Eagle Island from Eagle Bluff near Denham, Shark Bay

Linking WA’s well known southwest corner with the state’s tropical north, this journey takes travellers some 1,260 kilometres from Perth up the coast to the fabulous Ningaloo Reef – a trail full of variety, adventure, history and one which includes some of the West’s best coastal scenic attractions.

With so much to see and do, and quite a few very worthwhile side trips thrown in along the way, first time travellers should allow anywhere from a week up to a month to take it all in and really get a feel for the many great places you will discover.

Heading north from Perth it was necessary in past years to pick up Highway 1, mostly away from the coast, on the way to Geraldton. These days, the favoured option is to head north out of Perth via Wanneroo Road, turning off and calling into Guilderton - entrance to the Moore River - a worthwhile detour for morning tea or lunch on your first day out from Perth. From here you can continue your journey northwards towards the coastal town  of Lancelin (famous for its sand dunes, Western rock lobsters or crayfish and windsurfing championships), then travel along a newly opened section of the Indian Ocean Drive to Cervantes. This route was previously a rough, sandy 4WD trail; the new fully sealed road takes travellers along the coast past the once quite remote, but scenically attractive, squatters’ settlements of Wedge Island before reaching Nambung National Park and the fabulous formations known as the Pinnacles.

First time visitors to the Pinnacles are usually quite amazed at what they find  – thousands of tall limestone spires and shapes, some measuring up to four metres high, seemingly frozen in time. The newly developed Pinnacles Discovery Centre at the Park entrance is a great introduction to the place; here you can learn all about the formations and why they appeared as an ancient city on Dutch seafarers’ maps back in the 1600s, and see some wonderful photos taken of the formations and the nearby Pinnacle Desert. There are driving and walking trails through this eerie but quite wonderful landscape – allow at least an hour or two for your adventure through the Pinnacles. Just up the road is a delightful fishing village of Cervantes -  also quite famous for its crayfish. In fact, as you head north from here along the coast, centres such as Jurien Bay, Green Head and Leeman are all busy fishing centres from which the majority of WA’s well-known crayfish harvest is produced every year. Before heading out of Cervantes, be sure to visit the edge of town; ancient ‘living rocks’ – stromatolites – are  growing in the heavily salt-laden waters of Lake Thetis. These strange life forms are a few thousand years old and grow a few millimetres every 100 years; to see some of the world’s first living organisms is quite a fascinating experience.

Diving with a whale shark, Ningaloo Reef

Heading further north through the numerous coastal villages along the way, you will quickly see that each has its own character and nice beachfront outlooks. All have a general store (local seafood available), fuel and other supplies, a place to get a cuppa or buy a snack, and caravan park/cabin accommodation when it’s time to put your feet up at the end of the day.

From here we pick up Highway 1 (Brand Highway) and head into the twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison, which have plenty of interesting sites including historic old buildings along an enjoyable heritage trail. Also worth checking out in Dongara are the lovely old Moreton Bay Figs (planted in 1906) growing along both sides of the main street – an impressive sight indeed. Just out of interest, if you are yearning for something yummy to have with morning tea, call into the Dongara Bakery, their pastries and pies are to die for! Down by the water at Port Denison is a picturesque boat and fishing harbour, a lovely protected swimming beach and children’s playground, and a couple of caravan parks right on the beachfront.

Moving onwards and an opportunity to step back in time; as you wander through the very quaint and historic village of Greenough don’t miss the beautiful old Hampton Arms Wayside Inn. The whole area here is rich in early pioneering history and a stroll through the town is a beaut way to spend an hour or two getting a feel for the place.

Back on the road, look out for the well-known ‘leaning trees’ – eucalypts  trees, which under the prevailing strong winds across the Greenough Flats, have been bent over and are growing along the ground horizontally and not vertically as they normally would be. They are real icons of the region.

At The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park near Cervantes

Close by is Geraldton, the rapidly growing commercial hub of the WA mid-west  and the largest centre between Perth and Darwin. With an active port servicing the local mining/grain industries, a large commercial fishing fleet, a new boat harbour/marina, and a revitalised waterfront area with plenty of services and facilities, Geraldton is a good spot to stop and replenish supplies, etc. before heading further north. Whilst here, don’t miss having a look through the stunning Western Australia Museum.

The coastline here, which has plenty of maritime history, is locally known and promoted as the Batavia Coast in recognition and remembrance of the Dutch East Indies ship Batavia. On her maiden voyage, Batavia ran aground in June 1629 on the nearby Abrolhos Islands and a bloody mutiny followed in which 125 men, women and children were brutally murdered. This tragic event is recorded to have been the most cruel and violent in Australia’s maritime history and the well  set up Western Australian Museum on the waterfront in town graphically tells the story.

A leaning tree - River Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) - Greenough, near Geraldton

Another splendid attraction is the wonderfully created HMAS Sydney Memorial to the 645 sailors who lost their lives off this northwest coast during WWII. There is a central dome structure in the form of 645 seagulls in flight, a towering replica of the ship’s bow, and standing nearby is the bronze form of a lady watching, waiting and grieving for her loved one lost at sea. This is a fine, moving tribute located on Mount Scott and one of Geraldton’s must see attractions.

Heading north along Highway 1 (now the North West Coastal Highway) and still in wheat, canola (and other grains) growing country, the small township of Northampton has some lovely old buildings and a beautiful old railway station which include restored engines and railway carriages – all certainly worth a look.

From here the next main coastal centre to call into is Kalbarri. It is generally best to turn off the Highway at Northampton and swing towards the coast (all sealed road). Along the way you can take in the small fishing village of Port Gregory – be sure to  check out their famous Pink Salt Lake and have a wander around the nearby convict hiring depot ruins at the historic centre of Lynton, established in 1853, before heading on to Kalbarri, at the mouth of the Murchison River. 

On the southern approach to the town, take a look at the dramatic coastal cliffs (well signposted) including such places as Island Rock, Natural Bridge, Pot Alley Gorge, Mushroom Rock, Red Bluff and others – all quite spectacular, particularly in the afternoon light.

Island Rock, Coastal Cliffs, Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri was once a quiet fishing village but today it is a busy tourist centre and there are a number of attractions to keep you occupied. Some of these include pelican feeding at 8:45am on the river  foreshore; a visit to the award winning parrot breeding centre at Rainbow Jungle, featuring a huge walk-in aviary – the largest parrot free-flight aviary in Australia; the fascinating Seahorse Sanctuary; or perhaps you could hire a canoe and paddle up the Murchison River. For the energetic, you may like to try horse riding along the riverside, sand boarding on huge sand dunes, experience an extreme offshore jet boat ride, take a fishing charter trip off the coast, or go surfing at Jacque’s Point – a well-known big wave surfing spot. When you’re through with all this exercise and want a change from camp cooking, try a seafood meal at Finlay’s – a great rustic atmosphere and the food is legendary!

A short drive out of town will take you to Kalbarri National Park where natural beauty can be experienced in the form of Natures Window, The Loop, Z Bend, Hawk’s Head and the list continues. This spectacular gorge country is easily accessible via walking tracks from nearby car parking areas. These are day visit sites and although most areas have barbeques and picnic facilities no camping is allowed. Another bonus in this splendid National Park in springtime is the wonderful array of wildflowers to be seen – a beautiful sight indeed.

Balloon fishing, Cape Cuvier

Heading further north, Billabong and Overlander Roadhouses are both good spots for a break, a cuppa, and to stretch your legs. If you are travelling this section of the Highway in July/August and there has been some early winter rain, the roadside here is often a sea of colour with plenty of pink, yellow and white everlasting daisies.

Away to the west from Overlander is the next side trip I would recommend, the World Heritage listed area of Shark Bay.

Yardie Creek, Cape Range National Park near Exmouth

Using the coastal town of Denham as a base, this amazing area includes such diverse attractions as the Monkey Mia dolphins with hand feeding three times a day, dugongs, turtles, pearl farm tours, a wonderful Ocean Park Aquarium, World Heritage Discovery Centre, beautiful sunset sailing cruises, walk trails, quad bike tours, local star gazing and even a camel ride along the beach. In the north of the region is the beautiful Francois Peron National Park with its red sand dune cliffs coming right down to the sea – a classic example of the outback coast where the red sand dunes of Central Australia meet the ocean. Also here in the Park is the opportunity to look over the grounds of the historic Peron Homestead which at one time ran 17,000 sheep in this very marginal grazing land.  A delightful way to see the afternoon out is to have a dip in the Homestead’s lovely artesian water ‘hot tub’. Toilets, showers and change rooms are all available here. Travelling further north within the Park (4WD only) there are some really well set out campgrounds beside the water at various spots along this beautiful coastline. Compressor facilities to lower tyres to a recommended pressure of around 20 psi and reinflate them are provided. Whilst in the Park you will also learn about Project Eden, a wonderful initiative to remove feral predators and re-introduce native wildlife across the region.

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Monkey Mia, Shark Bay

If you are interested in fishing there are plenty of spots in Shark Bay to beach fish or to launch your dinghy, or if you’re after the really big ones, there are a number of chartered fishing tours available. For something a little different, across at Steep Point on the western flank of Shark Bay (4WD access) is, in my opinion, some of the best and quite spectacular cliff-top fishing to be found anywhere in the country.

As we now head back to the Highway, and if you didn’t check them out on your way in, don’t miss the boardwalk/ lookout at Eagle Bluff and the amazing Shell Beach where you can take in the unbelievable sight of a beach around 100 kilometres long, made up of billions of shells (coquina) around ten metres deep. Loose on top and solidified underneath, these compacted shells can be quarried (cut out into blocks); Denham has several buildings made from these fascinating shell blocks including a restaurant and church. Over the years these shells have also been used for road base, parks and driveways – quite unusual indeed.

Nearby at Hamelin Pool check out the shell block quarry and take the opportunity to have another look at stromatolites – somewhat different to those seen further south at Lake Thetis, but never the less, further examples of the oldest known form of life on earth.

Returning to the Highway, it’s not far up the track to the Wooramel Roadhouse – as well as fuel and other services, this place has a great reputation for yummy pastries and pies!

Further north and just off the Highway, Bush Bay and New Beach are popular bush camping spots on the water, particularly for the grey nomad brigade during the winter. Not far away, Carnarvon is the largest centre in the WA Gascoyne Region. Well known for its wonderful tropical fruit and vegie production, this busy centre also has an active commercial fishing operation, including prawns, and lying just north of the 26th parallel, with a warm winter climate, it is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination.

A visit to Carnarvon’s Heritage precinct, including its famous One Mile  Jetty built back in 1897, is worthwhile and you’re sure to enjoy your ride in the Coffee Pot, a quaint little train which runs out to the end of the historical jetty. On the edge of town a new tree-lined HMAS Sydney Memorial Drive is a great town initiative and well worth a look.

Cape Peron coastline, Francois Peron National Park, Shark Bay

Out of town you will cross the normally wide, dry Gascoyne River; what is unseen is that the river continues its flow of water underground – the mainstay of all those crops back in Carnarvon.

A few kilometres further on, another worthwhile side trip takes visitors 49 kilometres via sealed road out to the spectacular rugged coast at Point Quobba and the area’s well-known blowholes. Operated by the local shire, the camping area is right on the coast at Point Quobba with a lovely protected beach and coral  filled lagoon. The spectacular blowholes powered by huge ocean swells spurt up to 20 metres in the air less than a kilometre away. Along the coast a generally good track leads northwards to Quobba Station which also has camping and cabin accommodation, more cliff top fishing, and another memorial to HMAS Sydney. 

Stretching over 260 kilometres along this coastal strip to the tip of North West Cape, the beautiful Ningaloo Reef is a world class coral reef system with some 200 different coral species and over 500 varieties of fish – diving, snorkelling and fishing all have great appeal here. One of the big advantages of the Ningaloo Coast is that the reef, in many places, comes to within just a few metres of the beach – simply walk into the water and you’re instantly among some breathtaking corals.

Feeding the dolphins at Monkey Mia

Coral Bay, on the southern section of the reef, is a small but busy holiday centre with two large caravan parks as well as hotel, cabin and backpacking accommodation. Fishing charters are available along with coral viewing boats, 4 wheel bike hire, glass-bottom canoes, a new boat launching facility, snorkelling over coral near the beach, and a variety of cafés and restaurants – a truly delightful little spot.

Canola crop near Northampton

Around 150 kilometres north is Exmouth, the hub of the Ningaloo Coast where a wide variety of caravan park and other accommodation is available. In addition to coral viewing and fishing charters, also on offer are the added attractions of being able to swim with  the huge manta rays and whale sharks, and watch humpback whales, all of which regularly visit this coastline. Nearby Cape Range National Park, which includes some dramatic gorge country such as Charles Knife and Mandu Mandu Gorges, Shothole Canyon and beautiful Yardie Creek, gives visitors the opportunity to camp in one of the many national park campgrounds right on the beach, with the reef at your door. The town of Exmouth was originally established  in 1964 to support the Harold E. Holt Communication Base, but today the town is busy as a tourist centre. The town also now boasts a new boat harbour/marina/canal housing development. Another bonus is the availability of delicious Exmouth Gulf prawns at attractive prices.

Having now arrived at the end of our trail in such an appealing place, it’s only a matter of deciding where to stay and what to do first – maybe a nice feed of prawns would be a good start.

Category: Destinations
Written: Fri 01 Mar 2013
Printed: March, 2013
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