This laid-back resort town on Australia’s Coral Coast is the place to be to explore the wonders of Ningaloo Reef – and it’s no.35 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.
It’s all about reef and range in Exmouth, Australia’s Top Small Tourism Town of the Year for 2022, which sits pretty at the northern gateway to the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area.
This rare and protected proposition covers 604,500 hectares and stretches more than 300 kilometres along the remote WA coast, incorporating the wonders of the Ningaloo Marine Park – where people come from all corners of the world to swim with awe-inspiring whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales – and the grandiose landscapes of the Cape Range National Park.
In a fabulous contrast of the colourful underwater world and rugged, arid land, it includes the largest fringing reef in Australia, a must for keen divers and snorkellers, and an extensive karst system and network of underground caves and water courses.
There are so many underwater species in Exmouth. (Image: Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo)
Eating there
From Exmouth town, you’re in plum position to explore it all. You’ll need sustenance before you start exploring, and the Ningaloo Bakehouse & Cafe will set you up nicely with its breakfast wraps and burgers, just-baked pastries, organic coffee and freshly made smoothies.
Emus are a common sight around Exmouth. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
For lunch, you can’t go past its fulsome selection of handmade pies. Or go for boutique coffee and a virtuous brunch at The Social Society, a community-minded, industrial-chic cafe, bar and wellness hub turning out vegan banana pancake stacks, tomato dukkah eggs, cold-pressed juices and Hemp Temple smoothies.
After a day spent exploring reef and range, there’s perhaps no better wind down in Exmouth than beer and pizza in a shed at Whalebone Brewing Co, owned by two local families with a love of craft beer and a simple vision: for people to enjoy it with mates and family in a no-frills setting under the stars.
Up the road, arty Froth Craft Brewery offers a rustic and welcoming vibe, serving its artisan brews alongside creative food pairings.
The Ningaloo Reef Coastline will blow you away. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
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Staying there
Sleep in an oasis of palm trees, bougainvillea and frangipanis at Exmouth Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort, which offers a range of caravan and camping sites, studio chalets and three-bedroom park homes for up to six people or Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, which overlooks scenic Sunrise Beach and gives guests direct access to the reef.
Looking to really push the boat out? Drive 50 minutes around the cape to sink your toes into the sand in style at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Safari Camp.
Check into barefoot luxury digs at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Imogen Eveson is Australian Traveller’s Print Editor. She was named Editor of the Year at the 2024 Mumbrella Publish Awards and in 2023, was awarded the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) Australia’s Media Award. Before joining Australian Traveller Media as sub-editor in 2017, Imogen wrote for publications including Broadsheet, Russh and SilverKris. She launched her career in London, where she graduated with a BA Hons degree in fashion communication from world-renowned arts and design college Central Saint Martins. She is the author/designer of The Wapping Project on Paper, published by Black Dog Publishing in 2014. Growing up in Glastonbury, home to the largest music and performing arts festival in the world, instilled in Imogen a passion for cultural cross-pollination that finds perfect expression today in shaping Australia’s leading travel titles. Imogen regularly appears as a guest on radio travel segments, including ABC National Nightlife, and is invited to attend global travel expos such as IMM, ILTM, Further East and We Are Africa.
With unhurried mornings, long, sun-filled afternoons, evenings shaped around sunset, this iconic beach offers an all-day experience (and it’s about to get even better).
As the sun slowly rises over the languid waves and fine sand of Broome’s Cable Beach, the morning colours shift from rich apricot to pale gold and frosty pearl. Remnants of life reveal themselves in the subtle shadows – crab claw marks, towel impressions, footprints. Life here is unhurried, but don’t be fooled. This town is continually shifting like the desert dunes that surround it.
And with a $75 million upgrade – offering easier and more inclusive access for people of all abilities – it’s getting even better.
Discover the Cable Beach redevelopment.
The addition of comfortable and welcoming spaces has begun (and will continue). This means visitors will be able to spend longer enjoying this beautiful environment, while knowing that the upgrade will create a more environmentally protected setting that preserves the natural character visitors come for. Come sunset, soak it in all the better thanks to the already improved foreshore areas, made for lingering while the light changes. And for the kids, a new splash park and accessible dry playground will make it easy to while away the hours.
Think you know what a day at this beach is like? Think again.
Morning colours
Cable Beach comes alive after sunrise. (Credit: Tourism WA)
As the sun colours the sky, Cable Beach shows signs of life (and not just the aquatic kind). Locals and visitors alike float in the cool water as it laps the shore, landlubbers explore the coast on foot, runners pace and beachside yoga classes bring quiet movement to the day.
When the sky is blue and the sun is firmly in position, head down to the well-known Cable Beach House for a long, slow breakfast overlooking the ocean. Think fresh tropical fruit, eggs cooked your way and strong coffee in the warm morning breeze.
Afternoon adventures
Join a camel train at sunset. (Credit: C J Maddock)
When you’re ready to explore, carve a path along the Minyirr Park Trail – a gentle 1.5-2km track through coastal bushland with spectacular views of the dunes. Refuel at the nearby Spinifex Brewery for lunch with its low-key, outdoor beer garden. There’s even an outdoor playground if you’re travelling with young humans.
Walk off your lazy lunch by watching (or joining) one of the beach soccer or volleyball games, or even try Silent Beats Broome – a silent walking disco through the dunes. Or book a spot on the famous camel trains, watching the sun drop below the horizon along the way. They’re a constant reminder of the fascinating history, landscape and cultural mix in this part of the country.
Evening degustation
Stop into the Cable Beach Club. (Credit: Tourism WA)
As the day closes, watch the world-famous Cable Beach sunset from the appropriately named Sunset Grill at Cable Beach Club. This open-air terraced dining spot overlooking the beach is the kind of place where the view takes centre stage.
While you sip on a lychee, lime & lemonade mocktail or a local beer, enjoy the bustle of life and nature outside as the day comes to an end.
For dinner, nab a table at the Bali Hai Cafe, where they offer pan-fried crispy barramundi, Abrolhos Island scallops and deep-sea snow crab. When you’re ready for bed, check in to Pinctada Hotel Broome – a lush, tropical resort with palm-dotted gardens and a large, lagoon-style pool to cool off in.
Beyond the beach
Beyond the wide, open beach and never-ending sky of Cable Beach, there are many more reasons to visit North West Australia. These are just a few.
Unmatched experiences
Join Shinju Matsuri Festival’s popular Long Table Dinner. (Credit: Tourism WA)
Engage with the history of the land and its people on an Indigenous cultural tour exploring everything from the local wildlife to the tastes of bush tucker. To understand the importance of pearling to this town, take a tour of Chinatown, or head outside of town to the live pearl harvests at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, one of Australia’s oldest pearl farms.
Learn why Japanese pearlers were central to Broome’s pearling success and visit the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia, where 900 Japanese pearlers were buried – a testament to the risks and rewards of this dangerous profession.
And book ahead every spring for when communal tables, freshly cooked local fare and festoon lighting fill the beach for the extremely popular Long Table Dinner on Cable Beach. It’s a highlight of the Shinju Matsuri Festival, along with the Floating Lanterns Matsuri, where you can personalise a lantern and gently release it into the sea to honour those you love.
Dining discoveries
Settle in for Matso’s famous ginger or mango beer. (Credit: Tourism WA)
Further your culinary adventure at the laid-back Sunday Sesh at Matso’s Broome Brewery. Chow down on smoked crocodile or Aussie barramundi while kicking back to a local DJ as the heat of the day fades.
For more tunes, the beautiful outdoor Bay Club at the Mangrove Hotel is a great choice for dinner with live music, DJs or an event that stretches on into the early hours. Still hungry? Pop by Johnny Sausage for Italian-influenced meals paired with impeccable wines.
Natural beauties
Experience the striking colours of Gantheaume Point. (Credit: Tourism WA)
Avoid the crowds and head to Town Beach for a quieter vantage point to see the phenomenal Staircase to the Moon – a natural illusion where the rising full moon is reflected on the tidal flats, creating a shimmering ‘staircase’ stretching up to the sky.
Just south of Cable Beach are the deep red cliffs and dramatic ocean views of Gantheaume Point, where 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints can be seen, revealed at low tide. Or head to Roebuck Bay to visit the internationally significant wetlands, where vast tidal flats are home to shorebirds and coastal fauna.
Between October and March, watch turtles nesting and hatchlings emerge from the sand. You’ll be holding your breath as they make their way down to the shoreline, ready to start their life in one of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes.
