Beach WA 564 is one of the more exposed, higher energy and longer beaches on the South Coast. It commences at West Cliff Point where it is afforded slight protection by rock reefs extending up to 500 m offshore. However, for most of its 16 km it is fully exposed to waves averaging over 2 m, which break across a 500 wide double bar surf zone. The inner bar is usually attached to the shore and cut by strong beach rips every 500 m, while the outer bar has more widely spaced rips. In addition there is a permanent rip against West Cliff Point and a rock outcrop located midway along the beach. Between this rock outcrop and the western end of the beach wave height decreases slightly as the offshore shoals, however rips continue to the river mouth. The beach terminates at the narrow, occasionally blocked mouth of the Gardner River (Fig. 4.119). It is backed by generally well vegetated longwalled parabolic dunes extending up to 7 km to the northeast, then an irregular swamp that drains via Chesapeake Brook and the Shannon River in the east to Broke Inlet, and into Lake Maringup in the west. Four wheel drive tracks reach the beach in a number of locations, including at West Cliff Point. read more

Beach Length: 16km