Best Drives: WA’s Coral Coast

Down south the weather is chilling that little bit and the days getting shorter. And that means it’s time to start thinking about a winter escape.

Chasing the sun has become an integral part of life for many of us, be it a family looking for a quick break from the grind, or grey nomads who have hitched up the van and headed out for the long lap.

There are plenty of options; places like Port Douglas on the far north-east coast of Queensland, or the wonderful Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

But in this case, we’re looking further west. In fact, as far west as you can go and stay on the Australian mainland. We’re taking the drive along the Coral Coast.

Where is it?

The route is more than 1100km, officially starting at Cervantes two hours north of Perth and running all the way to the North West Cape and Exmouth.

There are some incredibly famous tourist attractions along the way, like the Pinnacles limestone formations, the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and the Ningaloo Reef.

But there is also kilometre after kilometre of white, sandy beaches and warm salt water alive with tropical fish and beautiful coral. Those beaches are generally calm and safe places to swim and snorkel in because of the reef that stretches much of the route’s length.

At plenty of points along the Coral Coast drive you can stand on a beach, looking out over still waters to see the Indian Ocean turning white as it bashes into the reef just a few hundred metres off-shore.

Then, you can turn around and stroll a few seconds to your caravan or camper nestled just behind the dunes in one of the many camping areas along this drive.

Doing the Coral Coast this way requires a reasonable amount of self-sufficiency and if you really want to get off the beaten track a four-wheel drive is sensible.

But if you don’t want to be that bold that’s fine as there are plenty of towns and villages to stay in along the route with caravan parks and motel-style accommodation.

We took a four-wheel drive and a swag for our trip and mixed up nights under the stars with the occasional luxurious break in a motel or pub for the chance to grab a hot shower and sleep between sheets.

Winter is a very stable time of year in this part of the world, with temperatures down south averaging 20 degrees during the day, climbing to 25 degrees and above up north.

Hitting the road

Once you exit Perth on Indian Ocean Drive the trip highlights start almost straight away with a stop in at Lancelin – just south of where the Coral Coast drive officially starts – to have a blast around on the famous snow-white sand dunes … along with a few hundred other people.

Not much farther up the road are the Pinnacles. These rock sentinels guard the Nambung National Park just a few kilometres from the highway. The cool thing is you can drive in amongst them and then go for a walk for a closer inspection.

We drove on the beach for the first time at Jurien Bay, an idyllic little town typical of what you will find at the southern end of the Coral Coast. A decent caravan park, a pub, a couple of shops, a lot of grey hair and a deep blue ocean stretching to the horizon.

Despite the name, the Coral Coast isn’t just about the water. You can turn inland and explore the bush and farmland that runs eastward. The deep red gravel roads are dazzling to the eye, as are the blazing yellow canola fields.

Back on the coast headed for Geraldton, a significant port 415km north of Perth with a population of nearly 40,000, there’s plenty of evidence that not every day is idyllic.

Trees are literally flattened by the wind. They still have roots in the ground, but the easterlies have forced them to bow low, as if in servitude.

In Geraldton there’s a chance to stock up on supplies, hunt out good coffee and then drive up to Mount Scott to visit the memorial to HMAS Sydney, the WWII cruiser sunk in 1941 after a gun battle with the German raider Kormoran.

There’s something intensely sad about the statue of a woman looking forever out to sea, waiting for the 645 sailors who will never come home.

Created by renowned Irish-born West Australia sculptor Charlie Smith, the site is crowned by a dome of seagulls, one for each sailor lost.

Different worlds

Geraldton marks a change in the look and feel of our journey. It’s a gateway into a more arid world. The further north from this point we go, the drier it gets.

And yet there is still a certain grandeur about this crumbling, ancient land. It looks and feels weary, worn done from its pomp through the eons. And the contrast to the sea, so full of life, is astounding.

We’re now following the North West Coastal Highway, or National Route 1. It’s one lane each way, has the occasional passing lane, is coarse-chip, well-made and populated with a reasonable smattering of business and private transport.

Lots of big-rigs and lots of SUVs with caravans on the back up here. Lots of Toyotas, plenty of Nissans, a surprising number of Jeep Grand Cherokees and some Mitsubishi Pajeros. Even a few Land Rovers and Range Rovers.

Some of the set-ups are ridiculously lavish, others done on a budget, a few clearly without a budget at all!

At the Overlander Roadhouse, 700km north of Perth, is the turn-off to the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.  It’s most famous for the Monkey Mia dolphins, the world’s oldest fossils at Hamelin Pool and the Francois Perron National Park.

But our objective is Steep Point, as far west as you can drive and still be on mainland Australia.

4x4 territory

It’s about 190km to Steep Point from the turn-off. The journey starts on bitumen, then turns to a gravel road and then it’s 30km of sandy tracks through the Edel Land conservation area. This is also the road to historic and fascinating Dirk Hartog Island, which we wrote about last year.

This is 4x4 territory and you’ll need to lower tyre pressures to about 20psi to ensure you get up the sandiest climbs. This is a road you can tow an off-road caravan on, but note that Steep Point camping is at Shelter Bay and sites are always in demand.

You’ll have to book through WA Parks and Wildlife and do it well in advance. You’ll also have to bring everything you need to sustain yourself. There’s no Maccas or 7-Eleven around here.

The view from Steep Point is simply spectacular. Sheer rock cliffs plunging into a boiling sea. Further off-shore humpback whales cruise past on their migration path. Spectacular.

From here we backtrack to the highway, head north to re-stock at Carnarvon and then it’s on to Coral Bay. This tiny village has a permanent population of only a couple of hundred, but mid-winter it overflows with visitors.

The camping grounds and motels are full, the outdoor restaurants filled to the brim each night with conversation and laughter.

Dive into the water and it’s easy to understand the attraction. The water is clear, the marine life abundant and the coral all colours of the rainbow. The bay has its own resident population of Manta Rays and it is not unusual to see them gliding by.

Back on land there are 4x4 tracks through the dunes to the south of the town. You will need to lower tyre pressures and, in some places, select low range as well. But it’s worth it when you drive out on to the beach as the shimmering suns sets in the west.

Heading bush

From Coral Bay most people will stick to the blacktop for the run north to Exmouth. But if you’re properly prepared and up for it then turn left on to the Cardabia-Ningaloo Rd just as you leave town. It’s gravel, but it’s well formed and it hugs the coast north.

Eventually it reaches Ningaloo Station, where you can check out the old Point Cloates lighthouse, wander the ruins of the Norwegian Bay whaling station and camp – for a small fee — in the old shearers quarters.

From Ningaloo Station we hook up with the Yardie Creek Rd for the drive to Exmouth. But as the name suggests, eventually you are going to get to Yardie Creek, which means check out your tidal charts to make sure you’re here at the right time.

In a 4x4 you’ll get across at low tide no problem. The base of the creek entry is firm and the soft sand on the far side negotiable in low range.

You’re now in the Cape Range National Park and closing in on the end of the journey. Here, there’s more magnificent swimming at places like Turquoise Bay.

The strong current means you can literally drift from one side of the bay to the other. Head down with a snorkel set on and it’s a wonderful, relaxing view.

There are camp grounds situated all along this glorious coastline. There’s no power, fees apply and there are restrictions on the length of your stay, but the compensations are immense and only a few steps away.

I hope I never come back here and find high-rise apartments and resorts crowding out this natural paradise.

It’s a tradition to head up to the very top of the cape and take in the sunrise and sunset from the Vlamingh Head lighthouse. From here you can see where you’ve come from to the south and the Ningaloo Reef to the west.

The wreck of the SS Mildura is a few minutes drive away toward Exmouth, itself only 20km down the road.

End of the road

After a few days on the dusty road Exmouth is a welcome pocket of civilisation. A cold beer and well cooked steak is easy to find. Mind you the Emus wandering the streets are a reminder you’ve travelled far from the winter chill back home.

It’s a great base to use for an exploration of the Ningaloo Reef with its 500 fish species and spectacular coral gardens, to check out the local beaches and surf spots and to investigate the Cape Range National Park.

That includes the spectacular Charles Knife Canyon, which carves through the ancient red landscape.

Exmouth marks the end of the Coral Coast and the end of our journey. We’ve come more than 1200km from Perth, yet we’re not much more than a third of the way to the Northern Territory border.

So much more to see; the Pilbara, the Kimberley and the many attractions they offer.

Next time. Definitely.

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