Shoalwater Point is a major landmark on the western gulf shore, as the trend of the coast swings toward the southwest, resulting in the gulf doubling in width from 45 km at the point, to 100 km south of Port Franklin. The wider gulf and more exposed shoreline results in higher wind waves and consequently higher energy gulf beaches, particularly south of the port. The first 20 km of coast between Shoalwater Point and Victoria Point, the northern entrance to the port, is protected by wide sand flats, backed by generally higher beach-foredune ridges which have prograded the shoreline usually a few hundred meters. A mixture of longitudinal dunes and intervening swales, occupied by samphire flats backs the ridges. Away from the shore the dunes and swales have been cleared for grazing and crops. Access to this section of coast is via the Shoalwater Point road, and the Lucky Bay road, with a number of 4WD tracks also reaching the shore, particularly in the Shoalwater Point region. The only development along this coast is the large shack settlement at Lucky Bay. Shoalwater Point beach (614) begins at the end of a 4 km long spit that runs north of the point. It continues on for 16.5 km down around the point and then for another 13 km to the east until it is cut by a small tidal creek, that drains a 500 m long lagoon. The beach is crenulate alongshore, fronted by sand flats up to 2 km wide, and backed by the beach-foredune ridges and swales (Fig. 4.111), then the farmland. read more

Beach Length: 16.5km