Kalbarri to Exmouth road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Kalbarri to Exmouth drive: Exmouth from Coral Bay
The distance from Coral Bay to Exmouth is 153km, with a driving time of one hour and 38 minutes. Almost all of this drive is along the Minilya – Exmouth Road, which is a masterclass in monotonous outback driving. There’s plenty of red dirt to be seen on either side of the road, and not an awful lot else. If you’re doing this as the last stretch of the Carnarvon to Exmouth or Perth to Exmouth drive, you’re in severe danger of falling asleep at the wheel.
Aside from vast sheep stations, there is nothing of note until you reach Learmonth Airport. This is where the Perth to Exmouth flights land. Learmonth isn’t so much a settlement as an Air Force base with a solar observatory to one side. The Learmonth Jetty on the Exmouth Gulf makes for a fairly photogenic stop, however. It’s also a notoriously good spot for fishing if you’ve brought your gear with you.
The Minilya – Exmouth Road then continues north along the North West Cape. If you’ve got a 4WD vehicle, you can explore some of the highlights of the rugged Cape Range National Park. Charles Knife Canyon and Shothole Canyon are relatively short detours.
Then, on the way into Exmouth, you can always stop at Pebble Beach just before petrol station Exmouth Ningaloo Fuels.
Best Exmouth accommodation choices
- For infinity pool resort luxury: Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort.
- For central location: Ningaloo Lodge.
- For apartments with pool and landscaped gardens: Exmouth Escape Resort.
- For families: RACV Exmouth Cape Holiday Park.
Click through to next section: Visiting the Ningaloo Reef from Exmouth.