Carnarvon Guide + The Best Things To Do in 2023

The Carnarvon region is your perfect destination if you’re looking for a place to experience natural wonders, extraordinary local history, and enjoy an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood while learning about the Gascoyne region’s Indigenous and colonial pioneering heritage.

Did you know that Carnarvon produces the majority of Perth’s fruit and vegetables in the winter?

Find out what to do in Carnarvon, when to visit, and how to get there.

Our Pick

Gwoonwardu Mia, the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre

Such a fascinating cultural centre and very moving. Well worth the small entrance fee to learn more about Australian Aboriginal history and culture.

Things to do in Carnarvon

Carnarvon is a thriving town with an abundance of natural beauty and attractions. So, if you’re interested in exploring all that Carnarvon has to offer, find out what are the best things to do there.

Gwoonwardu Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre

Gwoonwardu Mia, the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre, was our favourite attraction in Carnarvon. This multipurpose centre celebrates the five Aboriginal language groups of the Gascoyne Region and features a permanent exhibition, touring exhibitions, café, gallery, Artist-in-Residence program, conference and meeting rooms, an ethnobotanical garden and gift shop.

The permanent interactive exhibition, Burlganyja Wanggaya: Old People Talking, unites and reflects the culture and stories of the five Aboriginal language groups of the region; Yinggarda, Bayungu, Malgana, Thadgari and Thalanyji.

The Aboriginal history of the region has long been a part of its rich and vibrant history. This is recognised in this exhibition that features:

• The Skydome, which is made up of time lapse night footage taken from different areas showing how our first astronomers were Aboriginal people.
• A light table with an interactive experience presenting animation, information images and sound.
• Artefacts such as shields and grindstones, which date back thousands of years, and a replica of a 33,000 year old shell necklace found in the area (the original can be seen in the Western Australian Museum in Perth).
• The Burrowing Bees are big hairy bees unique to the Gascoyne area. Known as Mungurrgurra or Jurrabarri, they are one of the world’s largest bee species.
• Dreamtime stories on how the land was made, which have been passed down through generations to keep the culture alive.
• Stories and memories of working on the Stations.
• How settlers moved or took traditional items that appeared to be left, but were actually still in use and important to the Aboriginal people.

We were lucky enough to speak to the manager, Keneth Phillips, who gave us an insight into the cultural centre and gardens. He was fascinating to listen to and we learnt so much from him in addition to the exhibition.

The building is shaped like a Willy Willy, a whirlwind or dust storm, and the courtyard has five alcoves representing the five language groups.

It is free to enter Gwoonwardu Mia, but entry fees apply to the Permanent Exhibition, which includes any touring exhibition. It was A$25 for our family, and well worth the money. It was interesting to learn about the Aboriginal culture and history, but sad to read what they had to endure from the settlers.

The Heritage Precinct

The Heritage Precinct, including One Mile Jetty and the Shearing Hall of Fame, prove how rich in history Carnarvon really is. You can also see an old residence built around 1900, which was once used by lighthouse keepers, but has since been converted into a museum full of memorabilia from days past.

One Mile Jetty

From the late 1800s, as pastoralism developed in Carnarvon, residents pressured the government to build a port for them. In 1897 the jetty was constructed and became the first livestock export port in Western Australia. The jetty head was added in 1904 and later widened due to increased traffic and passengers.

The One Mile Jetty transport system and diesel locos on the tramway stopped in 1966 when road train transport commenced. Therefore, the jetty was neglected until 1998 when the community came together to preserve the longest jetty in the northern part of WA.

Unfortunately, the jetty is currently closed due to damage from Cyclone Seroja in April 2021. However, you are able to walk through the mangroves to Dwyer’s Leap and visit the One Mile Jetty Interpretive Centre.

The Railway Station Museum

The Railway Station Museum houses the last steam train to operate in the North West, the Kimberley Steam Train, which was brought down from Broome in the 1950s.

Shearing Hall of Fame

This is the first Shearing Hall of Fame in Western Australia and where you can learn about Gascoyne’s shearing industry in the 1950s.

Lighthouse Keepers Cottage

This 1900s cottage once housed the lighthouse keeper and his family and has now been restored. The museum features historic memorabilia.

From here you can take the 5 km (return) Tramway Walk Trail into Carnarvon town.

OTC Dish and the Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum

The OTC Dish and the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum are on most visitor’s itinerary.

Opened in 1966, the OTC Satellite Earth Station featured the Casshorn antenna locally known as the ‘Sugar Scoop’. This was used to relay Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon from NASA’s Honey Suckle Creek Tracking Station to Perth’s TV audience, the first live telecast into WA.

In 1969, a larger antenna was built for improved communication between the NASA Tracking Station and the US.

The station closed after assisting in tracking Halley’s Comet in 1987 but is now the site of the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, which is operated by volunteers and is mainly self funded.

Access to the OTC Dish is free, but there’s a charge to enter the museum.

Fruit Loop

Due to its geographical advantage, Carnarvon’s fertile plantations and farms supply Perth with most of its fruit and vegetables during the winter months. However, if you visit in summer, the riverbed is all dried up as it only flows after rains inland. The Gascoyne River is known as an ephemeral river, meaning it only exists for a short amount of time.

Although fresh produce grows year round in Carnarvon, the main plantation season is from May to October. You can take a drive along the scenic North and South River Roads, also known as “The Fruit Loop”, past working plantations. We read that some have roadside stalls with honesty boxes where you can pick up preserves and fruits. However, when we drove past, not many were selling produce.

If you’re on Instagram, you’ll recognise the Cactus Garden along the Fruit Loop on South River Road. Stop here if you want to snap a few photos for your social media!

Did you know that Carnarvon was the first location in Australia where bananas were grown?

Produce Season

Bananas & Papayas – Year round

Tomatoes, Chilies, Cucumbers, Butternut Pumpkin – Year round

Winter Vegetables – May to August

Melons – October to April

Mangoes & Tropical Fruit – November to March

Grapes – November to January

Seafood – Year round

The Fascine

Carnarvon’s central waterway, known as The Fascine, is an ideal spot to watch the sunset over a beautiful natural landscape. Along this stretch there are grassed picnic areas with BBQs where you can enjoy local produce while catching up on family time. You will also be able to see the HMAS Sydney II Memorial, featuring 645 plaques which commemorate the lives lost aboard the ship on 19 November 1941.

The Fascine Town Beach is a safe beach where you can swim to the pontoon and fish anywhere along the crescent-shaped beach or from the footbridge.

Fishing

There are some fantastic places to fish along the Carnarvon coastline. Some of the best are Pelican Point, Miabooyla Beach, Carnarvon Jetty and Teggs Channel, a purpose built fishing spot for anglers.

Bird Watching

Carnarvon is a great place for bird watchers, where you might spot whistling kites, wedge-tailed eagles, little eagles and brown falcons. The best places are Chinamans’s Pool, Miabooyla Beach and New Beach Bush Bay. 

Rocky Pool

Rocky Pool is a freshwater pool near Carnarvon that provides an inviting day trip for the whole family looking to swim or just relax. Let the kids explore the shallow pools for fossils that have been washed down from the Kennedy Ranges.

Carnarvon Blowholes

About 75 km north of Carnarvon, on the Quobba coastline, is the Quobba Blowholes. Like the ones in Albany, powerful ocean swells force water through the sea caves and up out of narrow holes in the rocks, creating jets of water erupting into the air up to 20 metres high!

Caution is needed here, though, as lives have been lost due to king waves crashing over the top of the rock ledge.

The Aquarium, Point Quobba

Just 1 km before the blowholes is Point Quobba where there’s a calm coral-filled lagoon known as the ‘Aquarium’. We haven’t been there yet but it’s apparently an excellent snorkel spot filled with fish, starfish, giant clams, stingrays, and even turtles, eels & octopus. Definitely on our list for next time when the weather is warmer!

Kennedy Range National Park

Kennedy Range National Park, near Gascoyne Junction, is a stunning national park located about two hours inland from Carnarvon. It consists of vast, rugged and remote landscapes, boasting spectacular red rock formations, lush spinifex plains and deep gorges carved by millions of years of weathering.

This extraordinary park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including birds, reptiles, and mammals. The area’s unique environment also supports an array of plants such as acacia, grevillea, everlastings, and banksia.

Visitors can explore this magnificent landscape on foot or four-wheel drive vehicle along various trails throughout the park. Hiking trails follow usually dry, rocky waterways (rock pools are seasonal and not fit to drink). Avoid hiking in hot weather – the best months are May to August – and keep hydrated

Read this Kennedy Range National Park brochure for more information.

Mount Augustus – Burringurrah

Mount Augustus is the world’s largest monocline, rising 715 metres above the surrounding plain, making it almost twice as high as Uluru. The mountain has plenty of sites to explore, including rock formations, spectacular gorges, and Australian Aboriginal art and engravings. Mount Augustus is known as Burringurrah – or ‘Island Mountain’ – to the Wadjari people.

The area around Mount Augustus is home to a wide variety of wildlife, such as kangaroos, mulga parrots, emus, bustards, goannas, red kangaroos, and eagles. For those looking to hike, there are various walking trails, including the one to the summit. Some trails allow you to explore ancient rock formations and Aboriginal engravings, and take in breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding landscape

Emu lookout has stunning views of Mt Augustus and is a great spot to watch the sunset. Whereas, Yalaweerie lookout is good to watch the sun rise.

Read this Mount Augustus National Park Burringurrah Visitor Guide for more information.

The best time to visit Mount Augustus is during the dry season, which runs from April to October.

Where is Carnarvon?

Carnarvon is 904 km north of Perth and 1461 km south of Broome, on Western Australia’s Coral Coast. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The Shark Bay World Heritage Area is to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef and popular tourist town of Exmouth lies to the north. 

Carnarvon is a great place to stop on a Perth to Exmouth road trip.

Perth to Carnarvon

International and domestic visitors will fly into Perth Airport. Find details about visas, prohibited items, currency, and safety in this Australia Travel Guide and tips on arriving into WA and other essential travel information in this Western Australia Travel Guide.

There are car hire booths at Perth Airport, but it’s best to pre-book your car rental.

To compare Australian car hire prices, Discover Cars is an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are highly rated.

DriveNow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia. It includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, & Jucy as well as smaller ones.

Compare Rental Cars Here.

By Car

To drive from Perth to Carnarvon will take you about 9 1/2 hours along the North West Coastal Highway.

Rainfall can close the roads so check with Main Roads who can provide current information on the major roads.

Be careful when driving as you can encounter stray animals on the roads, including sheep, kangaroos, goats, cows and horses.

Travel with plenty of water, food and fuel as services can be limited or in case you break down.

By Bus

Integrity Coach Lines operate bus services travelling north and south to and from Carnarvon.

Flights

You can fly direct to Carnarvon from Perth with REX, which is a two-hour flight time.

Car Hire in Carnarvon

There are two car hire companies in Carnarvon; Avis and Budget – compare prices with Discover Cars.

Weather in Carnarvon

The weather in Carnarvon is usually around 10°C warmer than Perth in winter, making it a popular time to visit to escape the colder south.

February is the hottest month with temperatures averaging 32°C, while July is the coldest at 22°C.

June is the wettest time of year in Carnarvon and November is the driest.

You can see all the average temperatures on the Bureau of Meteorology site.

Despite the cyclone season officially being from 1st November to 30th April, cyclones can happen in any month. You can get up to date cyclone warnings on the WA Emergency site.

How long to stay in Carnarvon

You should allow at least two days in Carnarvon to see everything. If you are stopping as part of your Perth to Exmpouth road trip, you can stay one night and choose your favourite activities to do while there.

Carnarvon Accommodation

Have you booked accommodation?

We use Booking.com for most accommodation bookings as they offer free cancellation on many properties and have a price match guarantee. We book through Stayz (part of VRBO) for private accommodation as we find it is often cheaper than Airbnb.

Tip: Accommodation gets booked quickly, especially during the WA school holidays. To avoid disappointment, book early.

Carnarvon Hotels & Motels

Carnarvon doesn’t have a wide range of hotels but my pick would be the Carnarvon Motel as it has better reviews than the Hospitality Carnarvon, SureStay by Best Western. Read reviews here.

Carnarvon Caravan Parks

Carnarvon is a pet-friendly town with six out of seven caravan parks allowing dogs.

If you’re looking for great value accommodation, the following caravan parks offer cabins for a reasonable price.

We stayed at the Outback Oasis Caravan Park in a Family Double Room cabin, which was perfect for our nights stay.

Other Caravan Parks that have great reviews are:

Norwesta Lifestyle Park

Wintersun Caravan and Tourist Park

Coral Coast Tourist Park

Private Accommodation

The Carnarvon Luxury Canal Home looks amazing and has 4 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms with a hot tub and a private beach area. See the photos here.

Quobba Station

Quobba Station is located on the Ningaloo Coast in North Western Australia, about an hours drive from Carnarvon, after the Blowholes. The remote location of Quobba Station has enabled it to remain relatively untouched, preserving its remarkable environment and unique wildlife.

The Ningaloo Coast is recognised as one of Australia’s most important coastal areas, providing refuge for a wide variety of marine life including whales, dugongs, manta rays and turtles. In addition to its incredible marine life, Quobba Station also boasts an array of spectacular landscapes with rugged red sandstone cliffs and sheltered coral coves.

The station, established in 1898 and covering an area of approximately 187,000 acres (76,000 ha), is bordered by pristine turquoise waters and is renowned for its stunning coastal scenery and abundance of nature-based activities such as fishing, swimming, surfing, bird watching and bushwalking.

Despite being such a remote destination, Quobba Station has become increasingly popular among travellers looking for a unique experience in an unspoiled natural environment.

Visitors to Quobba Station can stay at a variety of accommodation options ranging from hard deck safari tents to unpowered camp sites. Please note that the accommodation runs on solar power and no power, water, or food is available.

Carnarvon Town

There are shops including a Woolworths supermarket, a liquor store and a chemist at the Carnarvon, Central Shopping Centre and there’s an IGA in East Carnarvon.

Carnarvon Population

According to the 2021 Census, Carnarvon had a population of 4,879.

Thoughts on Carnarvon

I have to admit that Carnarvon isn’t my favourite town, but I was pleasantly surprised by what it had to offer. More towns should have Cultural Centres like Gwoonwardu Mia to pay respect to our traditional landowners and to learn more about their life and culture.

The Fascine is a lovely spot to have a picnic if you’re just passing through and want to break up the journey.

We didn’t allow enough time to see the blowholes or snorkel at the Aquarium, so this will be on our list when we return.

Now you know what to do, when to visit and how to get there, so please consider booking through one of our links. This won’t cost you any more but will help with the cost of running this site. Thank you.

Other posts you may like

• Things to do in Green Head & Leeman
• Things to do in Jurien Bay
• Things to do in Geraldton
• Things to do in Shark Bay Monkey Mia & Denham
• Things to do in Coral Bay
• Things to do in Exmouth
• A guide to Australia’s Coral Coast

Western Australia Travel Guide

For other ideas on where to visit in Western Australia along with the best things to do, where to stay, how to get around, and other essential information, click on the link below.

Free Western Australia Travel Guide