Oakley Dam — Attraction in Marrinup

Oakley Dam Swimming Hole is somewhere I've wanted to check out for quite some time, the reviews sounded good, so I decided today was the day! Maybe I expected too much! 🤔😁

It's touted as being dog friendly and a nice place for a swim... but there's 1080 Bait signs up!! ugh! 😠

The road in is a bit of a shocker (2.5km of red gravel that's corrugated) and when you finally figure out you are 'there'... where is it?? 🤔😂

No sign posts and finding the water was a bit of a mission needing to duck under overgrown bushes along a poorly maintained 'track'.

There is only a tiny patch of land to stand on next to the water (the bit in the pics) and no chance you'd go swimming - the water is teeming with small leeches! Ewww! 🤢😳 No, no, no! 😂

Anyway, the Swamp-rats and I had an 'interesting' afternoon and I got a few pics that make it look...

What a gem! Quiet...seems not many people know about this place. Nice few car bays and picnic tabled. I arrived early and after a little explore i found the toilets. Another visitor said he did not even know their were toilets! No signage pointing to them. Anyway they appeared neglected so I was wondering if they were re gularly maintained when up pulled 2 parks n wildlife officers. Yes they are maintained fortnightly. The small walk to the dam involves climbing a few rocks. The swim and the view over the dam wall to the alcoa ravaged coastal plain was amazing. Carnaby black cockatoos screeched overhead and there was lots of birdsong from other less visible forest dwellers. Watch out for leeches. I narrowly escaped one about 12cm long! Even so, this place...

Not a soul in sight, and what a sight it is! There's a lookout overlooking the sprawling agricultural land leading to Mandurah and the water has mussels.

Water seemed quite clean, you'll likely sink your leg half a metre into the mud though.

Make sure to hike up the trails and check out the giant rocks while you're at it. Some evidence of people trying to start a new civilisation are present: scattered shoes, nangs, firepits and the ever present overbearing of an archaic judicial system that's heavily politicised around the supply of vodka cruisers - luckily they must have been out looking for wild nangberries while...