Monkey Mia, Denham and the road into these places.

Mia is the Aboriginal term for home or shelter, while the Monkey part of the name is allegedly derived from a pearling boat called Monkey that anchored at the now Monkey Mia in the late 19th century, during the days when pearling was an industry in the region. However, the Geographic Names Committee, hosted by Landgate (The Western Australian Land Information Authority) has stated that the most likely origins of the name are that it was included in a list of Aboriginal names and their meanings supplied by the Geraldton Police Station in approx 1899 - the meaning of the name is given as "Salt or bad water", or after the pet monkeys owned by early Malay pearlers who camped at the location, or as a colloquialism for "sheep",[1] or that it was named for a schooner called Monkey that arrived in 1834.
I wondered where this name came from so had to google for information. Very unusual name, we may never know the real story.
The trip into the peninsula which houses Monkey Mia, the town of Denham and some very interesting stops on the way in from the main road, is worth every bit of how many days you want to take. It is a must and well worth the time and money. The best place to stay would be the resort at Monkey Mia as they have camping areas as well as the usual resort type of stay.
On the way in you can call into the Stromatolites at Hamelin Telegraph Station where you can also have an overnight stay.
The living microbes that build Stromatolites in the highly saline waters of Hamelin Pool are similar to the earliest form of life dating back 3,000 million years. There is a viewing walkway providing excellent access to the site.

Travelling further in on the peninsula we came to Shell Beach next. What a remarkable beach. Extending 120 ks along the coastline is a pure white beach, not made up of sand but tiny white shells called Fragum Cockles. Scientists are puzzled by the proliferation and extensive deposits  of these small shells, thought to be up to 4,000 years old.
Compacted shell was once quarried for building blocks. It is very easy to walk on and people were enjoying swimming in the crystal clear water of the bay.

On to Denham which is the only town on the Peninsula. It is a lovely beachside type of town with esplanades along the waters edge, lots of little shops and lots of fishing. Some photos of a very pleasant little beach.