woodlands at Henry White Oval, suitable for tents, camper trailers, caravans and vans. As it is a small camping ground, you may need to book well in advance to get the dates you want. Bookings can be made through Park Stay WA.
Facilities include showers, and flushing toilets. A luxury, considering drop loos are the norm at most other Parks & Wildlife Camping Sites. While we were there they had just started construction of a new toilet/shower block and a new camp kitchen excepted to be completed by the end of June 2018.
There are picnic tables and gas barbeques, however they are not located at each individual campsite. There is no power or treated drinking water available.
We hope to return for more camping at Yanchep National Park in the winter months when they will have camping fires in the communal fire pits. I wouldn’t recommend camping here in summer as it just would be too hot with kids.
One of the things that makes this camping spot such a delight for families, is the abundance of wildlife. A short walk from the campsite is a colony of koalas which can be observed from a 240m long boardwalk. Koalas are not native to Western Australia, so it is a big treat for both adults and kids to see them up close and learn more about them. They really do sleep a lot!
There are plenty of Western Grey kangaroos that come out on to the oval in the evening to graze. Don’t be surprised to look up and see a couple of kangaroos jumping past your tent. And there are hundreds of large and very noisy Carnaby’s black cockatoos, now a threatened species, that live in the park, as well as other wildlife to look out for.
The town of Yanchep is a short drive away and fellow campers recommended a playground near the Yanchep beachfront, they visited a few times with their 2 and 4 year old.
However, we chose to spend all of our time within the National Park, walking where we wanted to go. There are plenty of bush walks to choose from ranging from short and easy 2km track around the lake to longer 5km or more, depending on ages and ability.
We also did a guided tour of Crystal Cave, again walking distance from the campground, on one of the days. It’s a fairly easy walk in and around type of limestone cave with growing stalactites and stalagmite formations to look at. Younger children may find the dim lighting and quietness a bit frightening though. Book online or through the Visitors Centre.
Yanchep NP does get a lot of day visitors on public holidays and weekends. Thankfully the campground is away from the main day area so it doesn’t feel too crowded. And after everyone goes home, it almost feels like you have the whole place to yourself! Let’s go and look at the koalas again!
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