The first beach in Discovery Bay runs for 29 km from Cape Bridgewater, where it faces west, up to Nobles Rocks, by which time it is facing south-west. The entire length is backed by massive coastal dune systems up to 4 km wide and 60 m high. There are only four access points to the beach. The first is at the very eastern end in Descartes Bay, called Tarragal, where the road from Cape Bridgewater leads to a grassy car park on 50 m high slopes. A walking track leads down the slopes and over the foredune to the beach, where it is known as Blacks Beach. The second is a 2 km long walking track from Swan Lake. The third is a 500 m long track from the camping area at Lake Monibeong, in lee of Cape Montesquieu. The fourth provides vehicle access to a car park located behind the foredune about 500 m east of Nobles Rocks. The beach is low and flat, with the southern Descartes Bay end having a green tinge from the mineral olivine, that is washed out of the basalt of Cape Bridgewater. It is fronted by a 400 m wide surf zone which, during high swell, has three bars working. The inner bar is usually attached to the beach with massive rips cutting it every 500 m. The second bar has more widely spaced rips, while the outer bar only breaks when the swell exceeds 2 m. read more

Beach Length: 0.029km