Although Coral Bay to Exmouth can be driven in under 2 hours along the bitume, travellers with 4WDs are more likely to want to experience the true Ningaloo Reef, which you'll experience by following this route along a sandy and corrugated 4WD track that runs between Coral Bay to Cape Range National Park (Exmouth).
Before you set out on the northbound journey described here be warned to check local conditions regarding the Yardie Creek. Yardie Creek is a tidal, river crossing and over the years the area changes due to the effects of cyclones. Some seasons, there is a permanent dry sandbar which makes crossing the creek possible at any time. At other times, it can be open to the sea and cannot be crossed other than at low tide - and then only with extreme care and by 4WD.
To start this journey north from Coral Bay look for the dirt track called Cardabia Ningaloo Road (signed 4WD only). The track condition varies considerably but is generally not difficult for 4WD, although some soft sand drifts, corrugated section, and slow bumpy ridges will ensure its never a dull ride. This is a two-way track but is often single-lane so please beware of oncoming traffic. Interestingly enough, this track connects a few pastoral operations, including Cardabia Station and Ningaloo Station so you'll see sheep, goats and "gleep" - a hybrid cross that happened by accident but resulted in a prized and hardy species.
Point Cloates (around 60kms north of Coral Bay) and Norwegian Bay (further north) are worth stopping at, with many ruins to explore and some excellent sand driving thrills for four wheel drivers. The old Point Cloates lighthouse and the whaling station ruins show a fascinating insight into these early settlements. The Cardabia Ningaloo Road intersects with the Ningaloo Road near the Ningaloo Homestead. South Lefroy Bay, Point Billie, North Lefroy Bay and Winderabandi Point are the approved camping areas and definately worth a stay - be warned however that locals and regulars fill up spots in holiday periods for extended stays so space may be limited.
North of the Ningaloo Station boundary, you soon come to the tidal, and notorious Yardie Creek. At this point you enter the Cape Range National Park and hit the sealed section of this track. All camping into to the north of Yardie Creek through to Exmouth requires advance bookings with CALM and campsites are designated and sectioned with bollards. The Yardie Creek Road provides plenty to see and do. Probably the most popular of sites within the Cape Range National Park is Turquoise Bay that features safe snorkelling and a rich diversity of coral and fish. Another beautiful spot is Mangrove Bay, which provides the sightseer with an abundance of birdlife, including seabirds and waders. Cape Range National Park is the only elevated limestone range on the north-western coast of WA and not only does the coastal area bring great visual enjoyment, so too does the range provide excellent hiking opportunities.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
The
Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing coral reef in Australia and is the only large reef in the world that lies so close to the mainland. The reef runs about 280kms along the coastline from
Coral Bay to
Exmouth and lies as close as a hundred metres to up to 7kms from the shore. Many sections are accessible for safe snorkelling or diving from the shore, where one can view one of 500 fish species such as clownfish bathing in anemone, lionfish or predatory moray eels living within over 250 species of coral. Recreational and conservation are wisely balanced on the reef. There are many sanctuary zones in place to protect the
young, but that said, the popular sport of fishing is permitted within 65% of the marine park (please
check with the Fisheries Department on the latest bag and size limits). Other recreational activities include camping, boating, whale and bird watching.
The
Ningaloo area was declared a Marine Park in 1987 in an attempt to protect and to control public access to this large living reef. Much debate and controversy has occurred over the decades since with the Save
Ningaloo Campaign fighting to seek a balance between ecological values and human visitation; an extension to the Marine Park in 2004 seeing an increase in sanctuary "look but don't touch" zones; a rejection of the proposal for a resort marina to be built at
Mauds Landing; and pastoralists in the area campaigning to keep their leases after the 2015 expiry date. The Government were granted takeover of
Ningaloo Station on 30 June 2015 however was then subject to a Supreme Court injunction and was eventually resolved with Dept of Parks & Wildlife taking control of visitation since 2017. There are 3 managed areas - the
Cape Range National Park, the
Ningaloo Coast, and the Warroora Coast. To visit or book your stay, you will need to use the Park Stay WA website.
Cape Range National Park
The
Cape Range National Park runs right along the western coast from
Exmouth to Yardie Creek and is accessible to 2WD vehicles via a sealed road. Generally, visitors to the
Cape Range NP spend a few nights camping at one of the many excellent beach
camp sites before doubling back to
Exmouth. The 11 campgrounds along this coast are in very high demand from April to October. The area has designated camping bays cordoned off by bollards. Most sites are on
limestone, not sand and provide ideal camping for motorhomes, campervans and camper trailers. The sites are a little disappointing for tent and swag campers who might prefer to
camp south of the National Park boundary on sandy sites such as at Winderabandi Point,
Sandy Bay, and Lefroy Bay where you can also launch a boat from
the beach and fishing is permitted.
If you have a 4WD then take a trip over Yardie Creek and continue driving south along the coast on the inland side of the dunes to
Coral Bay. This is called the Coastal Track. On the way you'll see a maze of tracks leading off towards
the beach - almost all lead to excellent lookouts and campsites. Please note, that south of Yardie Creek, the track traverses the
Ningaloo Coastal Reserve which is now jointly managed by the DBCA and the Gnulli Native Title holders. Access to
the beach throughout the
Ningaloo Station area is permissible for day trippers however camping fees apply and is often booked out
well in advance. Bookings are managed on the Parks Stays website.
Yardie Creek
Yardie Creek is the main point of difficulty in this trek and travellers MUST ensure that they
check local conditions before embarking on the drive. The creek can open to the sea at this crossing depending on seasonal conditions and if that is the case, then the crossing is treacherous and can only be navigated by 4WD on the low tide - so timing your trip is important or you'll have a long hot wait to get across. It is also possible however for the
Yardie Creek crossing to be a dry sandbar for months on end, making travel at any time possible (for 4WD). If you intend crossing from either the north or south side please ensure you have an air compressor and be wary of some
beach access points south of Yardie are very soft sand. ***2020 update - sandbar is currently permanent and crossings can be made at any time, without waiting for the low tide. This may change after the next cyclone (not expected until summer 2021).
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