The coral coast

Here is Ningaloo and the Coral Coast

Hugging the Indian Ocean from Perth / Boorloo to Exmouth, the Coral Coast Highway is no ordinary road trip. This adventure takes you through a vast array of wonders and two of Western Australia's three World Heritage Areas – Shark Bay / Gutharraguda and Ningaloo Reef / Nyinggulu.

Ningaloo Reef is simply unmissable. Spanning 300 thriving kilometres, this underwater dreamscape is one of the most biologically diverse marine environments on the planet, and it’s World Heritage listed. From Exmouth or Coral Bay, you can walk straight off the beach and instantly be snorkelling amongst 200 species of coral teeming with 500 species of colourful fish, or swimming alongside gentle whale sharks - the biggest fish in the world. Feel true awe as you witness their effortless majesty first-hand— a rare wildlife encounter that will stay with you forever.

Walk amongst the mysterious moonscape of the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park and hike through Kalbarri’s / Wurdimalu’s dramatic 400-million-year-old river gorges. Take an ocean kayak tour with your Aboriginal guide in Shark Bay. You can meet friendly wild dolphins at Monkey Mia or playful ‘sea puppies’ - the endangered Australian sea lions - in Jurien Bay.

Marvel at the dreamlike pink hues of Hutt Lagoon from your buggy, hike or scenic flight, and take in the kaleidoscopes of colour as over 12,000 species of wildflowers bloom spectacularly during season, half of which cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Explore charming coastal fishing towns or four-wheel-drive through epic national parks to see kangaroos, emus and an array of birdlife.

Stretching 1,100km from the southern gateway of the mystical Pinnacles to the northern tip of the world’s largest fringing reef, Ningaloo Reef, Australia’s Coral Coast is awash with natural beauty. Home to the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, extraordinary experiences abound on ochre lands and in turquoise waters. Take a flight over Ningaloo Marine Park in search of whales and dugongs, wander sandy beaches with nary a soul to disturb the serenity, and swim with ocean giants. Unlock the country’s soul with Aboriginal guides and feel at one with the universe under glorious night skies. The Coral Coast will leave you starstruck, and lovestruck.


Kalbarri Skywalk, Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri Skywalk, Kalbarri National Park


1. Feast under a celestial ceiling

Marvel at the sunset-twilight-darkness transition over the spectacular Murchison Gorge before dining under a canopy of stars on the Kalbarri Skywalk / Kaju Yatka. Twin platforms snake over the edge of ancient rock formations, evoking the Beemarra serpent of the Nanda people's dreaming. Best 4 Travel’s Kalbarri Skywalk Dinner is a feast for the senses – superb West Australian wines matched with the finest local produce, served in majestic surroundings.


2. Befriend some curious creatures

Monkey Mia has some of Western Australia’s cheekiest inhabitants. Meet them on the shores of the clear, shallow water as their natural curiosity draws them ever closer. Watch them cavort from your balcony, beer in your hand, listening to the squeals of delight rippling over the gently lapping shore. One of the best places on Earth to encounter wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins every day, their pristine playground must be seen to be believed.


Monkey Mia, Shark Bay World Heritage Area

Monkey Mia, Shark Bay World Heritage Area


3. Immerse yourself in colour

Step right off the shore into a marine wonderland of dazzling coral and tropical fish and soak up the splendid isolation in a hammock. This is a place where disconnecting from the rat-race and reconnecting with nature has never been so easy – a glamping getaway worthy of its mind-blowing backyard. Nestled in Cape Range National Park, Sal Salis’s eco-luxe tents fan out along dunes overlooking the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef.


4. Explore the galaxy from and earthly treasure

Like guardians of the desert, the Pinnacles have stood tall (up to 3.5 metres) for more than 25,000 years. A striking sight at any time of the year, the limestone structures take on an ethereal quality at night, resplendent under the southern sky. Hear Aboriginal stories about the world’s first astronomers with Lumineer Adventure Tours and capture the Milky Way in all its glory with a touch of modern magic.


5. Savour seafood in a sublime setting

Imagine dining like royalty amid a sea of jewels. Fly over deep blue sea to the blistering white sands of the Abrolhos Islands, where a seafood smorgasboard awaits. Surrounded by glittering emerald and turquoise waters, a seat at the Abrolhos Long Table Lunch is as prized as the region’s famous western rock lobster. Few have stood on the Houtman Abrolhos, making the Shore Leave Festival highlight a rare gem indeed.


Big Lagoon, Francois Peron National Park

Big Lagoon, Francois Peron National Park


6. Paddle through paradise

Overcome with an unbelievable sense of peace, you kayak through clear aquamarine waters, turtles and manta rays for company. The ochre landscape shimmers and shifts, waiting to reveal its secrets. Wulu Guru Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventure Tours take you deep into Francois Peron National Park, along incredible burnt sands, to the heart of Gutharraguda / Shark Bay. This spiritual adventure through ancient lands ends with a soak in natural hot springs.


7. Swim with the gentlest of giants

Just below the ocean surface but deep within your soul, the world shifts in wonder. Dwarfed by the size of these gentle giants, you are drawn closer as if in a trance, their slow, graceful movements calming your nerves. At up to 12 metres long, the whale shark is the world’s biggest fish and among the beguiling creatures, including the hypnotic manta ray and migrating humpback whales, you can swim with in Ningaloo.


Swimming with whale sharks, Ningaloo Marine Park

Swimming with whale sharks, Ningaloo Marine Park


8. Be tickled pink (and blue)

It's as if someone poured a giant strawberry milkshake or spilled pallets of shocking pink paint over the earth. Hutt Lagoon / Yallabatharra looms over the dunes, its vibrant hue an eye-popping contrast to the sparkling Indian Ocean on the other side. Nature sure has a way of making us feel happy. Enjoy a gentle buggy journey along white sands from the fishing village of Port Gregory, with Pink Lake Tours.


Hutt Lagoon, near Port Gregory

Hutt Lagoon, near Port Gregory


9. Sink into sanctuary

Drifting over crystal-clear Turquoise Bay, tropical fish darting in and out of vivid coral, you’re mesmerised. Ningaloo’s breathtaking underwater world is putting on a show and you don’t want to miss a thing. Warm sun on your back, eyes peeled for turtles and reef sharks, feel your worries float away. Snorkel just off the shore with Exmouth Adventure Co before soaking up the majesty of the marine park from Vlamingh Head Lighthouse.


10. Get high on Ningaloo 

Glide above an undulating canvas of colour, as the brilliant blue ocean gives way to the rusted Cape Range canyons. Float over Ningaloo Marine Park for a closer look at dugongs and whale sharks. It’s here where the reef meets the beach, exposing a coral cornucopia like no other. Soar over multi-layered clifftops, eyes peeled for dingoes and kangaroos, with Birds Eye View – an open-air microlight flight providing unimpeded vistas in every direction.


Charles Knife Gorge, Cape Range National Park

Charles Knife Gorge, Cape Range National Park


Published September 2022.