CORAL COAST
Blessed with beautiful beaches and warm, sunny weather, Geraldton is a major export centre for far flung pastoral, mining, agricultural, manufacturing, construction and fishing industries. Situated on Champion Bay on a spectacular stretch of coastline known as the Batavia Coast, Geraldton offers cultural, entertainment, shopping and sporting facilities.
Lovely natural beaches provide a smorgasbord of water based recreational and sporting activities, with special emphasis on yachting, surfing and diving. The town is also world renowned as a Mecca for windsurfers. Geraldton is an ideal base for self drive tours, especially during the famous wildflower season from July to November, and is within a few hours' drive of sealed roads to the real 'Outback'.
Throughout the year there are scenic flights along the Batavia Coast to Monkey Mia (where wild dolphins visit), Kalbarri National Park and the spectacular Murchison River gorges. Tours to the Abrolhos Islands are also available by boat and float plane, offering fascinating views of these unique islands.
Among Geraldton's many attractions are first class theatres, art galleries, museums, lookouts and parks. Two of the town's most striking historical buildings are the Monsignor Hawes designed St Francis Xavier Cathedral and the unique all steel Point Moore Lighthouse, dating back to 1878. Recent additions are the Western Australian Museum, Geraldton, which houses relics of ships wrecked off the rugged coastline, and the magnificent Memorial to the 645 crew members who were lost when HMAS Sydney went down on 19th November, 1941.
Exmouth is located a two and a half hour flight north of Perth and is situated on the eastern coast of the North West Cape of Western Australia. Exmouth serves as a gateway to Cape Range National Park and Ningaloo Marine Park.
Cape Range National Park is located 40 kilometres south from Exmouth. It boasts spectacular gorges, an array of wildlife and wildflowers in season. Four wheel drive tours depart from town. Ninagloo Marine Park protects one of the major fringing coral reefs in the world. Ningaloo Reef is Western Australia's largest coral reef. It is home to approximately 250 species of coral and 520 species of fish.
For a diver, there are few experiences that can compare to swimming on Ningaloo Reef. Dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, huge cod and sharks are all in abundance. Excellent year round fishing and beach weather, and boasting some of the world's finest, most accessible coral reefs, have made Exmouth a popular tourist destination.
At Exmouth you can explore rugged peaks, encounter an elusive sailfish as it soars high into the cloudless sky, savour the delights of seafood caught by your own hands or stroll along white beaches that stretch for miles. You can explore an underwater kingdom teeming with life, meet up with a whale shark, or simply bask in the glorious year-round sunshine.
