Denial Bay
Denial Bay is a small
community of people some 12 kilometres by sealed road North West
of Ceduna. The Denial Bay area's first major permanent settlement
was created by William McKenzie in 1889. During the settlement's
early years a ship's landing was built to on load and offload
farming produce and the necessities for the early pioneer's daily
lives.
This was later known as Mac's landing. Ingeniously, the transport
and loading of wheat and farm produce was achieved by means of
driving wagons out onto the beach at low tide and manhandling
the farm goods onto the ship's landing - essentially a platform
surrounded by the sea at high tide.
At high tide ships obligingly moored next to the landing and the
farm produce was then loaded onto sailing ships for export to
Adelaide. The reverse procedure applied to offloading the necessities
for the daily lives of the first European settlers to the area.
Unlike in the early years Denial Bay is now a minor settlement
and has been overtaken by Ceduna as the major settlement for the
far west of South Australia. During the last 10 years Oyster Farming
has proven to be a growth industry for the town and perhaps again
we will see the resurgence of a positively thriving Denial Bay.
Denial Bay's waters and the whole of the Far West Coast of South
Australia offer unrivalled pristine clean waters for Oyster Farming,
and no doubt this will assure the future of the Oyster farming
industry.
Oyster Barge at
Clearwater Oyster Farm
Denial Bay Facilities
Being a small settlement Denial Bay has few facilities and services
available to the traveller. The town does however possess a small
General Store that sells petrol. A public pay phone is also available.
For a full range of shopping and business services, Ceduna is the
nearest major town, a mere 12 kilometres away by sealed road.
Denial Bay Attractions
Denial Bay is an excellent site in which to search for the renowned
Blue Swimmer Crab - its Latin name being Portunus Pelagicus. The
Blue Swimmer Crab is found from the Southern Coasts of Western
Australia around to the Central Coast of New South Wales. Its
abundance around Ceduna and Denial Bay however is legendary with
some Japanese tourists and travellers from the Eastern States
frequently spending time in the area doing what is locally known
as "Crabbing". The delicious Blue Swimmer Crab can be
caught from the Denial Bay Jetty using a specially designed Crab
Net available from most fishing and tackle suppliers in Ceduna.
The essential method is to buy a crab net and attach several metres
of 4 or 5 millimetre nylon line. Place some meat or fish in the
net and secure it by tying it to the net. Cast the Net into the
water and just wait for your dinner to arrive! Hmmm! Delicious!.
It is recommended you press the hyperlink to Ceduna's well known
chef, known by the name DJ, to discover a good quick recipe for
the local Blue Swimmer crab.
Whilst in Denial Bay it is recommended travellers sample freshly
harvested locally grown Pacific Oysters. The Oysters can be purchased
from local growers in the township of Denial Bay - just follow
the signs indicating which growers have fresh Oysters available.
Perhaps you could even ask local growers if tours of the Oyster
Nursery Beds are available.
Of historical significance is the remnants of McKenzie's Landing
which can be seen 50 metres from the shore of Denial Bay, and
if you look carefully, you may also see the wheel ruts that have
been worn into the limestone by the Bullock Drays being driven
out to the original ship's landing.
