Meelup Beach, WA: Stand-up paddle-boarding in Dunsborough

Meelup Beach Hire offers stand-up paddle-boarding in Dunsborough, Western Australia, either as SUP hire or a paddle-boarding lesson. It’s also possible to hire kayaks and do Geographe Bay kayak tours from Meelup Beach.

Meelup Beach is one of the best beaches in Western Australia. It’s found between Dunsborough and Eagle Bay on Cape Naturaliste in south-west WA. This ideal swimming beach at the western end of Geographe Bay, accessible via the Meelup Beach Drive through the Meelup Regional Park.

Meelup Beach on Geographe Bay near Dunsborough — Meelup Beach near Dunsborough in Western Australia is the perfect place to take a stand-up paddle-boarding lesson on Geographe Bay. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

Unlike the beaches further south in the Margaret River region, Meelup Beach isn’t a surf destination. Quite the opposite – people drive up to Cape Naturaliste to Meelup Beach or Eagle Bay to enjoy the calm, protected waters of Geographe Bay.

Meelup Beach facilities

Meelup Beach in Dunsborough, therefore, is pretty family-friendly. There are grassy areas for picnics, public barbecues and changing rooms with toilets and showers. The sand is white, the water is clear and snorkelling is very much encouraged.

But there is another way to explore Geographe Bay from this Western Australian beach. Meelup Beach Hire rents out stand-up paddle-boards and kayaks. The double kayaks cost $30 an hour, and the stand-up paddle-boards cost $25 an hour.

Stand-up paddle-boarding in Dunsborough

If you’ve no prior experience with either, then Meelup Beach Hire offers a helping hand. If you want to try stand-up paddle-boarding in Dunsborough, Meelup Beach Hire runs SUP lessons for from $50 per person. These Dunsborough stand-up paddle-boarding lessons last around an hour and 15 minutes.

If kayaking is more your thing, Meelup Beach Hire runs two hour, $65 kayaking tours around the Meelup Regional Park. These take in even-more secluded beaches, coastal scenery and rocky outcrops. Come in October or November and you’ve got a good chance of seeing dolphins or migrating humpback whales.

Should you really want to focus on the whales, however, Geographe Bay whale-watching cruises run from Dunsborough between September and early December. Other things to do nearby include wine-tasting at the Wise Winery in Eagle Bay and staying at the Pullman Bunker Bay Resort.

Other Margaret River region beaches include Boranup Beach, Eagle Bay, Hamelin Bay, Injidup Beach, Prevelly Beach and Smiths Beach. For more Western Australian beaches, visit the Australian Beach Guide.