Cheynes Beach Caravan Park: caravan and camping east of Albany WA
We are a beachfront caravan park near Albany WA, at 12 Bald Island Road, Cheynes. The park is 68 kilometres east of Albany and 20 kilometres off the South Coast Highway, sitting between Waychinicup National Park and the Arpenteur Nature Reserve. Reception is on (08) 9846 1247.
Sixty-eight kilometres east of Albany, on an undeveloped stretch of coast
The turn-off takes you off the highway and into country that has not been built on. Waychinicup National Park is on our doorstep and the Arpenteur Nature Reserve runs alongside us, so granite boulders and coastal bush come down to the water. Rare plants grow here, among them the Albany Pitcher Plant and the Granite Spider Orchid, and there are marsupials and Western Australian endemic birds in the scrub around the park.
Getting here takes about 45 minutes from Albany, about the same from the Porongurups, and around 75 minutes from the Stirling Ranges. From Albany the run is out along Chester Pass Road to Bakers Junction, then the South Coast Highway through Manypeaks, and the turn-off from there. If you navigate by coordinates, we are at South 34 52.48, East 118 24.23.
The park has been in the same family for a long time. Joanne’s family bought it in 1986. Joanne and Allan Marsh took over running it in 2009, bought the property in 2014, and have been upgrading it since.
Sites, cabins and chalets
We have 71 caravan sites with concrete slabs or shade cloth, 51 powered sites for tents and camper trailers, 8 unpowered camping sites and 5 group areas. The sites are large, shady and grassy with some privacy between them, and many of them have a view of the ocean. Generators are not permitted on the unpowered sites.
Our accommodation
- Two-bedroom chalets: sleep up to six, with a queen bed in a separate bedroom and two double bunks (four singles) in a room of their own. Shower room, stove, full fridge, microwave, TV, kitchen items and a veranda with outdoor furniture. All linen provided.
- Ensuite park cabins: sleep up to six, with a queen bed in a separate bedroom and two double bunks in the main living area, plus a shower and toilet. Stove, fridge, microwave, TV, kitchen items and a veranda. All linen provided.
- Standard park cabins: sleep up to four, with a double bed and one bunk. TV, stove, full fridge, kitchen items and a veranda. Guests use the main amenities block and bring their own linen, towels, pillows and blankets.
- Powered caravan and camping sites: large, shady, grassy sites with concrete slabs or shade cloth.
- Unpowered camping sites: eight of them, and no generators on these.
Whales in winter, salmon in autumn
Humpback, southern right and even blue whales come into the bay, and dolphins turn up regularly to surf the waves. Autumn brings the salmon. In spring the wildflowers are out and the birdwatching is at its best: this is one of the places to look for the Big 3 Skulkers, the noisy scrub-bird, the western bristlebird and the western whipbird, all within a short walk. Western grey kangaroos, pygmy possums and bandicoots live around the park as well.
People fish here from a boat, off the rocks and off the beach, for salmon, herring, King George whiting, tuna and flathead. Others come to swim, snorkel, dive, surf, kite surf, sailboard, paddleboard, kayak, sandboard, rock climb, bushwalk, go four-wheel driving, or simply walk into Waychinicup National Park.
Our takeaway: fish and chips without leaving the park
We run our own takeaway here, and what it does best is fish and chips and burgers. Orders go through on 0447 753 655. It opens every day from 8.30am to 2.30pm, and again on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5.00pm to 7.00pm. Last orders are fifteen minutes before closing. Holiday and long weekend hours are different and are posted separately, so it is worth checking before you plan an evening around it.
What happens here through the year
Santa calls in on Christmas Day with bags of lollies, and the Easter Bunny hands out eggs at Easter, alongside an Easter raffle that raises money for a local school. There are colouring competitions for the children at Christmas, at Easter and around Anzac Day, with prizes for the winners.
Several times a year we hold beer and wine tastings at the front of reception with local producers, among them Wilson’s Brewery, Castle Rock Estate, Gilberts Wines, Ironwood Estate Wines and Parish Lane Wines. We have hosted the Scripture Union Family Festival for more than ten years now, held over a week at the start of each January, with a family cricket challenge, a movie night and a quiz night. And a small Anzac Day service is held at the front of the park each year, which any guest or local is welcome to come to. We also do catering for small events, with discounts for groups.
Booking, meals and getting in touch
Tariffs and online booking are on our website, along with a park map you can download, our events page and our takeaway menu. To talk to reception, call (08) 9846 1247 or (08) 9846 1311, or email [email protected].