Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 9 . PERTH & WESTERN AUSTRALIA
takeout cafe; outdoor pool; 2 outdoor tennis courts; Jacuzzi (fed by naturally warm underground water); tour
desk; self-service laundry; minimarket; volleyball court; snorkel gear. In room: Fridge, hair dryer (in motel
rooms only), phone.
THE NORTHWEST CAPE
1,272km (795 miles) N of Perth; 1,567km (979 miles) S of Broome
Driving along the only road on the Northwest Cape is like driving through a
surrealistic dream. Hundreds of tall red anthills march to the horizon, sheep and
’roos threaten to get under the wheels, and the sun beats down from a harsh sky.
On the Cape’s western shore is Coral Bay, a tiny cluster of dive shops, backpacker
lodges, a low-key resort, and charter boats nestled on sand so white,
water so blue, and ochre dust so orange you think the townsfolk computerenhanced
it. Stretching north of town are deserted sandy beaches edged by coral.
On the Cape’s east coast is Exmouth (pop. 3,500), born in 1967 as a support
town to the nearby Harold E. Holt Naval Communications Station, a joint Australian/United
States center. Whale shark diving, scuba diving, and snorkeling
in Ningaloo Marine Park are the big activities, along with 4WD trips over the
arid Cape Range National Park and surrounding sheep stations.
Exmouth and Coral Bay are 150km (94 miles) apart. Coral Bay is several
degrees cooler than Exmouth and has divine diving, swimming, and snorkeling;
a restaurant and takeout or two, and a bar; a small supermarket; and little else.
Exmouth is hot, dusty, and charmless, but has more facilities, including a
supermarket, an ATM, and an outdoor cinema. Most tours not having to do
with the reef, such as 4WD safaris, leave from Exmouth. Both places have plenty
of dive and snorkel companies. Wherever you stay, book ahead in whale shark
season (Mar to early June).
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Skywest (& 1300/660 088 in Australia; www.skywest.
com.au) flies daily from Perth, and Northwest Regional Airlines (& 1300/136
629 in Australia, or 08/9192 1369; www.northwestregional.com.au) flies from
Broome. A shuttle bus meets every flight and takes you to your Exmouth hotel
for A$18 (US$12) one-way. It does not take bookings. Note: Have the cash on
you; there’s no ATM at the airport. Coral Bay Adventures (& 08/9942 5955)
makes transfers, on demand, from the airport to Coral Bay, approximately
120km (74 miles) away, for A$85 (US$55) adults and A$41 (US$27) children
under 13, one-way.
Greyhound Pioneer (& 13 20 30) operates three services a week from Perth
(trip time: 18–20 hr.). The fare is A$177 (US$115) to both Coral Bay and
Exmouth. Another option, which takes about the same time, is Greyhound’s
daily Perth–Broome service, which connects with a local service to Exmouth at
the turnoff on the highway at Giralia in the wee hours of the morning. The
Perth–Exmouth fare in that case is A$184 (US$120).
The 14-hour drive from Perth (plus rest stops) is through lonely country on a
two-lane highway. Check to make sure your contract allows you to drive your
rental car this far north of Perth. Wildlife will be thick on the ground, and gas stations
thin. Take the Brand Highway to Geraldton, 424km (265 miles) north of
Perth, then the North West Coastal Highway for 623km (389 miles) to Minilya
gas station; the Exmouth turn-off is 7km (4 miles) north of here. Exmouth is a
further 225km (141 miles) from the turnoff. Stay overnight at the Mercure Inn
Geraldton, listed in “Getting There” under “Shark Bay (Monkey Mia)” above, or