St Albans Bay is a curving 5 km wide, 1.5 km deep north- to northwest-facing sandy bay that links the East and West Sandy points. The bay beach (T 1223) commences at the end of the West Sandy Point rock flats and initially trends southeast, then east and finally northeast for 6.2 km terminating at the beginning of the rocks of East Sandy Point. In lee of West Sandy Point the beach is sheltered, receives low waves and is narrow and reflective. As its trends to the east it becomes increasingly exposed to the dominant westerly wind waves, which average 1-1.5 m towards East Sandy Point. The beach transforms to a low tide terrace in the south, which widens to the east and becomes cut by several low tide rips along the eastern 2-3 km of beach, with a permanent rip against the eastern rocks. A range of dune systems backs the beach. In the west the dunes from the western side of West Sandy Point reach the shores of the bay. They are now well vegetated and stable. Along the centre is a narrow foredune system, cut by a small creek that drains the backing Jerusalem Plains. The foredune increases in width and height to the east and as soon as the beach curves to the northeast facing the dune into the westerly winds it transforms to a series of longwalled parabolic dunes (Fig. 4.276) that extend up to 3 km east right across the base of East Sandy Point to reach the rocky eastern shore (beach T 1225). These dunes reach 30 m in height and are moderately active, though they are also being actively stabilised with dune planting. read more

Beach Length: 6.2km