I'm starting to plan a holiday for later this year.

I was thinking of Wales - but then considered our resident Welshman, and changed my mind!

Now -Ningaloo Reef and Broome in Western Australia has turned up om my peripheral vision.

I can search the Web myself (my profession is information retrieval!), so I am looking for personal reports. So...Has anyone been there? What can you tell me about it?

From a short article in the paper, it sounds great. I'm at the preliminary stage of considering it only. It'll probably cost the same as a month in Europe, though!

The best places to access Ningaloo Reef would be from either Coral Bay or Exmouth, about 1200 km north of Perth. We've been to Coral Bay and did a boat trip over the reef. It's very close to shore so easily accessible. We are not good swimmers so didn't dive. Wish I was a good swimmer - it must be marvellous to swim with the whale sharks.
If you are planning to visit WA, do make sure you are there during the wildflower time (from mid August to October roughly). The flowers are truly beautiful. Kalbarri National Park (between Perth and Exmouth) is one of the best places.

marg
Thanks for this - just starting to look at costings -and then will make a decision.

We stayed at Ningaloo Reef in 1997. We actually camped right on the beach at one of the designated camping areas. There are no facilities there (well not then anyway) except for a pit toilet. Only bore water available. So you would have to BYO basically everything.

Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. What a fabulously beautiful spot. I think we stayed for a week. None of us are divers and so we stuck to snorkelling. I'm pretty sure the whale sharks arrive at Ningaloo around March each year but you should check that fact.

When we stayed there the various camping zones were maintained by retirees from the south who venture north for the winter. They are really lovely people who enjoy meeting and talking with other folk and keep the sites and toilets very clean.

Ningaloo Reef is in Cape Range National Park easily accessed through Exmouth.

Broome is also a fantastic place to visit with beautiful coastline and lots to see and do there also.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed in either place.

Its absolutely magic up there Margo. The whole area from Broom - Coral Bay - inland to El Questro perhaps and around the Bungle Bungles and some of the hidden areas of the coast. I loved Ningaloo Reef and it is all that say about it and more. Broom is a nice place too and as the previous poster said there are always some wonderful people up that way especially in winter time and of course the spendour of the wild flower season is something to be seen to be appreciated. I lived in W.A. for 7 years and never got sick of the wild-flower season.
Surely the cheap sale seats will get you close to something or another perhaps via Darwin? Remember that at least you will be able to afford to eat and drink well every day.

Thanks, all!

Claret - I'm afraid there's some sort of resort there now - Ningaloo Reef Retreat.

Still thinking.......

Margo...tell me that's not true!. I do remember seeing a bumper sticker a couple of years ago that read "Save Ningaloo Reef'. I never actually thought that anyone would ever be able to build a resort there...it's a national park for crying out loud. Oh what a shame. I'm so glad I saw it when I did. Maybe you should bite the bullet and go before any more developments happen and spoil it altogether. (When are we ever going to learn).

The west certainly has some beautiful coastline and I think you would still enjoy it despite the resort.