Your Ningaloo Reef experience begins just south of the Tropic of Capricorn in Carnarvon – around nine hours’ drive north from Perth, or a couple of hours on a flight from Perth airport. If you opt to fly and hire a four wheel drive, you’ll have a little time to explore Carnarvon, ride its quirky coffee pot train at Carnarvon Heritage Precinct and sample fresh seasonal flavours from the region’s tropical fruit growers. Stock up on food, water and fuel in Carnarvon before taking the Great Northern Highway and Blowholes Road to enter the southern gateway to the Ningaloo Reef. Drivers are advised to check road conditions before making the journey. Contact the visitor centres at Exmouth or Carnarvon, or the stations at Quobba and Gnaraloo for up-to-date travel information. Make a rest stop at the Blowholes where ocean swells force jets of water through sea caves. Then turn onto the unsealed Gnaraloo Road north and be sure to stop at Cape Cuvier along the way to drink in the ocean vista. You’ll find some of the most secluded spots on the Ningaloo coast here, many of which offer the opportunity to just step straight off the beach into the bluest ocean and snorkel with the 500 species of fish and 300 varieties of coral that call the reef home. Overnight in tents or basic cabins at Quobba Station, Red Bluff, Three Mile Camp or Gnaraloo. Quobba’s eco tents also offer a touch of glamping luxury to your trip.