Australia: Perth to Exmouth along the Coral Coast

When you think of a camper trip through Australia, the east coast or Great Ocean Road may come to mind first. On the other side of the continent, however, you’ll find a very different route. From Perth, follow the coast of Western Australia north toward Exmouth. Along the way, limestone formations, beaches, river gorges, and small coastal towns shape the landscape. Farther north are Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef, two UNESCO World Heritage areas.

For this route, you can rent an RV in Perth. Allow about twelve days for the trip to Exmouth. This keeps the longer driving days manageable and gives you time to explore national parks and coastal areas along the way.

Day 1: Perth
Spend your first day exploring Perth and preparing for your camper trip. Kings Park is close to the city center and overlooks the city and Swan River. If you’ve already picked up your camper, this is also a good time to stock up on groceries. Perth is the last major city on this route. Once you start traveling north, towns become smaller and services are increasingly spread out, so it makes sense to leave with groceries, drinking water, and a full tank.

Day 2: Perth – Cervantes, approx. 125 mi (200 km) – 2.5 hours
Leave Perth and drive north to Cervantes. The main stop today is Nambung National Park. In the Pinnacles Desert, thousands of limestone pillars rise from the yellow sand. Explore part of the area on foot or follow the driving route through the landscape. Cervantes is a practical place to spend the night near the coast. If you have extra time, visit Lake Thetis on the edge of town. The lake contains stromatolites built by communities of microorganisms. You’ll encounter another well-known example at Hamelin Pool later in the trip.

Day 3: Cervantes – Geraldton, approx. 140 mi (225 km) – 2.5 hours
Continue north along the coast. Jurien Bay makes an easy first stop and is known for the surrounding Jurien Bay Marine Park. Green Head and Dongara are other options if you prefer to break up the drive later in the day. Geraldton is one of the larger towns on the route, making it a convenient place to buy groceries, refuel, and replenish supplies. To learn more about local history, visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial on a hill overlooking the city.

Day 4: Geraldton – Kalbarri, approx. 95 mi (155 km) – 2 hours
Today’s drive is relatively short. On the way, consider a detour toward Port Gregory and Hutt Lagoon. The salt lake can take on shades of pink depending on the season, light, and conditions. Kalbarri sits at the mouth of the Murchison River and is the gateway to Kalbarri National Park, which has two distinctly different sections: river gorges inland and sandstone cliffs along the Indian Ocean.

Spend the afternoon following the coastal section of the park. Natural Bridge and Island Rock are two of the best-known viewpoints, but there are several smaller stops worth including. At Mushroom Rock, erosion has exposed layers of sandstone in the cliffs. Pot Alley provides access to a small beach between the cliffs, while the walk between Mushroom Rock and Rainbow Valley reveals different layers and colors in the sandstone. The access road to Pot Alley is sealed, but the parking area is unsealed and uneven. If your camper or rental conditions make this unsuitable, stick to the more easily accessible coastal viewpoints.

Day 5: Kalbarri
Set aside a full day for the inland section of Kalbarri National Park. The Murchison River has carved deep gorges through the red sandstone. Nature’s Window frames the gorge through a natural opening in the rock, while two platforms at the Kalbarri Skywalk extend over the edge of the gorge. There are several ways to add more to the day without committing to a long hike. Hawks Head has a short path to a viewpoint over the Murchison River Gorge, while Ross Graham provides another perspective and has a relatively short walk down toward the river.
In warm weather, start longer walks early and choose the length of your hike based on the temperature. The gorges can be considerably hotter than the coast during the warmer months. A quiet afternoon along the Murchison River or back in Kalbarri is a good alternative.

Day 6: Kalbarri – Denham, approx. 235 mi (375 km) – 4 hours
This is one of the longer driving days. From Kalbarri, return to the North West Coastal Highway before turning toward the Shark Bay peninsula. Shark Bay has been a UNESCO World Heritage Area since 1991, recognized in part for its extensive seagrass beds, stromatolites, and important habitat for dugongs and other marine wildlife.

Make time along the way for Hamelin Pool and Shell Beach. Hamelin Pool is known for stromatolites formed by microbial communities. Shell Beach is made up of enormous quantities of tiny white shells rather than conventional beach sand. Continue to Denham, a small coastal town that serves as a practical base for exploring Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. If you arrive with time to spare, head to Little Lagoon just outside Denham. The shallow lagoon is suitable for swimming, kayaking, and watching birdlife. The Lagoon Creek area can be reached via a two-wheel-drive-friendly road, making it a straightforward addition for most camper itineraries.

Day 7: Denham – Monkey Mia, approx. 15 mi (25 km) – 25 minutes
There’s very little driving today. Monkey Mia Conservation Park is known for the wild bottlenose dolphins that regularly approach the shoreline. Encounters are supervised by park rangers. These are wild animals, so sightings are never guaranteed. Spend the rest of the day exploring Shark Bay. You can go kayaking, take a boat excursion, return to Little Lagoon, or visit viewpoints around the peninsula.

Eagle Bluff is particularly easy to add. An elevated boardwalk overlooks the shallow waters of Shark Bay, where you may spot rays, sharks, dugongs, and other marine life from above. Parts of François Peron National Park are accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Don’t take a standard rental camper onto these tracks unless your vehicle and rental conditions specifically allow it.

Day 8: Denham – Carnarvon, approx. 200 mi (325 km) – 3.5 hours
Leave the Shark Bay peninsula and return to the North West Coastal Highway. From here, continue north to Carnarvon. Carnarvon sits along the Gascoyne River and is an important place to resupply before continuing toward Ningaloo. Fill up on fuel, drinking water, and groceries here.

If you have an extra half-day, consider a side trip to the Blowholes at Point Quobba, about 47 mi (75 km) north of Carnarvon. When conditions are right, waves force water through holes in the coastal rock and send it into the air. Quobba Station lies farther along this stretch of coast, but treat it as a separate optional excursion rather than something to squeeze into the normal driving day. Road surfaces change beyond the Blowholes, so check your rental conditions before continuing onto unsealed roads.

Day 9: Carnarvon – Coral Bay, approx. 150 mi (240 km) – 2.5 hours
Beyond Carnarvon, towns and services become increasingly spread out. The highway crosses a dry, sparsely populated landscape before reaching Coral Bay. Coral Bay lies within the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. The protected area combines Ningaloo’s near-shore reef with the arid landscapes and limestone formations of Cape Range.

Around Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef runs particularly close to shore. This makes it possible to snorkel directly from the beach without taking a boat offshore. Bill’s Bay is the main swimming and snorkeling area in town, while Paradise Beach provides another shore-based option nearby. Kayakers can use designated kayak moorings farther offshore to access additional snorkeling areas. Several other reef sites lie outside town, including Five Finger Reef, but access requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Don’t attempt these tracks in a standard rental camper.

Day 10: Coral Bay
Leave the camper parked and spend a full day around Coral Bay. Snorkel from shore, rent a kayak, or join an organized excursion farther onto Ningaloo Reef. Depending on the season, local operators offer excursions focused on different marine wildlife. Check what is operating during your travel dates rather than planning the trip around a particular species year-round. A second day here also gives the itinerary some breathing room after several driving days. Coral Bay itself is compact, so you don’t need to spend much of the day moving between locations.

Day 11: Coral Bay – Exmouth, approx. 95 mi (155 km) – 1 hr 45 min
Follow Minilya–Exmouth Road toward North West Cape. Together with Cape Range National Park, Exmouth is one of the main gateways to Ningaloo Reef. Use the afternoon to explore Exmouth, buy groceries, and prepare for the following day in Cape Range National Park.

If you have time, Charles Knife Canyon provides a different perspective on the peninsula. The road climbs into Cape Range toward Charles Knife Lookout, with views across the dry canyons and surrounding landscape. Shothole Canyon is another option on the eastern side of Cape Range, but the access road through the canyon is unsealed. Check your camper rental conditions before adding it to the route.

Day 12: Exmouth and Cape Range National Park
Set aside your final day for Cape Range National Park and the Ningaloo coast. Turquoise Bay is one of the best-known places to snorkel directly from shore, but it isn’t the only option. Lakeside and Oyster Stacks are other snorkeling sites within the park, while Sandy Bay offers a more sheltered stretch of coastline. Farther south, Yardie Creek cuts through the limestone range before meeting the coast. Explore the area on foot or, when available, join a boat trip into the gorge. Mangrove Bay is another worthwhile stop for birdlife. The combination of coast and inland gorges is what makes Cape Range worth a full day rather than treating Exmouth only as the endpoint of the drive.

Cape Range National Park has several campgrounds, including Osprey Bay, Kurrajong, Neds Campground, and Yardie Creek Campground. Some campsites can be reserved in advance. Booking early is advisable during popular travel periods.

Exmouth is a logical endpoint for this route, but check where you can return your rental camper before booking your trip. Not every rental company has a depot in Exmouth, and one-way rental options vary. If returning your camper here isn’t possible, allow enough additional days to drive back to Perth via Carnarvon and Geraldton. Worldwide Campers can advise you on the options available for your travel dates and preferred camper type.

Practical information for this route

• Best time to travel: April through October is generally a good period for a camper trip along the Coral Coast. Temperatures in the north are usually more comfortable during these months, although conditions vary by location and time of year.
• Heat: Temperatures around Kalbarri, Shark Bay, and Exmouth can get high. Plan longer hikes for early in the day and check local weather forecasts and national park alerts before setting out.
• Fuel and groceries: Fill up regularly rather than waiting until your tank is nearly empty. Geraldton and Carnarvon are useful stops for larger grocery runs. Services become more limited as you travel farther north.
• Campgrounds: Reserve popular campgrounds and RV sites in advance when traveling during busy periods. Campgrounds in national parks may have separate reservation and entry requirements.
• National parks: Entry fees apply to several national parks in Western Australia. Monkey Mia Conservation Park has its own admission system, so check which passes and entry conditions apply before your visit.
• Ningaloo Reef: Wildlife excursions are seasonal. Check which tours are available during your travel dates and reserve popular options in advance.
• Roads and four-wheel drive: The main route between Perth, Kalbarri, Shark Bay, Coral Bay, and Exmouth is suitable for a standard camper or motorhome. Some optional side trips, however, use unsealed roads or require four-wheel drive. These include parts of François Peron National Park and the route to Five Finger Reef. The road into Shothole Canyon is also unsealed. Always check your rental conditions before leaving paved roads.
• Driving after dark: Avoid driving around dawn, dusk, and at night when possible. Wildlife is more likely to be on or near the road at these times, particularly in remote areas.
• Flexible planning: Leave some flexibility in your itinerary. Weather and road conditions can affect your travel plans, and you may decide to spend longer at a beach or national park along the way.
• Choosing a camper: Check the current options for camper and motorhome rentals in Australia and make sure the vehicle you choose is suitable for your planned route.
• One-way rentals: If you specifically want to travel from Perth to Exmouth without driving back, contact Worldwide Campers before finalizing your itinerary. One-way rental options and drop-off locations depend on the rental company and your travel dates.

Want to explore Western Australia by camper or motorhome? Take a look at the options for camper and motorhome rentals in Perth or contact Worldwide Campers for help choosing a vehicle that fits your route and travel dates.