Western Australia’s Coral Coast has a wealth of landscapes for visitors to explore, from pristine Indian Ocean beaches and waters brimming with marine life to awe-inspiring national parks. Just a one-and-a-half-hour flight north from Perth, Ningaloo Reef is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the only place in Australia where swimmers, snorkellers and divers will be joined by manta rays and gentle whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea. Plus between July and November they can look out for humpback whales. For visitors that would rather observe from the water’s surface, there’s a selection of Coral Coast boat trips to choose from.
At Monkey Mia, south of Ningaloo Reef, guests can paddle along the shoreline and make friends with the wild dolphins that first came to this spot 40 years ago when Aussie fishermen shared their catch with the local pods. Also in Shark Bay, travellers can explore Dirk Hartog, Western Australia’s largest island, and take in Shell Beach, one of only two beaches in the world consisting of billions of tiny shells.
