Perth to Ningaloo Reef: West Coast

Pick-up your camper from Travellers Autobarn in Perth in the morning and start your journey with some grocery shopping at Coles nearby. Stock up for the drive so you can actually save some money. The further north you get the more remote it will be and shopping as well as fuel may be extremely expensive! Take the Indian Ocean Drive and enjoy sneak previews of cerulean blue sea peaking through beautiful countryside vistas as you head north alongside the coastline. The view/landscape will change every hour which makes the drive everything else than boring! Bring a CD or plug in your phone for some tunes, radio signal dissappears the further North you get, and so does your reception unless you are with Telstra. I personally enjoyed the fact we had no use of our phones as it cut us off from the world of stress and work back here in Sydney. The town of Cervantes doesn’t offer a lot but it’s the closest centre to another bucket list item: the Pinnacles Desert, located in Nambung State Park. Park and walk around the rock formations, then do the drive around the park to understand the grand scale of things. Stay overnight at the Dongara Seaspray Beach Holiday Park, providing you with your own ensuite bathroom and powered sites for only around $30. They also have a pool and are situated directly next to the beach. The staff is super friendly and the cafe in the morning offers good breakfast. If you are after something for free or under $10, try one of the many basic campsites along the coast. therefore, keep your Camps7 booklet handy which all our customers receive for free on pick-up.

Get up early (6ish) as the drive to Monkey Mia (Shark Bay) is a long one (don’t worry though, a few days in and you will get used to the distances in WA – it’s a vast country and you will feel it but it’s worth it and enjoyable!!. You might want to stop at Geraldton for late breaky or to refill fuel. The city has a good shopping district by the water with restaurants and beachy shops and it is a good place to fill up on supplies too as they will become scarce on the way north.

On your way to Shark Bay, make sure you stop at the Hamelin Pools after taking off for the World Heritage listed to drive. Also, stop at Shell Beach, a white strip formed entirely from tiny cockles, just south of Hamelin Pool! (This could be your next Facebook profile pic!).

Stay overnight at the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort so that you are on time for the dolphin feeding at 7:45 am (daily). If you buy a drink/food voucher of $20, you will get a campsite for free. Check in early and enjoy the rest of the day at the beach.

The feeding can be a bit touristy but still, it was a unique experience and very interesting too. Afterwards, wander down the beach and keep an eye out for emus. Relax at the resort beach and enjoy some drinks at their bar/restaurant which just recently has been refurbished! Great vibe!

More things to do at Monkey Mia and/or Denham here.

If you have the budget, why not book a scenic flight over Shark Bay?! Expect to see stunning coastlines and turquoise waters, maybe you will spot marine life too, the endangered dugongs just love the World Heritage listed Shark Bay area!

Again, get up early and take off to Coral Bay which will be your next major destination (remember the whale shark encounter!). The drive between carnavon and Coral Bay is wonderfully flat, red and vast. Look out for alien-like termite nests that dot the landscape in huge numbers. Whereas Carnavon is rather tropical and known for it’s seafood industry, fruit supplies (fruit-picking jobs) as well as for it’s banana plantations.around town.

Once arrived in Coral Bay (a one street, palm-fringed oasis surrounded by desert and a gorgeous beach), check into the Peoples Caravan Park right next to the beach with beachfront and shady sites. You don’t have many other options but let me ensure you, you will love the stay! Located directly opposite the beautiful turquoise waters of Coral Bay & the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef, they cater for all budgets, the staff is friendly and the shopping village (1 shop, 1 cafe, 1 restaurant, Eco Tours Coral Bay Info Centre) is located right next to the park too. Then, plonk yourself for an extra day (or two).

Now it’s time to shine! Aside from hitting the beach, you can take diving and boat tours or go quad biking on the sand dunes and beach. To be quite honest, it was this experience that made us fall in love with quads, we bought this dirt quad straight away after arriving home. It’s so practical and recreational, it’s hard to imagine not having it anymore. Very grateful to the experience in those sand dunes. Swim with manta rays or book a tour with the Glass Bottom Boat for a few hours of snorkelling out on the reef and observing the heritage listed coral reef from the boat. Generally tour operators will pick you up in the morning and bring you to the jetty where you will board the boat. Expect a morning of snorkelling, then lunch, three or four afternoon swims (hopefully with whale sharks, turtles and manta rays), then a return transfer to the caravan park. Tip: Bring an underwater camera and a few bottles of water for the boat trip.

Exmouth is a rather sleepy town and only offers a few shops to stock up supplies again. Other than that, do not waste your time on exploring the town, rather check into the Lighthouse Caravan Park (offers the only powered campsites in around town, with showers and toilets), or enter the Cape Range National Park straight away and stay at one of the many basic campsites right at the beach of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef!

If you are a luxury lodge fan, glamping property SalSalis offers luxury wilderness tents and a three-night package including a whale shark experience! There are also penty of other, more affordable options in Cape Range though and in the end, you will end up doing the same things in your Egyptian cotton sheets than the couple in their camper over the dunes.

There is loads to see and do in the Cape Range National Park. I personally really enjoyed the Yardie Creek Trail through a red canyon where we spotted rock wallabies and many diverse birds. I would also recommend snorkeling at Oyster Stacks and Turqoise Bay as well as nearby Sandy Bay, gems in the National Park. We had the beaches for ourselves but I can imagine it to be a bit more crowded in peak season (e.g. whale shark season Mar – Jul).

Expect crystal clear waters, whiter than white sand and if you get there before 11am, total solitude. To experience the ‘drift snorkel’, stay at the car park ‘Drift’. If you swim out the reef, the current will gently push you along the beach, allowing for some beautifully lazy snorkeling. Alternativley, the ‘Bay’ carpark offers calmer waters and snorkelling for beginners.

At night, join the Jurabi Turtle Center for an observation session with the nesting turtles at surrounded beaches (seasonal). We were lucky!

Even though we did not swim with a whale shark (too early, they arrive after the Coral Spawning in March), we watched green turtle hatchlings parading down the beach into the water for their first time ever! The girls from the center were more than friendly and explained everything you need to know about the endangered Marine Turtle species and their habitat at Ningaloo.

After a few lazy days of snorkeling and walking through World Heritage areas, you are facing a rather busy day of driving! Leave early and always take enough water with you. Stop at the Roadhouse for fuel and don’t ever leave the opportunity to re-fill.

If you do not want to drive that much in one day, stay at Carnavon on the way back. Saturday mornings between May and October, check out the Cascoyne Growers’ markets where local farmer come to sell their FRESH produce. (It’s a great spot for breakfast too).

Once you arrived in Kalbarri, stay at the Anchorage Caravan Park next to the Hutchison River or at the Top Tourist Park in the village (10% off with your exclusive Travellers Autobarn rental). At night, join the locals at the Kalbarri Hotel for some cold drinks and even greater food!

Rather than staying for the pelican feeding which happens every morning in the town centre, leave early to explore Kalbarri National Park. Take a photo at the most famous spot, the Nature’s Window (makes a great cover picture on facebook hehe), accessible via The Loop. Marvel at natures’ ability to carve the landscape and explore the depths and heights of the river gorges and sea cliffs. Also, beginning of June, the dry, parched dansplain heath of Kalbarri National Park virtually erupts into a lush Garden of Eden (Wildlflower season).

Now, the last couple of days are up to you what you feel like doing. We suggest to check out Jurien Bay for fishing and great seafood, Yanchep National Park for exploring the caves and watching koalas, sand-boarding down the snow white dunes at Lancelin as well as discovering arty harbour town Fremantle. However, if you have more time, drive a bit further South of Perth and indulge into Western Australia wine culture and Aboriginal art!

In the last few days, we travelled back down the coast towards our return destination. We took it slowly so we weren’t too fatigued from driving, and managed to visit a few more awesome places.

From Kalbarri we head down to Jurien Bay where we spent a night. Then visited Yanchup National Park. You definitely shouldn’t miss this if you love koalas, as here you can spot them in the wild!

On our 14th and final day, we spent some time in Fremantle, before returning to Perth city. Fremantle is a charming seaside town with lovely markets and cafe culture.

Time to say a sad goodbye to our van in Perth. We will definitely be returning to Western Australia for another epic adventure!

– Always take enough water with you

– Stop at the local visitor centres for free brochures on what to do

– Travellers Autobarn allows you to drive at night but we highly recommend not to!  Wildlife is likely to be on the roads (especially within the National Parks) at night and during dusk and dawn. Drive safe and below speed limit should you encounter an animal.

– Drive slow during the National Parks by day too! Not just to avoid collision with wildlife but also for you to better spot wildlife and take a few great pics from a distance. We had many encounters with kangaroos, wallabies, geckos, birds and snakes only because we slowed down

– With Travellers Autobarn you get access to FREE 24/7 roadside assistance with on your campervan hire in Perth. – so if anything happens while you’re on the road all you need to is call 1300 369 349

– Stop at every petrol station to re-fill your petrol tank. It might the last one for another 300kms!

– Respect the locals, take your rubbish with you and do not touch any animals. Would you want to be touched by everyone? (Despite, some might be venomous or bite).

– Never snorkel alone! Always have someone with you or looking out for you. Especially when snorkeling where there is no or bad reception. Help may not arrive within the hour.

– Do not underestimate the strength of the ocean or the heat of the sun! Be careful and watch out for yourself.

Talk to the locals or call Travellers Autobarn on 1800 674 374 if you need assistance with anything. The Australians are usually very helpful and friendly so do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

Want to read more of our Perth Road Trips, come and explore more!