Carnarvon Instagram Trail Map

Towering red cliffs, pristine white sand and infinite rock pools – Maggie’s Beach is our absolute favourite! And if you can’t already tell - the photo opportunities are endless here! We found the most rock pools on the stretch of coastline south of the campground (there are also plenty at Elle’s beach!). To see and of course, photograph these rock pools, the tide will be your biggest consideration. We recommend visiting at low tide (we think no higher than 0.8m). To shoot the rock pools, we think a drone is best, as from above, you can really capture the unique shapes and colours. Play around with different heights and angles, and of course, try and snap yourself in the pic too - floating/ sitting/ standing in a pool. To add contrast, you can also include the cliffs in your frame and to do so, we recommend visiting at golden hour as the low sun makes them glow a vibrant red! Alternatively, you can use a phone/camera to shoot the rock pools. For this, we recommend putting the camera quite low to the ground and shooting you (or a friend!) Sitting back (and relaxing!) In a pool!

It’s hard to believe this is part of a working pastoral station! Known for its amazing beach front camping and hidden rock pools, Warroora Station is also home to these incredible sand dunes - giving you the perfect setting to live out all those ‘Sahara Desert’ dreams. These dunes are best accessed from the black moon cliff campground and given their incredible landscape, we think they can be photographed any time of day. However, our personal favourite is during sunset as you not only have nice soft lighting but the sun sets over the ocean right beside you too. If using a drone (at sunrise/sunset) you can try capturing one side of the dune in light and the other in shadow. If using your phone or camera, try and position it quite low to the ground and capture the intricate patterns in the sand. Lastly, your biggest consideration for shooting these dunes will be wind! We recommend anything less than 25kph (otherwise things will get a bit tricky/sandy!).

After driving along the dusty and bumpy dirt roads, Gnaraloo Bay is an absolute oasis. Sparkling blue waters, the whitest sand we have ever seen and of course, an array of marine life in the reef. This beach is so stunning we think it can be captured any time of day, however early morning will usually allow for lower wind, sparkling ripples of light in the water and of course the option of capturing defined shadows (if shooting with a drone). We loved using our drone here as we think it really showcases the incredible water clarity and reef. To add interest to your shots you can add floaties, paddle boards, beach umbrellas, or even bright swimmers to contrast with the clear waters. Alternatively, you can use a phone/camera to capture the pristine beach and in this instance, we recommend shooting close to the water to highlight the clarity. Otherwise, if you have an underwater camera/housing, Gnaraloo Bay is the perfect spot for snorkelling and capturing the plethora of marine life. Nb: do be careful as there is a strong drift here (you will want to walk a fair way west [past the point] first).

Our favourite hidden gem in the Carnarvon area! Fancy a day at the beach but don’t want to get too hot? This epic wee cave has you covered. Literally! Plus, did we mention it’s amazing to photograph? To access this cave, you will want to visit red bluff on a low to mid tide. Park your car at the west end and head down to the beach. Walk left and you will find this cave pretty quickly! To photograph this cave, we found mid-morning best as the bright blue water contrasted incredibly against the bright orange of the cave. Do be aware that shadows can make things tricky here too – we thought the mid-morning shadow was perfect! Alternatively, sunset is beautiful here as you can capture the sky exploding with colour through the cave. The soft glow at sunset also softens the shadows! Lastly, we think a phone or camera works best here and the use of a wide-angle lens will allow you to capture the entirety of the cave!

Our Instagram Trail Map wouldn’t be complete without this iconic sign!! While there to raise awareness of the dangerous conditions along the coastline, this old wooden sign will have you quickly reaching for your camera! Located right near the Quobba blowholes, we think it’s best to shoot this sign during the day, and of course, include your car/camper in the shot! Using a car/camper is also useful as it can block the end of road marker (the black and white striped sign underneath). If you’re lucky, some cloud cover can also soften the photo and add another point of interest. Additionally, sunset is also a great time to shoot as the sun sets right over the ocean (behind the sign). Any type of camera works great here – you can use a drone to get a little bit of height, take a selfie on a go pro stick, or shoot with a regular camera/phone. Depending on how sturdy/tough your vehicle is – we think this sign is a great spot to get creative too! Try standing on the bonnet, sitting on the roof or leaning out the window! Note : do be careful/aware of oncoming traffic if shooting from the road.

A truly phenomenal sight and experience! To see the blowholes in all their glory you will want to visit on an incoming tide and ideally, an hour or two before high tide (the high tide actually suppresses the blowholes). We think any time of the day works well for capturing the blowholes (as again, you’re better off planning around the tides rather than times), but if you can make it work – coinciding sunset with an incoming and mid to high tide is absolutely magic. As the sun sets, it gives the illusion of colouring the powerful jets of water – giving the mist a pinky/ purple tinge. Truly spectacular. In terms of cameras, we liked shooting with at least a 50mm lens and a wide aperture so it looked like we were being dwarfed by the powerful spray (and almost standing in it - but really we were quite a ways back). We strongly recommend not venturing too close to the edge as this coastline can be unpredictable and dangerous.

An unexpected (yet somewhat obvious!) Hidden gem in the Carnarvon area. And did we mention how amazing it is for photography!? Lake Macleod is a large salt lake accessed from the blowholes road (20km before the blowholes). You can park your car on the side of road and walk directly onto the lake! Just make sure you pull completely off the road. We recommend shooting Lake Macleod with a drone so you can really capture the textures from above, and of course the colours! We found shooting at sunset the best here as the setting sun created incredible light rays and contrasting warmth against the pinks and whites of the lake. If you wanted to add defined shadows too (which would look awesome!) You will want to shoot a little earlier than sunset (about 1-2 hours). Visiting after rain would also be amazing here as you could put your phone/camera low to the ground and use the puddles to create some incredible reflections.

One of our favourite things to do in Carnarvon is drive along the fruit loop trail. Filled with seasonal produce, incredible displays of colourful bougainvillea (see #9) and of course, Carnarvon’s very own cactus garden! The cactus garden is located on south river road and can be accessed by parking on the side of the road and walking in. Given its unique landscape, we think the garden can be captured any time of day (although midday will be a little harder with shadows). Equipment wise, any phone or camera works well here! Given there are a surprising number of paths and corners in this wee gem of a garden, our biggest piece of advice would be taking some time to play around with what you like when you arrive. You might also find the garden smaller than you imagined so try and fill the frame - you can shoot the path for a leading line, or use continuous/ burst mode to capture movement in the garden – e.g. walking/ spinning/ twirling down the path. As the cactus garden is predominantly filled with dark greens and reds, we also recommend wearing light (and neutral) clothing so you stand out in the pic!

As mentioned in #8, the fruit loop trail is full of incredible colours and sights - including bright pinks and purples of the beautiful bougainvillea. Along north and south river roads you will see regular bursts of colour with the tropical flower blooming. Being such a resilient flower means they bloom nearly all year round too (spring, summer and autumn). We visited during December and found an abundance on south river road. We simply pulled over and shot along the road. In terms of photographing these colourful blooms, we recommend using a regular camera/phone. The bougainvillea provide a range of opportunities in the way of being creative too. You can frame your camera with flowers, shoot macro for super sharp shots or use a wide aperture for different levels of blur! Timing wise, we think golden hour is best here as the low sun makes the flowers even brighter! If you want to be in the shot too, we recommend wearing light, neutral clothing! Just be careful as there are thorns!