Point Peron then and now

Point Peron, a stretch of land at the end of Cockburn Sound five kilometres west of the City of Rockingham, holds special memories for me and many other Western Australians.

Shoalwater Islands Marine Park surrounds the area which provides safe swimming beaches and boat launching facilities. The shallow coastal waters provide visibility for divers and snorkellers.

There are accessible walking trails over limestone cliffs with spectacular views the ocean dotted with small islands. The paths can be navigated with a bit of effort with a pram or wheelchair.

Several gun turrets built during World War II still exist in the cliffs. Built to protect nearby Garden Island if Western Australia were to become an enemy target, one has been restored. It also has a nearby bunker which can be explored.

People fish from the beach and kyak over the reefs. And, of course, there are always the sunsets.

Point Peron comprises a crown land reserve with lakes, walking tracks and plentiful bird-life. In recent years there have been unsuccessful attempts to reclassify the area for housing. Residents of Rockingham applauded the decision to reclassify it as the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park.

Memories of Point Peron

Memories of camping almost on the beach with my parents, sister and family friends at Point Peron as a child give me a frisson of pleasure, all these years later.

In those days, my father’s car bumped over miles of limestone roads from the turnoff on the Perth-to-Mandurah Road. We passed through the what was then the tiny coastal village of Rockingham.

We sang and played games as he drove. No one dared to ask, ‘Are we nearly there, yet?’

Our tent, made of old fashioned green canvas, had no floor and a particular smell. Some families may have used sleeping bags. Not us. Bedding placed on the wild grasses meant many prickly nights.

We camped near a tiny ‘runoff’ creek which provided hours of fun for kids. Swampy land has since been drained, and and lakes created. The little creeks no longer exist.

We carried all our necessities, including drinking water. My parents stored food in an icechest, which meant arduous trips to the village for replacement ice and fresh milk and food.

Holiday camp leases

Some sixty years ago, the government leased parcels of land for development as holiday camps. Some of these still exist and are used by organisations such as the Returned Soldiers League, WA Education Department, the Maritime Workers Union and others.

The organisations built simple holiday huts and recreational facilities.

My magic holiday at Point Peron

I’ve just come back from a magic holiday. My youngest son, Timothy, a seafarer, invited me to go with him and his fourteen-year-old son for a week to Point Peron.

We stayed in MUA hut thirty metres from a beautiful swimming beach about a hundred metres from where we camped when I was a child. The hut sleeps five, and was basic but clean and comfortable

This holiday echoed those of my childhood. After World War II, my parents spent holidays in beach cottage not far from home. In those days, people had two weeks annual leave a year and made the most of the time off.

I haven’t swum in the ocean for many years. With help from Tim, I managed to sit on the sand at the beach, wade in ankle-deep lapping waves and even to swim. So special!

Tim barbecued lots of fish which he and my grandson caught from ‘our’ beach. He cooked crayfish given to us by one of the occupants of another hut. We used the communal recreation area where we enjoyed the company of other holiday makers.

As well as walking, swimming and socialising, I managed to read Anna Funder’s Wifedom, a story about the wife of Orson Wells. And I must confess to little naps most days!

What I learned in a week at Point Peron

A steep learning curve. Things I’d forgotten.

• The importance of simple holidays. Once I knew this. I’ve spent many wonderful holidays camping at the beach or beside rivers with my children and grandchildren. Before I retired at 70 and then married for a second time, my lifestyle included regular breaks and weekends away. Sometimes with friends. Often by myself.
• I seemed to have forgotten much during years of overseas travel. Long-distance travel on planes and trains became seductive. To visit exoic places, eat strange and wonderful meals and learn about other cultures became the norm.
• Simple places, close to home, can also feel exotic, strange and beautiful. It’s about mindset. A simple beach holiday for this old woman felt amazingly refreshing.
• Meals can be both simple and wonderful. Fish, caught by people who care about each other, cooked on a shared barbecue, tastes magic. Salads made with whatever’s in the fridge work a treat.
• We can learn a lot about people we holiday with. Even when we think we know them well, holidays reveal new aspects of our families and friends.

Snow holiday

My Point Peron holiday was the second in the last six months.

In August last year, my daughter and her family included me in their snow-based vacation in Victoria. It was the first time I’d seen snow! Two very different holidays. Both memorable. Both wonderful. I am truly blessed!

I wrote about our holiday at Mt Beauty here.