Ningaloo Reef...Exmouth or Coral Bay? Sites along the way?
 

I'm in the very early stages of planning a Western Australia road trip, concentrating on the areas between Perth and Exmouth.

We've arranged the trip to coincide with whale shark season and plan to spend some time exploring Ningaloo Reef.

My first of many questions...which provides better access to Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth in the north or Coral Bay in the south - or does it matter?

I'm looking for a dive operator that specializes in small group diving - suggestions much appreciated. I'd also welcome any suggestions on what to see and do between Perth and Coral Bay (or Exmouth).

Oops, I meant SIGHTS. Spending too much time on web sites.

Looking forward to the responses. I have a trip in the same area on my mind as well!!

Hi Mel,

I absolutely loved Ningaloo Reef - it's one of my favourite spots (probably after King's Canyon). We camped at Cape Range National Park near Exmouth and so that is where we went into the Reef. We were on a 12 month trip around the country and at that stage were heading south down the WA coastline, so that is why we headed in from Exmouth.

We didn't do any diving but I'm envious that you will be and that you'll have a chance to spend time with the beautiful whale sharks. We did do plenty of snorkelling though and had a wonderful time. The beaches are beautiful.

I understand there is a resort there now so not sure how that's affected the pristine-ness of the place.

We did love Coral Bay as well but preferred Ningaloo Reef. On the way up near Carnarvon is a little place called Quobba - they have huge king waves and a fantastic blow hole. We spent quite a few hours poking around there and I'm sure there is a memorial to the H.M.A.S. Sydney there ( small plaque) - but at that time of course, it's final resting place was unknown.

Kalbarri National Park, north of Geraldton is also a beautiful place to visit.

Will you have a 4WD Mel? Sometimes it's worthwhile to just follow a road out to the coast to see where you end up - my husband loves doing that. What about fishing? Lots of that along the coast as well.

Really, that whole stretch of coast is gorgeous - you won't be disappointed.

Thanks stormbird. I'll add Quobba to my wishlist.

We're actually one diver and one landlubber, but I might be talked into a bit a snorkeling.

Unfortunately, we won't have a 4WD, as we're driving up from Perth in our Toyota, but we're not adverse to taking a 4WD tour if the opportunity presents itself. As I reserarch, I'm taking note of which parks are 4WD access only so we won't be surprised when we get there.

I'm trying to come up with a reasonable driving itinerary, covering the Pinnacles, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Exmouth and the national parks and marine reserves surrounding them - there and back in 16 days.

I'm also toying with the idea of staying in country pubs, but
I haven't gotten that far yet.

A friend suggested Karijini National Park, but it looks to be a major detour from the coast and I doubt we have enough time.

The more I look, the more I find, so my head is swimming.

I'm off to buy a detailed map this morning.

Karijini and Millstream NPS would certainly deserve their own time. I did see it on the map and was going to suggest but thought that you won't be able to do them justice. We had a wonderful time at Karijini and Millstream - beautiful places -but another time for them Mel!

I think your original plan is sounding good. I liked Monkey Mia though some people poo poo it but we really enjoyed ourselves there. I have to admit we weren't too fussed on Geraldton and really, opted not to spend any time there. That was just us though.

Keep chipping away Mel and give us an update on your thoughts and plans.

lurking - would love to get over there!

Hi margo, lurkers are always welcome.

I've been here 18 months and I still can't get my head around how BIG this state is...Perth to Exmouth looks to be a 15 hour drive, some 1,200+ miles.

I've barely started to plan this trip and I'm already thinking ahead to the next one - flying in and out of Broome and exploring up that way.

At this rate we'll never get over east.

<<<Perth to Exmouth looks to be a 15 hour drive>>>

Or in our case Mel it was about a three month drive!

We only went as far as Kalbarri. It is amazing how far distances are and I'm used to distances living in Western US. We stayed a couple of days in Jurien Bay instead of Geraldton or Cervantes. I thought it was a good alternative. We stayed at the B&B The Heights. The owners were nice and very helpful. We had a chance to visit the Pinnacles at sunset which was beautiful. If you have a chance try to make it later in the afternoon when the color sare gold and there are long shadows. You do have to watch for roos along the road on the drive back to Jurien bay after sunset. We didn't get a chance to do much in Jurien Bay although we did explore the local parks for wildflowers (September) - Lesueur was very nice. For dinner in Jurien, we ate at Sandpiper Tavern. Depending upon what time of the year, etc, there are some other areas to explore in this region for wildflowers. Check the WA Wildflower Society for pages on wildflowers near Eneabba & Badgingarra if you are traveling during the season.

Between Jurien Bay and Kalbarri, we stopped in Geraldton for lunch and ate at Freemasons Hotel. It was good. I don't know if I really experienced Geraldton because the finals of Aussie Football was going on and everyone was watching the game. The streets were deserted and the shops all closed. From Geraldton, we turned off towards Horrocks drove along the coast instead of along Brand Hwy to Kalbarri. I recommend going this way if you are planning a stop in Kalbarri.

In Kalbarri, we stayed at the Best Western - it was okay - nothing special typical motel. We did enjoy dinner at Finlay's Fish BBQ. It took a bit of time to get our food but we loved the outdoors atmosphere. There are interesting drives and hikes in Kalbarri National Park. We didn't hike very far because it was pretty warm in September. We did the Loop to see Nature's Window and Z-Bend. At Z-bend we only walked a short distance down to the river. We loved the drives which are all on dirt but perfectly drivable in a passenger car. We also went to the Wildflower Center which was good.

I'm looking forward to reading your report. I still want to get back there some day.

Thank you travel4flowers, you've been a tremendous help. We're going in June, so no wildflowers unfortunately, but it should be nice and cool for hiking (I hope). I'm thinking about three nights in Kalbarri to give us plenty of time to explore the tracks - do you think that's sufficient or too long? I'd read somewhere that the Pinnacles were best viewed at sunset, so I guess I need to plan a night there too...at first I thought we could stop on our first day and then continue on, but perhaps not.

Following this with interest, great to hear all these suggestions, we're doing Perth to Broome in August. Hope Melnq8 can tell us all about the plan and the trip when you get back so that we can get your highlights!
Melnq8, you might remember I'm looking into car hire from Perth to Broome, and I still haven't found anything without a hefty one-way fee but looks like we'll have to live with it. I have however discovered an interesting option at ozpodscampers.com.au - we probably don't want to camp all the time - maybe country pubs or similar like you, but thought it would be great to be able to stop where we want and have the option to camp somewhere nice and wild (any favourite camping spots, stormbird?).
Good luck with the planning, and would be pleased to get any tips!

Just a thought ... http://www.standbyrelocs.com/

Thanks Bokhara2, someone did suggest this and it's a good idea, but I've noticed that there is a limited time to relocate the vehicle, for example Broome-Perth in 6 days, and we wanted to take 3 weeks for the trip. Also I'm a compulsive planner, so would like to get something booked rather than leave it until the last minute and not get what we want. But will definitely keep an eye on this site for developments, so thanks again.

Hi tockoloshe -

I'll post a proposed itinerary once I've got it sorted and I'll definitely post one of my much-too-detailed trip reports upon our return.

I just bought a great Perth to Broome map from a local bookshop - it's made by HEMA if you're interested.

I too, would like to get up to Broome, but alas, that's another trip for another time and we'll have to fly that one. My research tells me that the drive from Perth to Broome is 2,176-2,357 kilometers, between 27-29 hours, depending on the route.

It's been my experience that most car rental companies in Perth stipulate that their cars not be taken beyond a 500 km radius of Perth. Some will let you go further if you pay a higher rate, but I don't know if that includes Broome.

I certainly understand your dilemma and I hope you find a workable solution. Let us know what you decide to do.

We had a short time so we only spent two nights in Kalbarri. We only explored the area around ZBend and Nature's Window. It was easy to see both in a day although we didn't hike very far. We did spent the morning at the Wildflower Center before heading out to the park. If you want to see more than that one area, you will need another day.

If it doesn't work out to spend a night near the Pinnacles, you maybe able to fit it in on the drive. We wanted time to explore for flowers so we wanted to stay somewhere between Perth and Kalbarri. We didn't find a lot of options especially North of Geraldton. I think it is about a 7 hour drive direct on the Hwy. Or maybe you can do it on the return?

Hi Melnq8
Funnily enough I was just looking online for a good map - the exact title of the HEMA map would be very useful, thanks, good to get it on a recommendation.

Will let you know the outcome of the car hire problem, but it's proving more difficult than I imagined!

Hi travel4flowers, I am interested in flowers and flower photography - can you tell me if there will be a decent display in August, in the area you mentioned? Thanks!

That's certainly a possiblity travel4flowers. I'm toying with the idea of doing a leapfrog route, making stops at certain points on the drive up, then making stops at different points on the return.

Mel

Never think your trip reoorts are too detailed.

We all relish your discerning eye and skill at researching - and make use of your trip reports.

May have a Tassie trip coming up (again!) so off to see what's what!

You're very kind margo - I hope you'll post a Tassie report when you get back. I'm itching to get back to Tassie myself, but there never seems to be enough time or money...

tockoloshe - A random thought about that one way car rental...have you looked into breaking up the rental? Maybe rent a car in Perth to drop off in Exmouth, and then rent another car in Exmouth to drop off in Broome? It may make no difference whatsoever, and may in fact be even more expensive, but maybe it's worth a look? I'm just thinking that if there's less distance between the pick up and drop off it might be less expensive. Then again, maybe not...

Make sure you visit the HMAS Sydney memorial in Geraldton - very moving. The museum is also worth a visit - it has some of the material from the shipwreck of the Batavia - the rest is in the maritime museum in Fremantle. Plus there is a small but good art gallery.

You must be a mind reader marge - I was just now rearching things to see and do in Geraldton. Is Geraldton worth a few days exploration or merely an overnight?

Okay, the preliminary itinerary and some random thoughts...

1) Leave Perth early and drive to Nambung National Park (Pinnacles - 3:15 hours) which gives us the afternoon to explore the area and puts us there for sunrise and sunset - one night in Cervantes. If time allows, maybe a drive out to
the Mt Leusuer Gorge (24 km from Jurien Bay).

2) Drive from Cervantes to Kalbarri (5:30) via the coast road - three nights to explore the park and do some hiking

3) Drive from Kalbarri to Denham (4:45), our base of choice for exploring Shark Bay/Monkey Mia & Francois Peron National Park - three nights

4) Drive from Denham to Carnarvon, (4:00) - one night

5) Drive from Carnarvon to Exmouth (4:30)- three nights - main focus will be Cape Grange National Park - hiking Mandu Mandu Gorge, exploring Yardie Creek, Turquoise Bay, etc.

6) Drive from Exmouth to Coral Bay (2:00) - three nights - Ningaloo Reef Resort is a strong contender, primarily as there's little else to chose from!

7) Drive from Coral Bay to Carnarvon (3:00) side trip to Quobba - one night

8) Leave Carnarvon early and drive to Geraldton (5:30) with plans to visit the museum if there's time, overnight in either Greenlough or Dongara, both south of Geraldton and more interesting from what I've read

9) Drive from Geraldton to Perth (5:00)

I thought it would be fun to incorporate Purple Bra Day, an event held in North Hampton (north of Geraldton) to raise funds for breast cancer, but it looks as though we'll miss it by a day. Oh well...

Have I missed anything? Suggestions and comments?

Sounds like a great trip....I look forward to reading about it. We're hoping to get up that way in August.

Looks great. Just a fyi, there isn't much in Cervantes that I remember. I think it is mainly just the Best Western which is where most people stay.

I looked at the google map of the area around Lesueur. I remember that we drove up the dirt road Cockleshell Gully Drive but I can't remember if we went out to Green Head and then up through Leeman to the Brand. I think we did. I don't think there is much out there which is why I don't remember it but then - there ain't much on the Brand either. :) When you mentioned Dongara, I do think we drove off the highway and into the town which wasn't too bad. Very small town but there were services. I didn't notice hotels, etc but did notice a campground near the harbor/bay.

I also noticed that Google maps has street (hwy) view in this region. You can at least get a view of the roads. Drag the man over to the roads and it will give you view of the area.

Mel,
What a great trip. Hope it goes really well for you. I loved the Rock Wallabies and the fossilised shark teeth.

Stormbird,
"Or in our case Mel it was about a three month drive!" Just looked up our diaries and we raced through this area in a month.

Hi travel4flowers -

Thanks for the info, I'll take a look.

The Best Western Pinnacles Motel and the newer accomodation attached to it (Pinnacles Edge) seem to be the only game in town. I've had to re-arrange the trip because they require a three night stay as we're traveling over a public holiday. I can't imagine that many travelers spend more than a night there, and since they have the corner on the market it seems they're just taking advantage, so if I had a choice, I'd not stay there at all, especially given the reviews and price.

I considered Jurien Bay, but we don't relish driving back from sunset at the Pinnacles in the dark. I'm still tempted though.

We're leaning towards spending that Geraldton area night in North Hampton or Greenlough. Still researching...

Three days is a lot for the area especially if that is not your main destination.

It was about 30 minutes to drive from the Pinnacles to Jurien Bay. I totally understand your concern. The owner did warn us not to drive fast because of the frequency of 'roos on the road and some recent accidents. Sure enough, we saw a group on the shoulder so we took it pretty easy.

I found another place in Cervantes, a place called The Lodge, which has both backpacker accommodation and modest double units. A bit cheaper than the Best Western and since it's only for one night, it's under consideration. We definitely want to see Jurien Bay, and since it's only a 3-1/2 hour drive from Geraldton/Greenough to Cervantes, we should have plenty of time to do a bit of exploring before dusk.

You know you've lived in WA awhile when a 3.5 hour drive seems short ;)

Mel, do you know about stromatolites? Apparently they are in Shark Bay and as you are going there anyway, be sure to marvel at them. I have only seen pictures and a write up in the natural history museum in Sydney, but they are rounded rock-like formations made from the most primitive of organisms that helped form the atmosphere of our planet back in its early days. Without them we wouldn't be here, so it is a place to think about earth history and the many processes that got us to where we are now (and where we are going. . . ). Bill Bryson wrote about visiting here in his Australian book. I want to go there so much both for the stromatolites and the snorkeling with whale sharks!! Can't wait for your trip report. Your itinerary sounds fantastic. OZ DREAMIN' again and Western Australia is the target. Maybe 2011???
Sally in Seattle

Hi Sally,

Yep, the stromatolites are definitely on our list.

I've had a devil of a time booking accommodation - lodging is very limited and it's filling up quickly, and we're booking three months out!

FYI to those of you hoping to see whale sharks...I spoke with a dive operator in Coral Bay who told me that June is getting late in the season. The whale sharks appeared in Coral Bay this past week. Apparently, Coral Bay gets the sharks early in the season and then they work their way further north towards Exmouth. We're thinking about booking a whale shark tour from Exmouth, since we'll be there first. The main difference between the trips from Exmouth and Coral Bay seems to be logistics. Tours from Exmouth involve a 45 minute drive to the launching point, whereas tours from Coral Bay pop right into the water.

Also, every operator I've researched offers a free repeat tour if no sharks are spotted, so it pays to have a few days to work with just in case.

We're booked! Finding accommodation was a challenge, partly because pickins' are slim, partly because it's high season and partly because I'm picky and value oriented.

I made a discovery I thought I'd share for those of you who may not know...the respective Visitors Centers have online booking sites, where you can search for accommodation by date, type, and town. Some can be booked instantly, others may take up to 24 hours to confirm, but it's magic! I found a few places listed on the Visitors Centers sites that I wouldn't have found otherwise, as they don't have their own websites. I feel kinda stupid that it took me so long to figure this out.

I've booked us an assortment of apartments, caravan park ensuite cabins, a "resort" and a few B&Bs. A real mix. Should be interesting.

The final itinerary:

Perth to Kalbarri (7:00) - three nights
Kalbarri to Monkey Mia (4:45) - three nights in Denham
Denham to Carnarvon (4:00) - one night
Carnarvon to Exmouth (4:30) - three nights
Exmouth to Coral Bay (2:00) - three nights
Coral Bay to Carnarvon (3:00) and side trip to Quobba - one night
Carnarvon to Greenough (near Geraldon - 5:30) - one night and side trip to the Principality of Hutt River just for grins.
Greenough to Cervantes (3:15) - one night
Cervantes to Perth (3:15)

Now off to research those dive operators.

Just as you are planning to do, my husband and I spent several nights in Coral Bay and several nights in Exmouth (this was in 2002). We scuba dived Ningaloo Reef out of Coral Bay. While we were there also went out on a snorkeling trip to observe manta rays, during which we were lucky enough to see a manta ray mating chain.
We did our whale shark snorkeling trip out of Exmouth. At that time, you were not allowed to scuba dive with the whale sharks, only snorkel. I don't know if this has changed. They used spotter planes to detect the sharks. As soon as our boat caught up to the whale sharks, a group of about six to eight of us jumped into the water, entering the water one after the other as fast as possible. We spent about 15 to 20 minutes snorkeling beside the whale sharks (there were two), which had a couple of remoras attached to them, and were accompanied by bright golden jacks.
They swam swiftly through the water with their mouths wide open. We were instructed to keep a respectful distance from the whale sharks (I think it was 5 metres). At one point, one whale shark swam straight at me (imagine the gaping mouth of a whale shark heading straight at you). Though it was easy enough to swim out of the way. Once our group returned to the boat, the other group was allowed to jump in the water with the whale sharks. Though, I seem to recall, at one point the whole group was in the water at the same time.
While at first I began swimming alongside the whale shark, I could barely see it because other snorkelers were blocking my access to it, but after a while the other swimmers tired out and fell behind and I was finally allowed to view it unobstructed. I swim several hours a week, so I had no trouble keeping up with the shark (at least for 15 to 20 minutes--I don't think I could have kept up with it for an hour or more!). So if you don't regularly do a lot of swimming you might want to practice in preparation for your trip.
We also went scuba diving during the same outing, but not while the whale sharks were in the water.
We went out with Exmouth Diving Centre and there was a diver in the water with us shooting a video, which we could later buy. I would imagine they've gone digital by now.
One of the highlights of our trip to Exmouth was a dive off the Point Murat Navy Pier. This is an easy dive from shore, not very deep, about 10 metres as I recall. Diving off the Navy Pier is like diving in a well-stocked aquarium, octopus, sharks, lots of colorful fish and shiny silver fish. Absolutely beautiful. Not to be missed.
There are also some beautiful beaches around Exmouth. We enjoyed spending several hours sunning at Mauritius Beach. We saw lots of wildlife on or near the roadway, such as kangaroos, emus, heaps of cockatoos and gullahs. It seemed a great area for birdwatching.

Thank you very much Diamantina.

There's still no diving with the whale sharks, just snorkeling - that hasn't changed. It's regulated by CALM and from what I understand only 10 people can be in the water with the whale sharks at any given time.

I've come across several websites where folks have commented that they had very little time in the water with the whale sharks because the tour operators share the spotter planes. Several boats will be at the same location, and only 10 people in the water at a time split amongst 6-7 boats, makes for little time per snorkler, which seems a shame give the high price tag of the tours.

I've been comparing the various 'dive' companies and they all seem to pretty much offer the same tour, but it's pricy at $360-$415 (the highest including a short dive on the way out to see the whale sharks).

I appreciate your comments on Navy Pier too - I was reading up on that just yesterday. From what I understand Ningaloo Reef Dreaming is the only operator who can access that site. Something to do with them having the contract with the Navy?

A few questions...

Did you find the drive from Exmouth to the boat launch site for the whale shark snorkel to be an issue?

Where you happy with Exmouth Dive Center?

Hey, mel, check out www.ningaloodreaming.com This is what they say about the whale shark experience:
Swimming with a whale shark is one of those experiences that you will never, ever forget. Whilst in Exmouth don't miss the opportunity to snorkel and see the grace and beauty of these awesome, gentle giants (some over 12 metres long) as they glide through the crystal clear waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park, an annual occurrence that has been going on for thousands of years. Scheduled to depart every day between late March and end of July. Unlike other whaleshark tours in Exmouth that share a spotter plane between them, we charter our own spotter plane. Why? So you get to swim much longer with your own whaleshark, rather than having to wait your turn with customers from up to six other boats.

Sounds good. Let us know!
Sally in Seattle

Thanks Sally - I'd already been considering Ningaloo Dreaming for that very reason. I plan to give them a call this week to get the low down.

Like others on this message, I eagerly await your trip report for this adventure. Since my two previous trips to Australia involved mostly east coast places, I've had to pull my map out to see exactly where you are going. My next trip will definitely take in the western parts of the country so I anticipate getting lots of tips from your report. Happy travels.

Sorry Melnq8, I do not visit this site so often so I did not see your questions.
When we went snorkeling with the whale sharks eight years ago, we were the only boat, so we were lucky to have enough time with the whale sharks, but it seems Exmouth has become more popular and more expensive (or maybe it just seems so to me because the dollar is weaker).
Plus, we had two spottings. The first with a pair of whale sharks and then the second with just one whale shark. I guess we were lucky. We got to jump in twice.
Exmouth Diving Center was great back then--we went with them to see the whale sharks and to dive the Navy Pier, but, based on the above current posting from SnR, it seems like the best choice now would be Ningaloo Dreaming if they have their own spotter plane.
Sorry, I can't recall the drive from the diving center to the dock. I don't think it was a very long drive. I do remember it was a bit of a ride out to the Navy Pier. I remember this because I can still recall the conversations I had in the van with my fellow divers.
We were happy with Exmouth Diving Center. We chose an accommodation right next door, so it was very convenient. But things could be different now.

Thanks again Diamantina. I've been scouring the scuba dive forums and it seems both Ningaloo Dreaming and Exmouth Dive Center are getting some bad reviews. Add to that a negative review for Ningaloo Dreaming from an acquaintance who just returned from Exmouth, and I'm beginning to thing that sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

Forgot to mention earlier that I found a B&B in Cervantes, so I can stand by my resolve to avoid the opportunistic Best Western. Hopefully, it won't bite me in the arse.

Just topping to see if there are any more suggestions or recent experiences with Exmouth dive operators.