Peaceful Bay is a picturesque holiday destination. It is located on Bibbulmun Track map 7 - Walpole.
Peaceful Bay is a part of what was once a large coastal grazing lease, used by landowners from the Warren and Cranbrook areas as summer grazing for their cattle. In the early days of group settlement the idyllic spot was a favourite picnic destination of the settlers, who travelled by horse and cart and gathered for a day’s outing as a break from farm chores. For many years, a few fishermen’s shacks were the only signs of habitation, but in the late 1950s, 50 leasehold lots were released. These proved so popular over the years that more lots were made available, and there are now more than 250 holiday homes in the area.
In the intervening years, electricity and a bitumen road took the place of Tilley lamps and gravel. Such is the beauty of the small holiday sanctuary that a number of people have taken up permanent residence. Available blocks in the freehold area have been quickly taken up. The bay is ideal for swimming, fishing, boating and diving, and the long areas of beach are great for walkers. Wildflowers and birds are abundant in the bushwalking areas of Peaceful Bay, which is the original habitat of the red flowering gum.
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Getting there
Peaceful Bay is located 31km east of Walpole, a drive of 25 minutes along South Coast Highway and Peaceful Bay Road. It is located 41km west of Denmark, a drive of approximately 30 minutes along the South Coast Highway and Peaceful Bay Road.
There is no public transport to Peaceful Bay. Travel to Walpole by TransWA coach and Walpole Taxi can transfer you to Peaceful Bay (see Walpole section for details). The closest TransWA bus stop is Bow Bridge, situated on South Coast Highway, 9km north of Peaceful Bay, but there is no public transport available at Bow Bridge to take you to Peaceful Bay.
Accommodation & service providers
The small town of Peaceful Bay has accomodation in the form of B&B, a caravan park, 'backpackers' and chalets. The general store offers limited food supplies, camping gas refills and a dine-in or take-away meals service. Public toilets are available as well as a public telephone.
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Along the Track…
East of Peaceful Bay, the Track crosses the channel of the Irwin Inlet and meanders through the Quarram Nature Reserve to Boat Harbour, a delightful, sheltered, rocky cove. This section of the coast is as wild and rugged as any found along the Track, and offers challenging but rewarding walking. Further east, the Track crosses the Parry Inlet. Here, there is a small, low-key camping ground, popular in summer, situated at the western end of Mazzoletti Beach. The seven-kilometre walk through the soft sand of the beach can be challenging at the best of times!
Crossing Irwin Inlet
The Irwin Inlet is 7km east of Peaceful Bay. At the point where the Track crosses it, the inlet is only 150m wide and is quite sheltered. Canoes, located in sheds on either side of the channel, have been provided for walkers to make the crossing. It is your responsibility to ensure that you read and follow all instructions to facilitate a safe crossing of the inlet. The canoes are 4m long, are constructed of polyethylene and are quite light, strong and easy to handle. They have inbuilt buoyancy and a carrying capacity of 156kg, so are ideal for one adult with a backpack, or two adults without backpacks. As long as the canoes are not overloaded, and the safety instructions for their use are adhered to, they are very stable.
There are two single bladed paddles and a pair of life jackets supplied with each canoe. NEVER wear your backpack when canoeing and please use the life jackets. People walking alone who are not competent swimmers are strongly advised to ‘buddy up’ with someone who is a swimmer for the crossing.
It is very important that there are canoes remaining on BOTH SIDES of the channel AFTER you finish your crossing. If you take the last canoe in the shed to cross over, you MUST paddle back, towing at least one canoe behind you, which is to be left in the shed. All canoes are fitted with ropes to enable you to do this.
Parry Inlet and Mazzoletti Beach
Always check current beach and inlet conditions with the Walpole DEC office before attempting this section in winter or early spring. To help with walk planning also check the latest coastal weather conditions and tide times.
For many months of the year, the Parry Inlet channel is easily traversed as the channel is completely blocked by a sand bar. When this is breached, the channel has to be waded. The water is usually not more than knee deep, but will occasionally reach more than one metre in depth during peak flows and at high tides. At high tide, the depth is highly variable as wave action forces surges of seawater into the channel. Sometimes the combination of high outflow, high tide, wind and large waves can make the crossing quite hazardous. When possible, signs at either end of Mazzoletti Beach will alert walkers to the hazardous conditions. There is an alternative route marked on the Bibbulmun Track map should this occur. Conditions can change quickly, and even if signs do not indicate a hazard, walkers are still advised to examine the conditions in the channel carefully before crossing. Pick the shallowest route across and time your crossing to avoid wave surges. Make sure all your gear is waterproofed. Be sure to unfasten the waistband and sternum strap of your backpack before making the crossing.
If you have any doubts about crossing the channel safely, use one of the alternative routes that are shown in the Southern Guidebook or latest Bibbulmun Track map 7.
Mazzoletti Beach, to the east of Parry Inlet, may be closed occasionally during winter due to severe storms and beach erosion. Signs advising of the closure of the beach will be located at the Mazzoletti Beach car park on William Bay Road for northbound walkers and at the Parry Beach caretaker’s residence for walkers heading south. If the beach is closed, walkers should take the alternative route marked in green on Bibbulmun Track map 7.
Walkers are advised to contact the relevant DEC district office for information about channel conditions before you plan to make the crossing. It is recommended that you check the latest Track conditions before you walk in this area.
Suggested walks
Peaceful Bay is a popular starting point for walks west to Walpole (a three or four day walk) or east to Denmark (a three day walk). Other overnight walks include Peaceful Bay to Rame Head campsite and back (24.8km, two days, one night) or Peaceful Bay to Parry Beach one-way (36km, two days, one night).
For more information visit our day walk webpage and check out the Walpole day walk map pack, which has further suggestions.