Cape Range National Park
Australia · Oceania
About Cape Range National Park
Cape Range National Park is in the coastal hills 50 km from Exmouth in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. It is one of the main ways to access Ningaloo Marine Park.
Cape Range National Park travel guide
Understand
Some 3 to 5 million years ago, this area of Australia lay under a shallow sea, and built up calcareous deposits – billions upon squillions of sea shells. Then it uplifted to form a limestone plateau, which became dissected by canyons, while underground down to the water table became riddled with caves. The high point on the plateau now stands at 314 m / 1030 ft, and the ridge forms a peninsula. Limestone continued to build offshore, creating Ningaloo Reef almost 300 km long. This was a major barrier to European exploration, let alone colonisation, so early arrivals hunted whales offshore but kept clear of the dangerous coast. In the early 19th century Captain Phillip Parker King made a series of explorations around Australia, mapping, cataloguing minerals and wildlife, and repairing the ship after occasional lost battles with the reefs and rocks. In 1818 he named the North West Cape, which had been "Warnangura" to the Aboriginal Yinikutira people. You could just about manoevre a small vessel in at the places now called Maud's Landing and Exmouth, but there were better landings at Dampier further east. Tracts of land were gradually taken for cattle and sheep farming, and land conflict spelt the end of the Yinikutira. Farming was little joy in this hot arid landscape and in the 1960s the leases were sold back to the government. Cape Range National Park was established in 1964 - referring to the range of hills forming the North West Cape, there isn't a promontory called "Cape Range". In 1987 some 260 km of the reef were designated as Ningaloo Marine Park, with the landward park being one of many places where it's easily accessible from shore. Wildlife commonly seen on land includes white-bellied sea eagles, rock wallabies, emus, kangaroos and echidnas. Offshore are turtles, octopus, sting rays, manta rays, whale sharks, tiger sharks and reef sharks. Plus corals, which of course are animals: true vegetation is as sparse underwater here as it is on the baking land. Dee
Getting there
The only approach is by the 50 km coast road from 1 Exmouth, which is the nearest place with public transport. Most visitors simply day-trip from there. There's no fuel in the park so think about the getting back. The boat trips along Yardie Creek have a connecting minibus from Exmouth, see below.
Getting around
The access road along the coast of the Cape is sealed and suitable for all vehicles including mobile homes. It's called Yardie Creek Road from the point it leaves Murat Road at the entrance to the Naval Comms Station. It continues good all the way through the park to Yardie Creek itself. The side roads to campgrounds and beaches are of variable quality: most are unsealed but suitable for 2WD in dry weather. But a few are rough, so take a careful look at the surface before venturing onto them. Yardie Creek itself always has water, great for scenery and wildlife but bad news for vehicles. Only 4WD should attempt to cross the soft sand bar at its outlet to pick up the track continuing south. It's impassable at the highest tides or after wet weather when the creek is running high. A couple of canyons on the east edge of the park are accessed by unsealed roads off the main highway towards Exmouth; 4WD is advised for these. Check your rental agreement, which may restrict your use of unsealed roads.
See
1 Mangrove Bay is the first area reached after the park entrance. Walk to the hide to watch the bird life on the mangrove mud. The mozzies will be waiting so dress accordingly. There's a campground. 2 Ned's Bore has raw untreated water rated unfit for human drinking (see Drink). Turn down to the coast here for Ned's Camp and Mesa Camp. Ned's Camp has a boat launch area, and there's a navigable gap in the reef here. Only camp at the north end, the south has day-use but has been closed to camping since floods in 2014. Mesa has camping, toilets and hard standing for motor homes. 3 Milyering Discovery Centre, ☏ +61 8 9949 2808, [email protected]. Daily 9AM-3:45PM. The park visitor centre has displays, audiovisuals and brochures about the park and Ningaloo Reef. Toilets and snacks available. There's a Telstra Wifi hotspot. Free. (updated Apr 2022) Kori Bay and Lakeside beaches are accessed via the Discovery Centre side road. (Also T-Bone South, but it's closed by flood damage.) Lakeside has excellent snorkelling. Varanus and Trealla beach access is closed. Tulki is the nearest campground to Turquoise Bay 2 km further south. 4 Turquoise Bay has good snorkelling at any tide. The south point has currents, either avoid them at Bay Loop at the north end, or make a northward drift from Drift Loop carpark. 5 Mandu Mandu is a scenic gorge with a 3 km return hiking trail. North Mandu and Sal Sallis campgrounds are by the beach here. Oyster Stacks are five islets on the reef, teeming with molluscs. Access is from the beach near North Mandu campground, but only snorkel at high tide, and beware sharp rocks and shells. Kurralong and North Kurralong are beach campgrounds among the dunes 3 km south of Mandu Mandu. From Bloodwood Creek lookout you may spot migratory whales. Pilgramunna just south is a creek outlet suitable at high tide for snorkelling and launching small boats. 6 Sandy Bay has an idyllic sandy beach. It's usually free of currents, and on windy days is popular wit
Do
Snorkelling: Ningaloo Reef lies a few hundred metres offshore, enclosing a warm tranquil lagoon. It has good coral, with a food-chain of fish swirling around. It's all relatively shallow, too shallow for scuba diving, and at low tide some parts are too shallow to snorkel. Fishing is permitted by line from the beach; spear-fishing is not allowed. Check with the park website for areas where boat-fishing is permitted. Bushwalking: Popular trails are Yardie Creek Gorge and Mandu Mandu Gorge, see above. See Exmouth for the Shothole Canyon trail. Yardie Creek Boat Tours, 18 Fyfe St Exmouth, ☏ +61 8 9949 2920. April-Sept. These putter up the creek once or twice a day for a one-hour cruise. They sail from the creek jetty but their office is in Exmouth, and they can bring you in a minibus ($40 pp including park fee) to meet the boat. This service can also drop off / pick up at Turquoise Beach. Adult $45, conc $40, child $25. (updated Apr 2022) Caving in these karstic hills is only for those suitably trained and equipped, there are no show-caves. Several systems are below the water table, involving diving, and are still being explored.
Buy
There is a gift and souvenir shop at the visitors centre, open until 3:30PM daily. They hire snorkels and fins (which must be returned before closing time), but you're better buying your own. You need a good comfortable fit of mask, which can have corrective lenses if you wear specs - see Scuba diving.
Eat
Bring your own food. The gift shop at the Visitor Centre sells microwaved pies, sausage rolls and pasties.
Drink & nightlife
Bring your own. The visitor centre has drinking water but it's unreasonable to refill a big container. Ned's Bore a few kilometres north is
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.