The turn off to Stanage Bay is 74 km North off Rocky on the Bruce Highway. The turn off is approximately 500m on the Northern side of Kunwarara which has an old petrol station which sells anything but petrol. Kunwarara is 30km South of Malborough. At the entrance to the turn off, you are met with a sign post identifying a large number of pastoral property names and of course Stanage Bay (100km). It took me 2 hours to travel from the Northern side of Rocky to Stanage Bay. The road conditions vary along the journey and some of the tight corners come up on you fast so take your time and enjoy the scenery along the way.
The first 10 km of road is bitumen before transiting to a pretty well graded bush gravel road. The road meanders through some beautiful country side, ranging from low lying swamp land to small sections of natural forest. The road is interrupted continually by the use of grates which hold the large quantities of stock in their huge yards. The road is cuts through a large number of creek crossings which are lined with single lane cement base.
Along the way you travel up into stock yards of the resident cattle stations, which can feel an bit confusing. There are no gates along the road to open or close. The road sits on the Northern boundary of Shaolwater Bay military area and you can virtually knock on the back door of Williamson Airfield for those lucky or unlucky enough to spend time in the “Bay”. The road in places can be affected by flood water and the cattle grids can be a bit brutal on the suspension with some large pot holes positioned in the narrow entry and exit paths through them.
After about 1 and half hours you arrive at the small hamlet of Stanage Bay. There is a odd Toorak shack in amongst the practical fishing community houses. The town has a general store with a fuel outlet and a boat/fishing equipment shop. Along the foreshore are a memorial garden and a free camping area. There are few amenities but there is a practical and clean piece of soil to put up a tent or caravan on overlooking the ocean. There are a number of houses you can stay in if camping is not your thing.
The concrete base boat ramp is a well maintained, topped off with a Volunteer Marine Radio shed. The parking area is basic but nice and open. The ramp faces the North East and would be difficult to accommodate boat launching with strong winds from this direction.
The area is a fisherman’s paradise. It’s got the same feel about it as Dundee and the Peron’s. There is a large array of islands out the front of Stanage Bay with Marble Island approximately 15 km from the boat ramp. Down south of the town is the northern edge of the military exercise area, again speckled with a large quantity of islands; the Cannibal Group. The area also has the ability to turn on Barramundi and Mud Crabs of considerable size looking at the pictures on the fishing shop wall. The area though appears to produce reef fish such as Coral Trout, Red Emperor and Nanagai to name a few.
If mum and the kids want a break from it all and dad is out fishing, the road in and out of Rocky is easily managed. If the other half picks the tide right they could drop you of the trailer in the morning and be back to pick you up in the afternoon.
Unfortunately I didn’t have my boat with me on this trip, but next time it will be.
