The Grand Finale: Shark Bay to Dirk Hartog Island

As the festival nears its end, it returns to the sea for one final celebration of nature, produce, and place.

In Shark Bay, a World Heritage-listed wonderland, guests gather for Beats & Eats by the Bay on Saturday 30 August. A breezy evening of live music, dancing, and decadent Shark Bay seafood served hot and fresh on the foreshore — this is barefoot luxury at its most relaxed and radiant.

Then comes the final chapter: a Marine Safari to Dirk Hartog Island. The journey begins with a boat ride across turquoise waters to Australia’s most remote bar and café, where lunch is served and island life begins.

Guests check into the lodge or luxury glamping tents, then hop aboard 4WDs to ascend the island’s rugged cliffs for sunset. Signature cocktails, using gin distilled with native botanicals from the island, are poured, toasts are made, and the sun sinks behind the horizon — the last in Australia — as waves roll below and gulls soar overhead.

Back at the lodge, dinner by Tori Wardle is a feast cooked over flame and served around the firepit — fresh seafood, rich cuts of meat, and garden-grown produce roasted to perfection. The sounds of the ocean and crackle of the fire are your evening soundtrack.

In the morning, a simple, beautiful breakfast awaits: coal-cooked eggs, warm breads, fresh fruit, and bush tea by the beach. Then it’s time to return to the mainland — hearts full, bellies satisfied, memories etched deep.

This is more than a finale. It’s a farewell that lingers long after the last bite.