Consider this your sign to lock in that dream Coral Coast trip – there’s never been a better time.
The Western Australian government has launched a new travel voucher program offering 50 per cent off a range of tours in Exmouth, Coral Bay and Carnarvon. It aims to tempt travellers back after severe tropical Cyclone Narelle struck the region in March this year.
Tourists will be able to choose from a range of tours and experiences that showcase the UNESCO World Heritage region’s remarkable natural and cultural values. Everything from bucket-list whale shark and manta swims, snorkelling and eco adventures, to scenic flights, stargazing tours and Aboriginal cultural experiences.
The voucher program runs from 5 May until 30 June 2026 (or until sold out) and are valid for use through to 30 November 2026, with discounts redeemable up to a value of $500.
Explore stunning Coral Bay with 50% discounts. (Credit: Tourism Western Australia)
The Ningaloo Adventure Vouchers are part of the Cook Labor Government’s $1.45 million Cyclone Narelle Tourism Business Support Package, helping to drive tourists to the region. It aims to provide near-term support to local operators who have been affected not only by the recent cyclone – which hit at the start of peak whale shark season – but also by the ongoing affects of high fuel costs.
What experiences are eligible?
Support Ningaloo tourism by booking a manta ray snorkel experience. (Credit: Tourism Western Australia)
Some of the tourism operators eligible for the Ningaloo half-price discounts include:
Travel products that cannot be redeemed with the vouchers include:
Most transport
Accommodation
Events and festivals
Restaurants, cafes, bars and food outlets
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How to access the vouchers
Yardie Creek Boat Tours is one of the experiences eligible for discount. (Credit: Tourism Western Australia)
To redeem the Ningaloo Adventure Vouchers, visit either the Western Australia Visitor Centre, Ningaloo Visitor Centre or Carnarvon Visitor Centre. Here, you’ll be asked to register personal details – including full name, email address and where you are from. Each successful applicant will receive a unique discount code up to the value of $500 you can apply at the time of booking the eligible tourism experience(s).
The tour or experience must be booked through one of the three participating Visitor Information Centres either in person, online or by phone before 11:59pm on 30 June. If booking over phone or in person, don’t forget to mention the discount code. Ningaloo Adventure Vouchers cannot be redeemed directly with the tour operator.
The discount must be redeemed in a single transaction – meaning any leftover ‘credit’ or ‘change’ cannot be used at a later date or during another booking.
What if I’ve already booked?
See the annual migration of whale sharks in Exmouth. (Credit: Tourism Western Australia)
The Ningaloo discount vouchers are only applicable to new bookings and cannot be applied to bookings made outside of 5 May to 30 June 2026.
The initiative is a win-win. Local operators are getting much-needed support and tourists who have dreamed of travelling to WA’s Coral Coast have the perfect excuse to lock it in now.
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
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.
