Day 1
Perth to Pinnacles
We loved our visit to The Pinnacles. It was a ‘desert meets sea’ experience. The Pinnacles are limestone formations within Nambung National Park. There are many theories of how they formed but some say they came from seashells.
We took the 9km loop drive through the majestic pinnacles. There are many places to pull up the van and soak up the views where the desert meets the sea. We were surrounded by thousands of these rock formations rising from the yellow sand of the Pinnacles Desert.
Day 2
Pinnacles to Kalbarri
We fell in love with the rugged coastline and the national park of Kalbarri. With so many natural discoveries to explore, this is a place where we felt in our element.
The places we visited on our way to and during our time in Kalbarri are;
Pink Lake – Hutt Lagoon
While on the road to Kalbarri we were amazed as we were passing by this natural pink lake.
Coastal Cliffs
We spent some time hiking the tracks of the Coastal Cliffs of Kalbarri. These various walking tracks follow the stunning coastline.
Natures Window
This was one of our favourite spots in Kalbarri National Park. A rock formation which frames a perfect view over the Murchison River gorge.
Z Bend
We headed to the lookout over the steep 150m drop of the gorge.
Red Bluff
We watched the sunset over the sandstone cliffs from this lookout
Day 3
Kalbarri to Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a world heritage listed site. It is one of the only places in the world which is home to all four of the natural criteria for a world heritage area. With all of its natural features, colourful landscapes and expansive wildlife, we found it easy to fall in love with Shark Bay.
The places we visited during our time in Shark Bay are:
Little Lagoon
This spot was perfect for a picnic and a swim. We took a walk around the calm and clear lagoon.
Eagle Bluff
This beautiful lookout gives you a birdseye view of the blue waters, cliffs and sea life below.
Shell Beach
This beach is entirely made up of the Hamelin Cockle Shell. Super strange to have shells under your feet instead of sand.
Stromatolites
We had an awesome visit to the stromatolites, the oldest living organism in the world at over 3 billion years old
Monkey Mia
We loved this part of Shark Bay. The calm clear water was perfect for an afternoon on a kayak so we took one out and ended up having a really special experience. As we glided along a friendly bottlenose dolphin joined us and swam next to us, ducking beneath and beside our kayak for about 15 minutes.
Day 4
Shark Bay to Coral Bay
Coral Bay was one of our favourite stops on Australia’s Coral Coast. It is the beginning of the beautiful Ningaloo Reef. We loved exploring the sand dunes and the awesome snorkelling right on our doorstep.
The places we visited during our time in Coral Bay are:
Bills Bay and Purdy Point
We swam out to the left of the bay towards the drop-off and let the drift bring us back into the bay while exploring the beautiful Ningaloo Reef.
Sand Dunes Walk
From the main beach, we took a peaceful walk along the water to the right which led us to some huge sand dunes. We climbed the dunes and soaked up the panoramic views over Coral Bay.
Quad Trek
We took a Quad Trek tour to explore some untouched parts of Coral Bay, only accessible via 4WD. We headed an hour south to Turtle Cliffs where there were some epic views.
Day 5
Coral Bay to Exmouth
Exmouth was our final stop before making our way back down the beautiful West Coast. We were most excited to get here throughout our trip as we couldn’t wait for the highlight of our journey – swimming freely with the whale sharks. Aside from this, we found so many more reasons to fall in love with Exmouth.
The places we visited during our time in Exmouth are:
Ningaloo Reef
We had the opportunity to swim freely alongside 4 different whale sharks. With a depth of 50 metres below and nothing else in sight, the feeling of gliding through the ocean next to these gentle giants is one we will never forget.
Turquoise Bay
Hands down the clearest, bluest and calmest beach we have ever experienced. We felt like we walked into paradise when stepping onto the white sands here.
Yardie Creek
We took a short hike up to the top of the Yardie Creek Gorge. The views looking over the creek leading into the ocean were spectacular. A highlight was watching the eagles flying low through the gorge.
Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
We loved this spot to watch the sunset as the vibe was so nice in amongst other travellers soaking the same views.