Canal Rocks, Granite rock formation in Yallingup, Australia
Canal Rocks is a granite formation along the coast near Yallingup, with several stone masses rising directly from the Indian Ocean. Narrow channels separate the individual rock blocks, created over long periods by water wearing away the softer stone.
Until 1907, this was primarily a fishing location used by local people, before access roads were built to welcome visitors. The addition of infrastructure gradually changed it from a working fishing spot into a public destination.
The Noongar name for the site is Winjee Sam. The rocks sit about 4 km south of Yallingup, and the Cape to Cape Track passes near the lookout above them. The narrow channel that gives the place its name was cut by coastal water eroding the granite-gneiss.
A wooden boardwalk guides you safely across the rocks and offers easy access to the water and various formations. Free parking is available nearby, and public facilities are provided, with a boat ramp for those who want to explore from the water.
The rock is hornblende-biotite monzogranite gneiss, medium to coarse-grained and moderately foliated, with perthite, quartz, hornblende and accessory biotite, opaques, apatite and zircon. Its original granite was metamorphosed at medium grade, and crystallisation is dated to 702 ± 7 million years ago.
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