Port Augusta
Iron Knob
Kimba
Wudinna
Minnipa
Poochera
Wirrulla
Streaky Bay
Smoky Bay
Ceduna
Denial Bay
Penong
Cactus Beach
Nundroo
Yalata
Head of Bight
Nullarbor
Border Village
Eucla
Mundrabilla
Madura
Cocklebiddy
Caiguna
Eyre
Bird Observatory
Balladonia
Norseman
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General
Information:
Denial Bay is
a small community of people some 12 kilometres by sealed road North
West of Ceduna. The Denial Bay area's first major permanent
settlement was created by William McKenzie in 1889. During the
settlement's early years a ship's landing was built to on load and
offload farming produce and the necessities for the early pioneer's
daily lives.
This was later known as Mac's landing. Ingeniously, the transport
and loading of wheat and farm produce was achieved by means of
driving wagons out onto the beach at low tide and manhandling the
farm goods onto the ship's landing - essentially a platform
surrounded by the sea at high tide.
At high tide ships obligingly moored next to the landing and the
farm produce was then loaded onto sailing ships for export to
Adelaide. The reverse procedure applied to offloading the
necessities for the daily lives of the first European settlers to
the area. Unlike in the early years Denial Bay is now a minor
settlement and has been overtaken by Ceduna as the major settlement
for the far west of South Australia. During the last 10 years Oyster
Farming has proven to be a growth industry for the town and perhaps
again we will see the resurgence of a positively thriving Denial
Bay. Denial Bay's waters and the whole of the Far West Coast of
South Australia offer unrivalled pristine clean waters for Oyster
Farming, and no doubt this will assure the future of the Oyster
farming industry.
Oyster
Barge at Clearwater Oyster Farm
Facilities Available:
Being a small settlement Denial Bay has few facilities and services
available to the traveller. The town does however possess a small
General Store that sells petrol. A public pay phone is also
available. For a full range of shopping and business services,
Ceduna is the nearest major town, a mere 12 kilometres away by
sealed road.
Things To Do:
Denial Bay is an excellent site in which to search for the renowned
Blue Swimmer Crab - its Latin name being Portunus Pelagicus. The
Blue Swimmer Crab is found from the Southern Coasts of Western
Australia around to the Central Coast of New South Wales. Its
abundance around Ceduna and Denial Bay however is legendary with
some Japanese tourists and travellers from the Eastern States
frequently spending time in the area doing what is locally known as
"Crabbing". The delicious Blue Swimmer Crab can be caught
from the Denial Bay Jetty using a specially designed Crab Net
available from most fishing and tackle suppliers in Ceduna. The
essential method is to buy a crab net and attach several metres of 4
or 5 millimetre nylon line. Place some meat or fish in the net and
secure it by tying it to the net. Cast the Net into the water and
just wait for your dinner to arrive! Hmmm! Delicious!. It is
recommended you press the hyperlink to Ceduna's well known chef,
known by the name DJ, to discover a good quick recipe for the local
Blue Swimmer crab.
Whilst in Denial Bay it is recommended travellers sample freshly
harvested locally grown Pacific Oysters. The Oysters can be
purchased from local growers in the township of Denial Bay - just
follow the signs indicating which growers have fresh Oysters
available. Perhaps you could even ask local growers if tours of the
Oyster Nursery Beds are available.
Of historical significance is the remnants of McKenzie's Landing
which can be seen 50 metres from the shore of Denial Bay, and if you
look carefully, you may also see the wheel ruts that have been worn
into the limestone by the Bullock Drays being driven out to the
original ship's landing.
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