North of Orchid Beach

About 3km north of the northern down ramp if you drive slowly you will find a walking track opening to a dune (only just visible from the beach). This is an easy dune walk and has great views back to Waddy Point.

Ocean Lake

About 1-2 km north of dunes mentioned above you will find a sign posted driving track to Ocean Lake. This is best visited in the afternoon in a SE wind. There is a short 15 min walking track and a lookout. The water here is stained with tea tree but safe and invigorating to swim in.

Orange Creek

About 2K north of Ocean Lake. It doesn’t look much but once you stop and absorb the surroundings it’s a lovely quiet place to get off the “hiway” and relax on the grassy areas around the lagoon.

Ngkala Rocks

North from Orange Creek about 5km takes you to Ngkala Rocks. The track behind the rocks is the only way north and has a well earned reputation of being tricky to negotiate. Take great care as this track can get very soft if weather has been dry. It is advisable to wait and watch others before taking it on. The track is less than 1km long. Make sure your tyre pressure is low, keep the revs up high, and do not stop until you get through to the beach. Once through Ngala it is usually an easy drive all the way to Sandy Cape.

Sandy Cape

This is an unforgettable trip and well worth the effort getting through the Ngala Rocks track. From Orchid to the Cape takes about 40 mins. For a safe return trip, plan on getting back to Ngala at least within 2 or 3 hrs of low tide. Note beach conditions change dramatically from week to week and some spots north of Ngala may not be passable close to high tide.

Ngulumubura Blow

About 3 km past Ngala Rocks if you drive slowly and look carefully you will find a valley with glimpses of distinctly red sand. This is where you access Ngulumubura Blow. It is best to walk in from the beach. The size of this sand blow is deceiving and it takes about an hour to walk up to the top. It is an eerie and powerful place with petrified forests and dramatic sand formations.

Towards the Cape

It is worth stopping around 5 km south of the cape and walking over the frontal dune into the sheltered and often lunar like landscape. After rain there can be beautiful small shallow lakes. You may be the first white person ever to set foot here.

Sandy Cape….when you get there

Walking up the first steep dune you see is an effort but the view is amazing.
Before reaching the lighthouse there are other dunes worth exploring that stretch for several kilometres to the south. The walk to the light house is quite steep in places and it is best to wear shoes. The lighthouse is now unattended but there is information displayed here about its history. Up and down takes about 1.5 hrs.

At the beginning of the light house track there is another track heading west that takes you too some World War 2 bunkers and the graves of the first family living at the light house. Interesting…but not particularly exciting.