William Bay

William Bay National Park is a 1,734-hectare protected area on the south coast of Western Australia near Denmark, protecting spectacular coastal scenery including the famous Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks — pink granite boulders forming a sheltered beach pool. The park protects karri-tingle forest, coastal heath, and dramatic granite coastal formations. William Bay is one of the most beautiful sections of the south coast and one of WA's most photographed landscapes. It is managed by DBCA.

The park supports coastal and forest fauna. The critically endangered western ringtail possum uses peppermint and marri woodland near the coast. Carnaby's black-cockatoos and forest red-tailed black-cockatoos are resident. The ocean waters support Australian sea lions hauling out on rocky headlands. Osprey nest in tall trees with ocean views. The coastal heath supports honey possums, quendas, and diverse reptiles. Migratory humpback whales pass the coast from June–November.

The park contains a dramatic transition from tall karri-tingle forest inland to coastal heath on granitic headlands. Peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) woodland is characteristic of the exposed coastal margin. The coastal heath is diverse kwongan with Banksia, Hakea, and Calytrix species. The red tingle (E. jacksonii) and yellow tingle (E. guilfoylei) — restricted to the south coast — are present in the park. Spring wildflowers are outstanding.

William Bay's dramatic coastal scenery is sculpted in Archaean granite — part of the Albany-Fraser Orogen approximately 1.2 billion years old. The characteristic pink and grey granite boulders (monzogranite) at Elephant Rocks have been shaped by wave action, chemical weathering, and exfoliation into rounded domes and isolated stacks. Greens Pool occupies a sheltered embayment between granite headlands. Coastal calcarenite dunes overlie granite in some areas.

Cool temperate Mediterranean climate with high rainfall (800–1,000 mm). The south coast receives powerful Southern Ocean swells. Winters are cool and stormy; summers mild with occasional hot days. Spring is the wildflower season. Water temperatures are cool (12–18°C) year-round.

William Bay lies within Minang Noongar country. Minang people used the south coast for marine and forest resource gathering. Denmark was established as a timber-milling and agricultural settlement in the early twentieth century.

William Bay National Park was proclaimed to protect the outstanding coastal scenery of the Denmark coast, particularly the iconic Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks formations. The park receives high visitation as part of the Great Southern tourism circuit.

Greens Pool — a sheltered granite boulder pool with crystal clear water for swimming and snorkelling, one of WA's most beautiful beaches. Elephant Rocks — distinctive pink granite boulders to explore and photograph. Madfish Bay walk. Bushwalking through karri-tingle forest. Spring wildflower observation. Whale watching from coastal headlands.

Located 16 km west of Denmark via Lights Beach Road. Car parks at Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks. Toilets. Free entry. Denmark provides accommodation, cafes, and services.

High visitor numbers at Greens Pool require active management of erosion from foot traffic around the granite boulders. Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback threatens the coastal heath. Western ringtail possum fox control programs are ongoing. Invasive weeds including arum lily and cape tulip are controlled. The tingle trees in the park require protection of old-growth hollow-bearing trees.