Holiday-makers headed to Rottnest yesterday had to change their plans after ferry companies cancelled their services because of severe weather.

Weekend ferry services to the island are also in doubt.

Oceanic Cruises' last ferry berthed in Fremantle at 11am yesterday and Rottnest Express ran no services yesterday. Rottnest Fast Ferries is closed until July 3 for its winter break.

Rottnest Express chief executive officer Tim Crosland said they were planning a skeleton service this weekend because of the wild weather after saying on Thursday its services would be cancelled until Monday.

"We believe we have an obligation, if safe, to provide services," he said.

He planned to have three ferries daily to the island and two back to Fremantle today and tomorrow. Ferries would not run from Barrack St but a bus would go to Fremantle. Each voyage depended on the weather.

Oceanic Cruises said weekend services were likely to remain cancelled.

Yvette and Daniel Webster, from NSW, and Chris and Ann Lloyd, of Canberra, planned a day-trip to the island but toured Fremantle instead.

Mrs Webster said they were going to Margaret River today and would probably not have time to get to Rottnest. "It's a bit of a shame," she said.

Weather Bureau duty forecaster Graham Oakley expected a strong cold front tonight and another tomorrow evening with swells over 5m, gales and heavy rain. He expected Perth to get about 50mm of rain with at least 10mm to reach the northern and eastern Wheatbelt. The State Emergency Service urged people to secure loose objects and ensure boats were moored securely.

Engineers and council workers with bulldozers worked frantically yesterday to protect Watermans Bay.

The City of Stirling closed access to the popular beach after "abnormal" loss of sand. Big waves have stripped the beach to a few metres wide and caused dunes to collapse. The dune access track is almost 3m above the rocks and the change rooms are in danger of collapse.

Beach access paths were blocked yesterday and the change rooms propped up ahead of the weekend.

Cr Bill Stewart called on the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to help councils manage erosion, which was serious and extended beyond shire boundaries.

A department spokesman said it had a coastal protection program which included about $1 million for emergencies such as at Watermans.

Central Wheatbelt farmers are pinning their hopes on rain this weekend to boost crops and allow them to finish sowing. The area has about two more weeks to get enough rain to seed.