Western Australia > Albany and South Coast
Parry Beach - Point Hillier
| Type | Coastal Ridge/Cliff |
| Conditions | SE - ENE |
| Height | 0 - 50m |
| Rating | PG2 / HG Supervised |
From Denmark take the South Coast Highway towards Walpole. Turn left at the well signposted to turnoff to Parry Beach, just before you reach the coast there is a turn off to the left to Parry Beach and the camping area, the road also carries on straight ahead but turns to dirt. Take the dirt road straight ahead, which leads to the flying site, which is Point Hillier. This will take you down to the beach at the foot of the hill. The last section of the track can be rough but passable by an AWD/4WD vehicle. 2WD vehicles not recommended. Parking is limited to about 4 vehicles, allowing for space to turn around. If possible, park near Parry Beach and carpool the short distance in to leave room for the general public. Good camping facilities including toilets and showers are available at Parry Beach proper, fees apply.
000 Emergency Markers (?)
- DE639: Beach Launch and Landing
Landowners
Shire of Denmark
Contact/Responsible
Albany Hang Gliding ClubSee also
Description
An impressive big coastal site west of Denmark, great if the wind is just north of east.
Takeoff
In strong winds walk down the beach and bottom launch. In lighter winds it is necessary to launch from higher up. A gravel track with a locked gate leads from near the car park towards an old quarry and a bench lookout about half way up the hill. It's a ten or fifteen minute walk, but better than clawing your way up the face of the dune. Launching off the beach is preferred, as the bench on the top launch is exactly where it needs to be to be inconvenient. Only top launch if your ground handling is very good.
Landing
Land on the beach. It's quite a narrow beach so a crosswind landing may be required. Do not land in the carpark unless absolutely necessary, maintaining proper distance from the public and vehicles.
Flight
The site varies in height from a 50 foot dune at the eastern end, to 500 foot limestone cliffs at the southern end. Obviously a wind that is strong enough to allow flying the dune may be too strong on the main face. Getting blown back on the main face is not an option, it drops off just as steeply into the ocean behind, make sure you have enough penetration and beware of changes in wind speed. Take care in working your way up from the launch to the main ridge, as even the high launch is less than half the height of the main face. There is a good beach landing to the north and east, but none at the southern end. Heights of over 1000 feet are possible in ridge lift here, so you should be able to glide back to the beach.
Hazards / Comments
Do NOT get blown over the back of the cliff. The backside is as sheer as the flying face, and likely subject to intense rotor. There is no beach on the back side anywhere nearby.