Carnarvon

Carnarvon lies just south of the Tropic of Capricorn - a palm-fringed coastal oasis offering a platter of fresh tropical flavours and a good base for exploring World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and the largest monocline on Earth - Mount Augustus. It takes two days to drive the 904 kilometres from Perth to Carnarvon on the North West Coastal Highway, or just a couple of hours aboard a flight from Perth airport. From Carnarvon, you have access to some of the State's best year-round fishing, surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, snorkelling and swimming spots, all dotted along a beautifully rugged stretch of coastline. Stand atop the cliffs at Cape Cuvier to drink in the ocean views - from June to November you might even spot humpback whales on their annual migration. It was Carnarvon's potential as a port that drew the early settlers here in 1876, and today The Carnarvon Heritage Precinct lives to tell many of its tales, offering museum insights and an interpretative centre where you can see wonderful historic Carnarvon moments captured in time. The Gascoyne River and aquifer support Carnarvon's thriving agricultural industry, inviting you to feast on a bounty of fresh bananas, mangoes, papaya, carambola melons, grapes and a huge variety of vegetables, direct from local plantations. Between May and October, there's also a smorgasbord of prawns, scallops, crab and local fish to select from, hauled in by the town's own fishing fleet. Fill up your picnic basket and venture inland to enjoy a lazy day beside the iconic Australian waterholes of Rocky Pool - the ideal spot to watch day turn into night and gaze up into clear, star-filled skies. In Carnarvon itself, there is a good choice of accommodation options including hotels, motels, holiday parks, backpackers, camping facilities and caravan parks. Looking for something on the wilder side? Then blaze a trail up the coast and take your pick from a string of authentic coastal outback station stays.