14 great things to do in Carnarvon, Western Australia
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My road trip from Perth to Carnarvon was already amazing with beautiful spots along the way such as the Pinnacles, Kalbarri National Park and Francois Peron National Park but there are also many things to do in Carnarvon itself.
Driving along the Fruitloop, learning more about our universe in the Space Museum or spotting dolphins along the coastline are just a few of the amazing things to do in Carnarvon.
In this article, I want to share 13 great things to do in Carnarvon Western Australia including where to stay and how to get from Perth to Carnarvon, Western Australia.
Read also: From Perth to Broome: the best road trip in Western Australia in 3 weeks
How to get from Perth to Carnarvon Western Australia?
By car or campervan: The easiest way to travel from Perth to Carnarvon Western Australia is by renting a car or campervan. Carnarvon is located about 900 km north of Perth between the Shark Bay World Heritage Area and Coral Bay.
There are many rental companies in Western Australia but we recommend hiring a vehicle with RentalCars or a campervan with Travellers Autobarn & Maui.
Keep in mind that if you want to explore the Shark Bay World Heritage Area or more specific Francois Peron National Park on your way from Perth to Carnarvon, you definitely need a 4×4.
Another option is to buy a car if you stay in Australia for a longer period as I did. I decided to buy a Jeep and convert it into a campervan to travel around Australia.
Accommodation in Carnarvon Western Australia
There are a few campgrounds in Carnarvon Western Australia and even some great hotels. As I am travelling in a converted jeep, I choose to stay at Wintersun Caravan Park. A good campsite with clean ablutions and very friendly staff. The price for an unpowered site was AUD32 and for powered AUD38.
The Gascoyne Hotel is a great place to stay if you want a more comfortable room. This hotel has a beer garden where you can have amazing food and watch the beautiful sunsets as well.
The best things to do in Carnarvon, Western Australia
Drive along the Fruit Loop in Carnarvon
Carnarvon Western Australia is the hometown of many fruit and vegetable farmers. Just outside of town is the famous Fruit Loop where you can drive along and stop at the different farms to buy or eat their fresh products.
If you are making your way from Perth to Carnarvon make sure you take this route as well as it is a beautiful scenic drive with banana farms, grape farms and mango farms along the way.
Have a photoshoot in the insta-famous Cactus garden
The cactus garden in Carnarvon is definitely something you have seen on social media. This beautiful Cactus garden is actually a real garden of a family’s house and an amazing place to take some great photos.
There is a small donation box in front of the house, so the family can maintain the garden even better.
TIP: Go in the afternoon to have the best lighting in the cactus garden.
Have a BBQ at the Carnavon Fascine
The Carnarvon Fascine is the foreshore next to the river developed with palm trees, BBQs and walking boards. It is the perfect place to relax on the grass or have a BBQ under the shelters.
So if you just want to relax and unwind in Carnarvon, visit the Fascine as it is also the best place to see the sunset.
Visit the Carnarvon’s Space and Technology Centre
One of the most surprising things to do in Carnarvon, Western Australia is a visit to Space & Technology Centre. Try to go around 9 am as they offer free coffee and tea if you buy an entrance ticket.
The space station was used for communication with the USA and the international space station in the ’60s & ’70s and nowadays it’s a museum that’s divided into different sections with interactive parts such as space arcade games, a photo corner where you are standing on the moon & a replica of the launch of Apollo 11.
It was a very interesting morning and I was amazed by all the information about our universe. After a few hours of wandering inside the Space & Technology Centre, it was time to see the big satellite outside that was used for the communication between Australia, The USA, and the space stations back in the ’70s. Definitely worth a stop and walk up the satellite.
COST: The admission tickets are AU$ 18/adult and AU$ 10/child
INFO: Find here more information about a visit to the Space & Technology Museum
Visit The One Mile Jetty
Carnarvon is home to one of the longest jetties in the world which became a landmark today. unfortunately due to a cyclone, the Jetty is damaged and closed until further notice.
However, I recommend visiting the Heritage Cafe as there is a lot of information about the history of the Jetty and there are some boardwalk trails through the mangroves that you can explore.
Buy local honey
Buying fresh products straight from the farmers is always a good way to support local communities and I found this farmer in Carnarvon that sells, Mangos, grapes and honey.
The daughter is an award-wining beekeeper in the region and I couldn’t resist trying it. If you drive up their property you will pass some vineyards and mango trees, which are also worth having a look at.
The lady sells a few different jars of honey that you can taste before buying and I bet you won’t walk out with empty hands.
TIP: The location is not on google maps but there is a small sign “honey for sale” across the Wintersun Caravan Park on Robinson Street
Admire the spectacular Quobba Blowholes
Almost 80km out of Carnarvon Western Australia are the Quobba Blowholes where the ocean smashes onto the cliffs and blows through the rocky holes into the air.
It is a short walk along the rough cliffs to admire the spectacular scenery but you need to be very careful as the rocks are sharp and wet. I was even lucky to spot some humpback whales in the distance.
Take a photo at the King Waves Kills sign
You probably have seen this very popular sign somewhere on social media as almost every tourist takes a snap under the sign. The sign is a warning to the visitors of the Quobba Blowholes and the dangerous waves that smash onto the cliffs.
The best time to visit the sign is at sunset or sunrise for the best photos or take the chance to visit the lighthouse up the hill as well.
Spent a night at Quobba Station
After a visit to the Quobba blowholes, I drove to Quobba station. A great campground along the road with a beautiful beach and a 5km walking trail that goes along the beach, which is amazing.
I was lucky to spot humpback whales breaching and dolphins playing in the waves. This was a unique moment which made the trip from Perth to Carnarvon unforgettable.
When I arrived at the campsite, the friendly owners gave me campsite 11 which had a shelter, BBQ area and is located close to the beach path There is also a small kitchen area and the ablution block is clean but basic.
Explore the caves at Red Bluff
Another 100km further than Quobba station is Red Bluff Beach where you can find one of the most beautiful beach caves I have ever seen. Red Bluff is a great place to relax on the beach or catch a wave if you are into surfing.
On arrival, you’ll need to register your car at the reception of the campground as the beach is actually the property of the campground. We can highly recommend staying a night if you have enough time on your trip.
TIP: Visit Red Bluff with the low tide as you can join the natural rock pools in front of the beach.
Watch the sunset at the Gascoyne Hotel or Town Beach
I love sunsets and the moment I arrived in Carnarvon, I asked the receptionist of the campsite what’s the best place to watch the sunset. The friendly lady recommended going to either Town Beach or the beer garden of the Gascoyne Hotel.
I went to the beer garden of the Gascoyne Hotel and it was just amazing. The sun goes down behind the small harbour between the palm trees. A really amazing sight while I enjoyed some drinks and the perfect place to end the day.
Have a smoothie or icecream at Bumbak’s Smoothies
Who doesn’t love handcrafted ice cream or fresh fruit smoothies? Bumbak’s Smoothies is a banana & mango plantation in Carnarvon Western Australia that has award-winning products and the most delicious icecreams.
You can find Bumbak’s Smoothies along the Fruit Loop Drive in Carnarvon across the river and products like frozen chocolate bananas or mango smoothies are really hard to resist.
TIP: The mango-chocolate ice cream is awesome!
Go to a car wash
After a visit to Francois Peron National Park, your car will probably be completely covered by red dust and sand just like mine. In front of the Carnarvon Caravan Park is a carwash which was the perfect moment to clean the car before I headed further up north to Broome.
I choose to do a self-car wash and paid AU$ 8. The car wash works on a time system and costs about AU$ 2 per minute.
Do some groceries at Woolworths in Carnarvon
The Woolworths supermarket in Carnarvon is the last bigger supermarket when you drive up North to Exmouth. In Coral Bay is a small local supermarket where you also can buy a lot of stuff but it’s more expensive and In Exmouth are 2 IGA supermarkets but I noticed that the prices are also higher compared to Woolworths.
And if you have a Woolworths rewards card you can also save some extra points.
The next big supermarket after Exmouth is in Karratha or Tom Price.
Extra: Free water and showers in Carnarvon
Carnarvon is a great place to stop and fill up your water bottles as there is a free water tap at the Information Bay after you pass the Space & Technology Museum.
There are also free showers available at the boat dock at the Harbour Rd. next to the parking area of the Department of Transport.
Carnarvon is a place many tourists skip or just drive through on their way to Coral Bay or Exmouth. However, there is quite a lot to discover and to do in Carnarvon.
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Explore the best things to do in Carnarvon with my favourite travel apps
To plan my adventures, I use these FREE websites and apps as they provide the best information, the best deals, and they are user-friendly.
- Skyscanner – Flight deals
- Booking.com – Hotels and accommodation
- TourRadar – Group trips
- TripAdvisor – Reviews and activities
- HostelWorld – Hostels
- GetYourGuide – Activities and excursions
- RentalCars – Car rental
- Omio – Transport
- iVisa – Travel documents
- Wise – Money transfer
- InsuredNomads – Travel Insurance
PICTURES AND EDITING
All the pictures on this page are made and owned by me. If you are interested in some pictures to use for your magazine, website, blog, or any other purpose, just send me an email and we’ll figure it out.
Do you like the edits? My Presets will be online soon so you can edit your pictures in just one click!
The camera gear I used for this trip
I never go out without my camera and many people ask me which gear I use. So to make it quite easy, I listed all the gear I used for this trip below.
Most of the time, I travel with the Sony A7III and the Sony 24-105mm/f4 as my primary lens but depending on the location, I change to another setup. However, I love the Tamron 17-28 to shoot in the big cities.
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