Carnarvon, WA

Carnarvon is a prominent holiday town situated on the coast in the north of the Shark Bay World Heritage area. It is a subtropical oasis and considered the 'food bowl' of Western Australia, with the rich flats of the Gascoyne River used to grow bananas, avocados, coconuts, mangoes, and other tropical produce. Carnarvon is located at the only point on the Australian coastline where the vast desert of WA reaches out into the Indian Ocean, resulting in a phenomenon referred to as an ephemeral river. The Gascoyne River's water table lies below the riverbed, and so the mouth of the river appears only as a 300km water-storing tongue of sand.
Ideally situated, Carnarvon also provides a great base to explore the Southern Ningaloo Reef, Shark Bay Marine Park, and the awe-inspiring wilderness of the Gascoyne Hinterland. It's a perfect starting point for your coastal adventure, but stay a while and you'll get to enjoy the town's historical, cultural and foodie highlights. The town itself hosts an array of activities and sights, from street art, cactus gardens, the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, to the surging blow holes at nearby Quobba. Whether you want to experience natural wonders, immerse yourself in local history, or camp out under the stars at a station homestead, this region has got it all.