Wulyibidi Yaninyina walk trail in Monkey Mia proposed realignment to be voted on in Shark Bay council meeting

A proposal to realign a popular local walking trail at Monkey Mia, which at present forces pedestrians to cross a busy section of road, will be voted on by Shark Bay councillors this week. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has proposed to move the Wulyibidi Yaninyina walking trail and to construct a boardwalk and lookout. The walking trail is an off-road walk showcasing the transition from red dirt to white beaches and requires pedestrians to cut across a high-traffic area of Monkey Mia Road. The council agenda revealed that DBCA told the council part of the existing trail was not well located due to tourist safety and an unattractive introduction to the walk. The proposal would realign the trail to the south end of the World Heritage garden, creating 300m of new trail and would allow walkers to cross the road with less traffic near a parking area. The council was also informed the trail leads to a point where visitors must travel through soft sand which had caused erosion to the pindan escarpment over many years. The motion includes a design with an 80m boardwalk ending with a small lookout with views of the south west. The DBCA said the works were scheduled to start around July or August this year. The proposal will go ahead if voted by simple majority at the upcoming council meeting on Wednesday.