The Outback Coast

Stretching 600km between the Shark Bay World Heritage area and the coastal town of Exmouth the Outback Coast presents a stunning array of landscapes. From ancient stromatolites and the world's longest coral reef to sheltered beaches, rugged national parks and great expanses of desert, the region is unforgettable. With sunny warm winters and hot semi-tropical summers, you can enjoy the Outback Coast all year round.

Feed the dolphins at Monkey Mia

Get up close and personal with bottle nosed dolphins that swim into shore every day at the coastal resort park, Monkey Mia, 23km from the Shark Bay town of Denham. Controlled by rangers from the Department of Conservation and Land Management, you can stand knee-deep in the water as dolphins swim up as close as half a metre. Touching them is not allowed, but if you're lucky, you may be picked to feed them.

Stay at Nanga Bay Resort

With its calm waters, tranquil setting and relaxed pace, the Nanga Bay holiday village nestles on the Freycinet Estuary like a seaside oasis. Part of a half-million-acre sheep station, the homestead is constructed from sea-shell blocks cut from Shell Beach while the hot spa is fed from an artesian bore. Outdoor seating around a large camp fire forms the resort's social hub with regular Friday night roast dinners cooked in a traditional bush oven, followed by music and dancing. You'll find a range of accommodation including budget backpacker dorms, camping and motel rooms.

See Earth's oldest lifeforms

Shark Bay attained World Heritage status mainly due to the innocuous, partly submerged, pillar-like stromatolites growing in Hamelin Pool. Although these microbes—3000 million fit into one square metre—are only 3000 years old, they are similar to earth's earliest life forms dating back 3500 million years. Because very special conditions must occur for them to thrive, only two examples of living marine stromatolites are known to exist, and these are the most accessible. A wooden boardwalk gives you easy access to view them without damaging them.

Marvel at Shell Beach

This 60km beach is made completely of small white coquina shells up to 10 metres deep. In some parts the shells are so densely packed that before World Heritage status, locals used to cut out concrete blocks from the beach. Several buildings such as the nearby telegraph station and the Old Pearler restaurant in Denham are made out of the shell blocks. In fact, Denham's roads were paved with shells until the 1960s when the council covered them with bitumen and destroyed the only roads made from shell in the world.

Watch water blow

Seventy miles north of the region's largest town, Carnarvon, is a stretch of rugged coastline with pounding surf and relentless winds. But the drive through the harsh desert is worth it to witness spectacular blowholes where water shoots up more than 20 metres through holes eroded into the cliffs. A lighthouse affords a great view, especially in whale-watching season. Nearby Quobba Station offers accommodation and a general store.

Dive the Ningaloo Reef

Home to 250 species of coral, over 500 species of fish, plus turtles, dolphins, whales, stingrays, moray eels, giant clams, dugongs, sharks, manta rays and nudibranchs, Ningaloo Reef is a diver's paradise. The Ningaloo Marine Park (which encompasses 90 percent of the reef) extends 260km and is the closest reef to a continental land mass in the world. With its pristine waters and strict protection, the reef offers impressive dive sites including the navy pier, The Zvir wreck, limestone caves, the reef wall, and various spots around the uninhabited Muiron Islands which teem with marine life. Depths range from three metres to about thirty metres and boats depart from both Coral Bay and Exmouth.

Snorkel the beach at Coral Bay

Everything spectacular in the popular seaside town of Coral Bay resides below sea level. Wade just a few metres off the beach and become immediately immersed in the world of abundant coral, fish and marine life. Considered the southern gateway to the Ningaloo Marine Park and with everything within walking distance, Coral Bay is ideal for winding down and spending a few days. As well as snorkelling, you can go diving, cruise on a glass-bottom boat, camel trek, swim with manta rays, go quad bike riding, whale watch, take a scenic flights and more.

Meet endangered turtles

Green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles live along the Ningaloo coast all year round, so it's little wonder several special sanctuary zones have been established just for them. One sanctuary, located a short boat ride from Coral Bay, is situated along sandbars and shallow waters, allowing for close viewing of the 200 or so turtles that live there. Nesting season along the coast begins in November and hatchlings begin emerging in January; the Department of Conservation and Land Management conduct low-impact viewing tours of the dunes at night.

Explore Cape Range National Park

Just 40km south of Exmouth behold the dramatic beauty where spectacular limestone ranges meet deserted white beaches and coastal dunes. Walking trails up stunning gorges will give you panoramic views, caves provide a haven for wildlife while the peninsula is abundant with over 630 species of flowering plants including the Sturt Desert Pea. A boat cruise through the mangroves at Yardie Creek is a great way to see the many birds and marine life that find refuge in the multi-coloured gorge.

Swim with whale sharks

Between April and June each year following the mass coral spawning, whale sharks gather at Ningaloo. It is one of the few places in the world you'll get to see these gentle giants of the deep. Reaching up to 18 metres in length, these massive majestic creatures are actually not sharks at all, but filter feeders and the world's largest fish. Snorkelling with the whale shakes is permitted and tours can be booked in Coral Bay or Exmouth.