I recently spent a 3 day weekend in Coral Bay and Exmouth with friends and highly recommend a visit to this part of WA.
We left Perth early on Friday morning at 6.15am with Skywest Airlines and arrived at Learmonth Airport around 9am. After picking up the keys to our hire car we drove straight to Coral Bay, which is about 120kms south and 1 hours drive. The villa we had booked into was ready early so we checked in, dropped our bags, grabbed our snorkelling gear and hopped straight across the road to the beach! Coral Bay beach has beautiful white, sand and crystal clear water. We only had to swim out a short distance before the colourful coral appeared, with snapper and other fish darting around.
Coral Bay has good facilities, all within walking distance from the main beach. There is a shopping complex with supermarket, tour desk, bakery, newsagent, gift shop etc and another general store, petrol station, tour desk, fish and chip shop and cafes nearby. Public barbeques are situated on the grassed area overlooking the main beach, which is picturesque as the sun sets. Although most facilities are within walking distance, quad bikes are a popular way to get around so you can explore the beaches, bays and trails in the area.
The morning of our second day was spent at the beach again, with our snorkelling gear. We did attempt to walk up to the Shark Nursery, which is at the far end of the beach, but the rocky shoreline and my bare feet prevented us from getting all the way there (as well as being bitten by a sand crab!) We decided to head to Exmouth mid-morning, where we had booked a Coral Viewing glass bottom boat excursion. This is also available from the beach in Coral Bay, but as the boys were going to spend the afternoon at Exmouth’s Navy Pier we decided to take one from Exmouth. This was a fantastic experience and we were lucky enough to see a pair of turtles frolicking in the waters off Bundegi Beach, a small reef shark, stingray and schools of tropical fish. The tour was very informative and concluded with an hour of free time snorkelling the reef.
The Exmouth Navy Pier is classed as one of Australia’s Best Ten Shore Dives and one of the best dive sites in the world. As it remains a working defence facility, the dive is only available through a licensed dive centre for certified divers, who have logged dives at least 6 months prior. The underwater photos from this dive are some of the best I have seen and show the vast array of marine life inhabiting the area.
On our last morning we had a final swim and leisurely breakfast then took the 1 ½ hour drive to Exmouth again to see a bit more of the town. Exmouth is a bigger town than Coral bay, with more shops and facilities, and the beach is a short drive from the centre of town. We drove around the new marina, past the Naval Communication Station and up to the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, which offered spectacular views of the coastline. Then it was back to the airport in the afternoon for our flight home.
There are many more places to explore and things to see around Coral Bay and Exmouth if you have time, such as the Cape Range National Park and beaches north of Coral Bay. Not to mention the marine life, such as whale sharks from April to July each year and Manta Rays year round. It is one of my favourite locations in WA and I will certainly be visiting again!
Did you know?
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It is prohibited to take photos of Learmonth Airport, as it is a RAAF base as well as well as airport
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The drive from Learmonth Airport to Coral Bay is about 120kms south. Coral Bay to Exmouth is approximately 155 kms.
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Emus wander around freely in Exmouth town centre and can be seen on the way from Coral Bay to Exmouth (as well as kangaroos, wedge-tail eagles and other wildlife)
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You can access Ningaloo Reef from the beach in Coral Bay. It is only metres from the shoreline!
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You can only access the Navy Pier as part of a tour/dive group. It is not accessible to the general public
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There is only Telstra mobile service operating in the Exmouth/Coral Bay area (and limited Optus coverage)
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Tap water is obtained from the artesian bores and is suitable for cooking, dishwashing, showering and laundry. Desalinated water is available in separate taps at accommodation in Coral Bay and is suitable for drinking.
