What (else) to do in Exmouth…

…besides swimming with Whale Sharks.

If you don’t want to spend $400+ on a whale shark tour, or you are looking for things to do in Exmouth besides your tour, I have compiled a small list of 5 things we enjoyed during our days around Exmouth (in no particular order) at the northern end of Australia’s Coral Coast.

Camp in Cape Range National Park

We spent two nights camped at Osprey Bay campground at the southern end of Cape Range National Park. You will need to book online early as it does get booked out ahead of time. The campground is stunningly set right beside Ningaloo Reef and each campsite is spacious and separate from one another. You will be able to walk from your campsite and be at the shoreline within a minute. At Osprey Bay we snorkelled with sea turtles on both occasions that we jumped into the water. Snorkelling with the turtles was such an incredible experience, and it definitely was the highlight of our time in Exmouth. Besides camping at Osprey Bay we also drove out to Turquoise Bay for another morning of snorkelling which is a must-do. You can hop into the water at one end of the beach and let the current drift you along to the point. The coral reef and water clarity at Turquoise Bay were absolutely next level.

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Whale watch from the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

A short 15 minute drive from the town centre of Exmouth will bring you to the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. We drove out to the lighthouse shortly before sunset and watched the sun dip below the horizon as whales passed by the coastline.

The lighthouse is notable as being one of the few locations in Australia where both the sunrise and the sunset can be observed.

Watch the sunset at Charles Knife Canyon

Charles Knife Canyon is located a brief 21km drive south of the Exmouth town centre. Turn right into Charles Knife Rd and follow the gently weaving road 6.5km up to the lookout. We were able to park the van right at the cliff’s edge and watch as the shadows slowly engulfed the canyon into darkness. The road is sealed until about 1km before the lookout area where it becomes a bumpy limestone track. We were able to continue along in our camper van relatively easy at a slower pace.

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Pizza and pasta at The BBQ Father

My favourite meal we had in Exmouth was at The BBQ Father in the centre of town (across from the Visitor’s Centre). Angelica and I ordered the $40 takeaway special which consisted of any 1 pizza and any 1 pasta plus a garlic bread. I chose the Meat Lovers pizza and Angelica chose Spaghetti Carbonara. Although the special was for take-away only the friendly bartender allowed us to sit at the high bench table at the front of the restaurant. We were both extremely pleases with our meals and stuffed to the brim from the large serving sizes.

Drink a pint at Whalebone Brewery

Would any visit to a rural town be complete without visiting the local brewery? No, right? The Whalebone Brewing Co in Exmouth is open 7 days a week from 4pm and is a popular venue with both locals and tourists. We tried to visit on a Friday night and discovered that we weren’t able to get in due to a sold-out event so it might be worthwhile checking their website beforehand. We returned on Sunday afternoon for a pint. Live music began around 6pm. The atmosphere was relaxed and the beer went down well. The pizzas on offer also looked fantastic although we didn’t try them ourselves.

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