|
In the 1860s there area around the inlet was used by the Dempster family but they relinquished the lease for one further east.
In 1873 the lease was taken up by the Moir family,
Stokes inlet was sold to the White family in 1951 and then the lease was then in 1970, the lease was surrendered to the state
government with the understanding that it would become a National Park. This occurred in 1974.
This national park is located 81 kilometres west of Esperance on Stokes Inlet Road. The park boundary is 4Km off the main
highway and the campsite is 3km further on. This makes it the closest campsite to the highway.
The road in is unsealed but usually in fairly good condition.
Park entry fees as well as nightly camping fees apply. This is a national park so pets are not allowed here. Campsites
cannot currently be booked and are on a first come first served basis.
The campsite has been re-named Benwenerup in what seems to be a national move to re-name places with Aboriginal names.
The campsite area has been redeveloped and now has 14 sites with site sizes to suit any type of vehicle. Campsites are
all secluded but there is little shade.
Some sites are now classified as group sites but if things are no busy than they can also be used for bigger rigs that
need more room.
Campfires are not permitted at this site at any time.
It is a nice location near the inlet. There are two camp kitchens and two toilet blocks. Boats can be launched at the
campsite or from the day use area about 1.5km south of the campsite.
The total park area is 10,667 Ha.
The Young and the Lort Rivers flow into the upper end of the estuary which in turn empties out into Dunster Castle Bay.
Most of the time a sand bar blocks the flow of water into the sea and it is only breached during times of very high rainfall in the area. The estuary is the largest of its kind in the area and is the only one with reasonably deep water, up to 10 metres. Care should be taken when boating as water levels can vary and there are hidden underwater obstacles in some places.
When the bar on the estuary mouth is breached by sea water it allows the entry of various species of marine fish but as
the estuary becomes too saline during times of low rainfall most of the fish that enter die off. The one exception to
this is the black bream which has successfully colonised the estuary waters.
Mullett are common in the estuary but can only usually be caught in nets.
Australian shelduck, grey teal, little black cormorants, black swans, chestnut teal, sandpiper, red-capped plover,
Australasian grebes, Australian pelicans, little pied cormorants, white-faced herons, great egrets and pied
oystercatchers are among the 29 species of birds known to live around or to visit the estuary.
Stokes Inlet and the Lort River were named after John Lort Stokes by John Roe in 1848.
There is a 4 kilometre heritage walk trail from the campsite to the day use area. This is regarded as an easy trail but keep in mind that steps may be slippery in wet weather and watch out for snakes in the warmer months.
There are two lookouts and there is signage along the trail. Look out for large zamia palms on the flat section of the trail.
The trail crosses the access road and comes round behind the day use area.
NPW Website for more information
Best time to visit:
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
|
