Situated at the northern gateway to the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, Exmouth is the perfect base to explore the grandiose landscapes of the Cape Range National Park and the underwater wonders of the Ningaloo Marine Park. Visitors come from around the world to swim with the awe-inspiring gentle giants of the sea - the whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales.
If Coral Bay's strengths are the water then Exmouth is really about the Range and the Reef - a National Park that abuts a Marine Park, wrapped up in a UNESCO World Heritage listing based on both marine and terrestrial (land) based qualities that need to be preserved.
Ningaloo Reef, the largest fringing reef in Australia, sits just a short drive from Exmouth town, making it the must-see destination for keen divers and snorkellers. Home of one of the world's top ten shore dive the Exmouth Navy Pier is referred to as the aquarium without glass. Here divers will see more species fish in one site than possibly in their entire diving life.
Covering more than 50,000 hectares, the ruggedly beautiful Cape Range National Park features breathtaking canyons, limestone ranges and 50 kilometres of unspoiled coastline as well as stunning Yardie Creek. Wildlife such as emus, wallaroos, red kangaroos, dingoes, echidnas and a variety of birds and reptiles are sighted daily. The park comes alive with wildflowers in winter and boasts 630 species of plants and wildflowers (including 12 endemic and six near endemic species) with the Sturt desert pea and green bird flower as highlights.
Camping sites within the National Park are available for a small fee, all of which can be pre-booked online via the Parks & Wildlife website with pre-booking encouraged to avoid disappointment. Please drive slowly at dawn and dusk when native wildlife, particularly kangaroos, are most active.
Exmouth is a 90minute flight with Qantas with double daily flights (weekdays and daily on weekends) or a 1250km (13-hour) drive north of Perth.
