From Wikitravel

Exmouth is a small town in Western Australia, halfway between Perth and Broome a good base to visit the Cape Range National Park and dive on the nearby Ningaloo Reef.

[edit] Get in

By car, it is a very long drive from Perth or Broome (1270 km), or an extremely long drive to Darwin (3400 km).

By plane, the Learmonth Airport is located 40km south of the town. There are daily flights to Perth with Skywest Airlines, and regular flights to Broome, Monkey Mia and Carnavon. National Jet flies from Perth to Cocos Islands with a stop at Learmonth.

By bus, Greyhound offers a regular service from and to Exmouth. Several "backpacker" buses also stop in town.

[edit] Get around

Even though the town is small and it is possible to go around on foot, everything is fairly spread out. Walking from one side of town to the next may prove a fair trek, especially in the summer.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit][add listing] Do

While Exmouth does not have much to offer in terms of nightlife or cosmopolitan atmosphere, the surrounding area is very unique. The ocean around Exmouth is teeming with life in the Ningaloo Reef, and the Cape Range National Park offers unique sights for landlubbers.

[edit] Sea

The Ningaloo Reef, near the Exmouth town, is sometimes less than a few hundred meters off the coast. Several small dive companies and resorts offer dive trips to various locations on the reef. There are many attractive dive sites not far off-shore in Lighthouse Bay (near Vlamingh Head lighthouse). Excursions are also offered to the Point Murat Navy Pier. The Pier is a restricted area (and temporarily completely off-limits to all), but rated as one of the top shore-dives in the world. It is only possible to dive the Pier with a licenced operator. Another popular diving destination are the Muiron Islands, approximately 7 nm off Point Murat. These islands are a natural reserve and a popular breeding grounds for sea turtles. The islands' coastline offers spectacular coral formations and an abundance of wildlife.

In March and April Whale Sharks will come into the bay around Exmouth. It is possible to book day-tours with the local dive shops to see and swim with the sharks. Spotter planes are used by the shops, so chances of actually finding one (or several) are very high. It is possible to put on snorkeling gear and swim with the sharks, but since these are a protected species some rules will have to be followed.

The bay is also a popular breeding ground for Humpback Whales. In autumn and spring the bay is virtually crawling with whales. It is possible to book Whale Watching tours with local operators to appreciate these magnificent mammals. If you're driving a boat yourself, be very cautious. You wouldn't be the first to hit one.

[edit] Land

The Cape Range National Park is about an hour's drive from Exmouth. The park covers over 50,000 hectares of arid land. Wildlife found there includes the typically Australian kangaroos and emus, but also the more unique and lesser known Blind Cave Gudgeon (Milyeringa veritas). The gudgeons are amazing little creatures which are completely blind (they appear to have evolved without eyes) and can survive in virtually any environment-- from highly toxic fresh water to pure sea water. In the park there are also several beaches where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. These are sign-posted and stands will provide some more information on the turtles.

[edit][add listing] Buy

If you are travelling South, you would be well advised to purchase all groceries and alcohol that you will need (including drinking water) at the supermarket here, as supplies are very limited in Coral Bay and prices are much higher.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

There are several small pubs in Exmouth where it's possible to have a beer (or many).

The Potshot Hotel holds a friday-night disco in its "Bamboo-bar," which is lovingly known as the "Bimbo-bar" by the locals. This is the only night when anything happens in Exmouth, so you'll find everyone here usually on the far end of the intoxication spectrum. For this reason it is also highly advisable not to book any dive tours on saturday mornings (tour operators will often run late, wobble and complain about mysterious headaches and/or food poisoning).

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Visitors to Exmouth mainly stay at one of the several campsites in their campervans or caravans. While there is other lodging available, most of it isn't exactly luxurious. The camp sites in town offer Youth-Hostel style backpacker accommodation, and it's possible to rent "cabins" which are really just caravans without wheels.

The Potshot resort is the most up-scale lodging in town, offering motel-style rooms and apartments.

[edit] Get out

The only road out of town goes South, but before reaching back the Northwest Coastal Highway, you can make a stop at Coral Bay, which offers its own diving spots on the reef.

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