Best of the Coral Coast

Day 1: Perth to Lancelin and Cervantes

Join the Indian Ocean Drive north of Perth, and stop for a sandy adventure in Lancelin.

Go sandboarding or four-wheel-driving on Western Australia’s largest sand dunes, or climb to the summit and take in sweeping panoramas of the Indian Ocean and coastal plains.

Lancelin is also famed for its world-class wind and wave conditions, making it a top spot to test your windsurfing skills. Take a lesson, or just watch the pros in action.

Continue north to reach the rock lobster capital of Cervantes in time for lunch, before heading south to Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles.

Take a short detour to Lake Thetis along the way and you’ll meet some of the oldest living fossils on Earth – stromatolites and strombalites.

When you reach the Pinnacles, you can choose to walk or drive through the curious limestone spires that were formed over millions of years.

A visit to the Pinnacles Discovery Centre will explain its mysteries, and introduce you to the region’s history and habitats.

Stay to watch the desert moods and colours change as the sun sets.

Day 2: Cervantes to Geraldton

Just a half hour drive from Cervantes is the popular holiday spot of Jurien Bay, where you can meet some of Australia’s rarest and most playful marine life on a morning tour of the sea lion colony.

Divers and snorkellers will love discovering the biodiversity of Jurien Bay Marine Park, while caving enthusiasts will find wonder, challenge and wildlife exploring the caves of Stockyard Gully National Park, accessible only by 4WD.

Head for the historic twin-town of Dongara-Denison and enjoy lunch in the shade of the fig trees on Moreton Terrace.

Discover Dongara’s colonial heritage along the 1.6 kilometre walk trail. Explore the beautifully preserved Central Greenough Historic Settlement. Or head straight to the city of Geraldton and Geraldton Museum for insights into the region’s Aboriginal, maritime, colonial and Spanish missionary history.

Take in panoramic Indian Ocean sunset views, before heading back to Geraldton’s buzzing foreshore for dinner.

Day 3: Geraldton to Kalbarri

Join a half-day fishing, diving or snorkelling charter to the Abrolhos Islands and explore Geraldton’s water sports playground of 122 coral-fringed islands. Scenic flights are also available.

Drive two hours from Geraldton and you’ll reach the point where 400 million years of history meets the Indian Ocean in Kalbarri National Park.

If you’re visiting between July and October, you can see more than 1,100 varieties of Western Australian wildflowers in bloom here, and witness the migration of humpback whales to their feeding grounds in the southern oceans.

Before dinner on Kalbarri foreshore, watch the sunset light up the dramatic coastal rock formations.

Day 4: Kalbarri National Park

There are many ways you can explore the park’s striking natural beauty – aboard a river cruise, on a camel or horse trek, or with a quad biking, kayaking, canyoning or abseiling tour guide. Deep sea fishing charters are also available from the town.

If you prefer to go self-guided, head up to the lookouts and hike the trails to gaze in awe at the ancient river gorge and rock formations.

Return to Kalbarri to relax on the beaches of the coast and inlet, take an afternoon stroll along the cliff tops, or try your luck at beach fishing to catch dinner.

Day 5: Kalbarri to Shark Bay and Monkey Mia

Stock up on water and lunch supplies and follow the North West Coastal Highway for two and a half hours until you reach the gateway to Shark Bay.

From here, Shark Bay World Heritage Drive will expose the living fossils, rare wildlife and unique landscapes that have earned this region World Heritage status.

Get a glimpse of life on Earth over 3,500 million years ago by stopping at Hamelin Pool Stromatolites to meet the oldest living marine fossils on Earth.

Take a walk along Shell Beach, a stretched white beach made of billions of tiny shells. It’s one of only two beaches of its kind in the world.

If you’re travelling with children, visit Ocean Park Aquarium for close encounters with the many marine creatures that call Shark Bay home.

Stay in Denham or continue on to Monkey Mia in time for dinner with a view.

Day 6: Monkey Mia

Make a beeline for Monkey Mia’s shoreline in the morning, where magical and memorable close encounters with wild bottlenose dolphins can be enjoyed every day.

Spend the rest of the morning swimming or exploring the bay in a kayak, or get some insights into dolphin biology and behaviour at the Dolphin Information Centre.

You can meet the wild dolphins on a wildlife cruise, where you’re also likely to spot sea turtles, manta rays, and dugongs.

Or join an Aboriginal cultural tour to see Shark Bay’s unique flora and fauna through the eyes of its traditional owners and custodians – one of the oldest surviving cultures on Earth.

Day 7: Monkey Mia to Coral Bay

From Monkey Mia or Denham, you can make your way back to Perth, or continue up the coast to experience another World Heritage wonder – Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef.

A four-hour and 20-minute drive from Denham will bring you to Carnarvon in time for lunch. Stop to feast on fresh local seafood and tropical fruits from the region’s plantations.

Passing through the Tropic of Capricorn, you’ll reach Coral Bay in three hours. From here, you’re just a few steps and a short swim from the coral gardens of Ningaloo Reef – home to some 500 species of fish and 300 varieties of coral.

Before heading to the restaurants to dine on the catch of the day, take a stroll or a seat on the beach and watch the colours of Coral Bay set for the day.

Day 8: Coral Bay to Exmouth

Head out for an early morning snorkel from the shore, or join a tour to explore the outer reef, where you’re likely to encounter dugongs, turtles, dolphins and graceful manta rays.

You can opt to stay dry aboard a glass-bottom boat, take a guided snorkel tour, or hire a sea kayak.

Make the two-and-a-half-hour drive north from Coral Bay to Exmouth – the northern gateway to Ningaloo Reef and Cape Range National Park.

It’s recommended to book any Ningaloo Reef tours from Exmouth before your arrival, but you can check late availability, pick up maps and find out about local attractions at Exmouth Visitor Centre.

Day 9: Ningaloo Reef

Let Exmouth’s knowledgeable tour guides lead you on an adventure you won’t ever forget.

Between March and July, you can join a gentle whale shark tour and experience the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of swimming with the largest fish in the ocean.

Tours of the outer-reef operate year round and offer close encounters with Ningaloo’s many varieties of fish, colourful corals and majestic marine mammals.

You can also go in search of big-game fishing thrills with a local charter, or drop off into one of Western Australia’s top dive sites at Navy Pier.

If you have time after your half or full-day tour, take the 12-kilometre drive to historic Vlamingh Head Lighthouse.

Enjoy the sweeping ocean vista as the sun sets, and if you’re visiting between June and November, look out from this scenic vantage point to spot migrating humpback whales.

Day 10: Exmouth to Cape Range National Park

Pack plenty of water and a picnic lunch and take a drive around the cape. In the early morning, you are more likely to spot kangaroos, emus and lizards along the way.

Spend your morning exploring the snorkel trails, relaxing on white-sand beaches and swimming in inviting lagoons, such as the aptly-named Turquoise Bay.

Make your way to Yardie Creek for a lunchtime wildlife cruise of the gorge (seasonal).

If you’re arriving later in the afternoon, you can explore the rugged red canyons of Cape Range on foot, follow one of the bushwalking trails at Yardie Creek or Mandu Mandu Gorge.