Mackerel Islands (Thevenard Island / Direction Island)

The Mackerel Islands are a group of ten low coral and limestone islands sitting 10 to 22 kilometres off Onslow on the western edge of the Pilbara, and they are unusual in WA because the fishery is wrapped around a working private resort. Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd holds the Thevenard Island lease and runs chalet and club-room accommodation plus charter and transfer services; Direction Island, closer to shore, has more rustic camping accessed via the same operator. The fish list is straight off a North Coast highlight reel — the islands take their name from the Spanish mackerel that run thick out of Beadon Creek every season. Self-drive boats from Onslow can reach the islands in settled conditions, which makes this the most accessible offshore island fishery on the WA coast.

Charter operators run full-day reef and pelagic trips out of Beadon Creek and Thevenard. Troll skirts and bibbed minnows along the bommie lines for Spanish mackerel through the warm months. Bottom-bounce the 30 to 60 metre reef edges for red emperor, spangled emperor, rankin cod and pink snapper using cut-bait or octopus on a paternoster. Live-bait drift for coral trout in close on the shallower coral. Cast stickbaits at the wash on the outer islands for GTs and queenfish. Self-drive private tinnies fish the closer Direction Island reefs in the morning trade-wind window and run the wider Thevenard shoals when the forecast plays. Land-based fishing from the Thevenard rocks at change of light produces queenfish, trevally and the occasional mackerel.

Spanish mackerel, spangled and red emperor, coral trout, rankin cod, GTs and queenfish are the staple boat mix, with samson, pink snapper, sailfish offshore and the occasional mangrove jack along sheltered lagoon edges.

Charter packages out of the resort are fully inclusive and the skippers know the bommies — booking a guided day on arrival saves a private boat several days of learning the ground. Self-drive boats need to nominate a return time with marine rescue at Onslow and respect the trade-wind morning window. The Thevenard transfer ferry has historically run Tuesdays and Fridays subject to weather; the operator suspended sailings for 2026, so confirm current ferry status with Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd before booking. Sharks tax slow demersals as on the rest of the Pilbara coast — keep pressure on or drop down.

Charter or private boat only. Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd has historically run a private transfer ferry from Beadon Creek in Onslow (around 20 minutes to Direction Island, 45 minutes to Thevenard, Tuesdays and Fridays subject to weather), but the operator suspended ferry sailings for 2026 — confirm current status before booking accommodation. Onslow is a 14-hour drive from Perth via the North West Coastal Highway, or a flight into Onslow airport. Self-drive private boats can launch at the Beadon Creek ramp for a short offshore run. Thevenard has chalet-style beachfront cabins and club-village rooms with meals on site; Direction has more rustic camping accessed via the same resort operator. There are no public moorings, no fuel and no shops on the islands.

Tides run 3 to 4 metres on the springs. The south to south-east trade wind blows hard most dry-season afternoons and the morning window before 10am is the working launch time. Cyclone season runs November to April with serious storm risk and the resort closes through the worst of it. Water visibility on the reef is excellent in the dry and drops in the build-up. The crossing from Beadon Creek is short by Pilbara standards but still kicks up fast in any westerly.

Saltwater crocodiles have been confirmed at Onslow including in Beadon Creek — treat the mainland launch and the river mouth as croc water, even if the islands themselves are well offshore and lower-risk. Sharks are heavy on the deeper reef and tax slow-retrieved fish. Cyclone risk November to April is the dominant planning factor. The crossing is short but open ocean — EPIRB, working VHF, marine rescue log-on for self-drive boats. Stonefish and stingrays in the shallows around the lagoon beaches warrant reef shoes. Sun and dehydration are the everyday risks; the islands are low and exposed with no shade outside the resort buildings.

Two options. Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd has historically run a private transfer ferry from Beadon Creek in Onslow (Tuesdays and Fridays, weather permitting, around 20 minutes to Direction Island and 45 minutes to Thevenard), but ferry sailings are suspended for 2026 — confirm current status with the operator. Self-drive private boats can launch at Beadon Creek and run out in settled conditions. Onslow is a 14-hour drive from Perth or a flight into Onslow airport.

Yes. Thevenard Island has chalet-style beachfront cabins and club-village rooms operated by Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd with on-site meals and fishing-charter packages. Direction Island has more rustic camping accessed via the same operator's transfer service. There is no public ferry, no fuel and no shops on the islands — bookings and bring-everything planning are part of the trip.

Spanish mackerel are the namesake and run thick from September through April. The reef holds spangled emperor, red emperor, coral trout, rankin cod and pink snapper, with GTs, queenfish and samson on the wash and shoals. Sailfish and the occasional black marlin run wide in the warm months. Land-based fishing off the Thevenard rocks produces queenfish, trevally and the occasional mackerel at change of light.

No. The Mackerel Islands sit in the North Coast Bioregion — north of the Kalbarri boundary that triggers the West Coast demersal closure. North Coast rules apply: a 5-fish demersal mixed bag with emperors capped at 3, plus species-specific size and bag limits. Verify current DPIRD rules before each trip.