Ningaloo Reef is the world's largest fringing reef, and one of the longest near-shore reef systems in the world.
Stretching 300km from Carnarvon's Red Bluff to the Muiron Islands in the north and Exmouth Gulf's Bundegi Beach in the east, Ningaloo Reef is regarded as one of the world's last great ocean paradises. The UNESCO Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area was established in 2011. Encompassing the Ningaloo Marine Park, which protects the Reef and Coastal Reserves, and land-based wonders like Cape Range National Park, the area received its World Heritage Listing due to its marine and terrestrial (land) properties, such as rare flora and fauna like the whale shark - 300 to 500 of these megafauna congregate at Ningaloo each year!
The Ningaloo region of Australia's Coral Coast encompasses the towns of Carnarvon, Coral Bay and Exmouth. Ningaloo also offers great connections to other incredible parts of Western Australia, including Kennedy Range National Park (3 hours' drive east of Carnarvon), Karijini National Park (8 hours' drive east of Exmouth), and Onslow and the Mackerel Islands (4 hours' drive north of Exmouth).
Getting here
Drive: set off along the Coral Coast Highway and turn your journey into part of your experience. Carnarvon is 9 hours' north of Perth, Coral Bay is roughly 11.5 hours' north of Perth, and Exmouth is roughly 12.5 hours' north of Perth.
Fly: Regional Express Airlines fly between Perth and Carnarvon, and Qantas fly between Perth and Exmouth's Learmonth Airport.
Fly + Drive: between 1 April and 31 October 2021, Avis and Hertz are offering significantly discounted one-way relocation fees for rentals between Perth and Exmouth. Drive one way along the Coral Coast Highway, and fly the other with Qantas!
