Outback Coast And Gascoyne Region
With its safe swimming, spectacular diving and snorkeling, and lively marine life, the Outback Coast stretches from Shark Bay and its dolphins in the south to the whale sharks and corals of the Ningaloo Marine Park in the north. Though the region sees plenty of visitors year-round, winter is peak season, when caravanning Perthites park themselves along the sunny coast to wait out the cold weather down south.
Of the major coastal destinations between Perth and Exmouth, only Geraldton and Carnarvon are actually along Hwy 1. Kalbarri, Shark Bay, and Exmouth all require significant detours. The routes from the highway to the coast are all paved, but service stops are up to l60km apart, and the roads become hillier and narrower. Keep your eyes peeled for wandering ‘roos, emus, sheep, and cattle in the road. Heading north from Kalbarri or south from Carnarvon, you’ll pass a roadhouse at Overlander marking the turn-off for Shark Bay. It’s a 129km drive northwest along the Peron Peninsula to Denham, then another 24km to the Monkey Mia Reserve. The road to Coral Bay and Exmouth splits from the North West Coastal Hwy 350km north of the Overlander just past the 24-hour Minilya Roadhouse. Turn left to head to Exmouth, 217km to the north. Hwy 1 continues toward Port Hedland.
Related Travel Information
Carnarvon
Carnarvon is situated 904kms north of Perth on the mouth of the Gascoyne River overlooking a picturesque inlet known as the Fascine. First settled in 1883, the town has had a colourful history and was the first port in Australia, and probably the world, where livestock was transported regularly on a commercial basis by sea.
Banana plantations now form the basis of a thriving agricultural industry. A large range of produce including exotic fruits are available direct from the plantations for you to enjoy. Thriving prawning and scallop industries also operate from Carnarvon. Lake Macleod Salt Mine situated 65km north of
Flinders Ranges And Outback
As you head north into South Australia's famed Flinders Ranges, the Australian outback surpasses legend and becomes dirt real. The endless hills of colored dust and sagebrush, with the road threading through them like a dribble, make all the trite sayings come true. Humans become minuscule in the face of the land, the sky never ends, the colors deepen with the setting sun as intense russets, blazing oranges, and soft purples emerge and darken before the burning sun reclaims the land with its unrelenting glare
The Flinders Ranges begin at the northern end of the Gulf of St.
Midlands And Batayia Coast
Renowned as much for the seas of bright color that blanket the region during the autumn wildflower season as for its beautiful coast, this region depends on fishing, agriculture, and tourism to earn its keep. The Branch Hwy marches north from Perth a few dozen kilometers inland from the coastline of the Indian Ocean, while the wheat-growing Midlands extend for hundreds of kilometers to the east. The Batavia Coast stretches from just north of the Pinnacles up as far as the red cliffs of Kalbarri, and takes its name from the most famous of the many shipwrecks
Central West
The cities and towns of the Central West lie between the rugged plateaus of the Blue Mountains and the stark dryness of outback New South Wales. The major route into the region from the east is the Great Western Hwy, which crosses through the Blue Mountains to Bathurst From Bathurst, die Mitchell Hwy heads northwest to Dubbo, Bourke, and beyond, and the Mid Western Hwy runs southwest to Cowra and evenŽtually Hay. Both of these roads intersect the Newell Hwy, the major route between Melbourne and Brisbane, which cuts a long path across the Central West. Most towns of
North Coast of Queensland
The northern Queensland coast sits at the junction of the tropical far north, the rugged frontier of the outback, and the civilized cities of the southern coastline. Waving fields and smoking mills represent the region's greatest industry, sugar cane. Towns-ville, Queensland's second largest city, is the economic and residential center of the area. Off its shores, Magnetic Island offers solitude and koalas in the wild. Between here and Mission Beach, white beaches glow next to crystalline water, across which the Great Barrier Reef beckons. The miles inland hide swaths of rainforest populated by birds, bugs, and bouncing
