Luxury holidays in Ningaloo Reef

When to go

It’s warm and sunny year-round, with slightly cooler temperatures from July to September (22–32ºC) and things hotting up from January to March (32–38ºC). The Indian Ocean here stays a peachy 24–26ºC. Visit in March and April to catch the coral spawning or between April and July to see the whale sharks.

Getting there

• Planes

  Skywest Airlines (www.skywest.com.au) flies daily between Perth and Exmouth (1 hour 45 minutes) and weekly from Broome. Exmouth’s Learmonth Airport is 37 kilometres south of the town of Exmouth itself; Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is 70 kilometres south of Exmouth (an hour’s drive). A regular shuttle bus runs between the airport and Exmouth, or you can arrange private transfers to meet flights.

• Automobiles

  Driving the 1,270 kilometres from Perth to Exmouth will take about 16 hours, so most folk fly in. Hire a car from one of the car desks at Learmonth Airport, or in Exmouth itself.

• Taxis

  This ain’t NYC, so don’t expect to hail anything other than passing fish. Transport chez Ningaloo is on a BYO basis, so hire a car or contact Exmouth Visitor Centre (www.exmouthwa.com.au) to join a tour.