40 Mile Beach

just above the boat ramp

40 Mile Beach (Gnoorea Point) is a popular camping and fishing spot 64km south of Karratha. It’s a 13km gravel road to the camping area and then you have a choice if individual camps along a 3km beach front or you can camp in the large open area (along with lots of other folk) near the boat ramp.

sunset drinks at club 40 mile

Talking to the locals apparently the campground used to be extremely popular with regulars (even from the east coast) coming for months on end during the cooler months. Recently the max stay was reduced to 28 days and the fees increased to $15/night (that’s progress for you) – so a lot of the regulars stopped coming.

I fished off the beach one high tide flicking out a chrome slice and hooked at least a dozen long toms (all pulled out) and one small trevally. The locals out in boats had been catching some good reef fish.

in the queue - filing up at the gas plant 

A tip for fellow travelers – at the junction of the main North West highway and 40 Mile Beach Road there is Devils Creek LNG Refinery which provides free (gold coin donation for RFDS) R/O water for travelers – everyone at 40 Mile fills up there when required and we topped up all our van tanks on the way out.

We weren’t all that impressed by 40 Mile Beach Camp area – nice spot but a little overpriced at $15/night for a short drop toilet, bins and dump point and open camping - but it was clear the regulars loved the place.