Get active and enjoy bushwalking trails, bird watching, fishing and camping at Yalgorup National Park south of Mandurah. The park occupies a narrow coastal strip and is home to 10 lakes that run in a chain. The name Yalgorup is derived from Nyoongar Aboriginal words meaning place of swamp or lake. Lake Clifton and Lake Preston are the two main water ways which harbour a big variety of bird life. Go bushwalking around these lakes and you're likely to see black swans, parrots, kingfishers and several varieties of dotterel. Other animals including kangaroos, wallabies and emus are also common, while the vegetation is a mix of tuart woodlands, paperbark swamps and eucalypts. Go swimming, fishing and camping at Preston Beach, and explore special rock-like formations known as thrombolites. These formations are built by micro-organisms that are so tiny they're not visible to the human eye. It's one of the few places in the State where living thrombolites survive. They provide a unique look at what life was like at the dawn of time. You can see them at the edge of Lake Clifton in March and April. Yalgorup National Park is about half an hour's drive south of Mandurah. Camping in Western Australia's natural areas is a special experience. Selected campgrounds from across the state are now bookable online for a trial period.
