Our Pooch Friendly Route Down the Ningaloo Coast

In November we made our way down the Ningaloo coast with our best mate Boz. We were worried that we’d be fairly restricted by travelling with a dog in this area however we quickly discovered that there are still plenty of great station stays that will allow you and your four legged friend to get in on the action. Here are our top four picks!

[3 Mile Camp Gnaraloo Station]

Before we get to the good stuff it is worth noting that for these station stays you’ll need to be fully self sufficient so load the fridge, fill the water tanks and give the solar panels a clean. If you own a chemi loo pack that too. If you don’t have your own dunny the stations that require you to have one normally rent them out at around $5-10 a night. If you are bringing your pooch keep in mind that these are all working stations so 1080 baits are found outside of the camping areas. This means that even though you are allowed to have them with you, be prepared to have them on a leash with a soft muzzle if you can so that their nose doesn’t get the best of them.

Our first camp was at Ningaloo Station, I promise you the notorious 32km of corrugations on the way in are worth it! There are several camping areas to choose from, we chose South Lefroy Bay after a local recommendation. We had the entire campground to ourselves for 5 days, along with some very unseasonal light winds. There was a reef drift right in front of camp so every morning we would put on our snorkelling gear and drift along the teaming reefs for a couple of hours. Once we were all water logged we retired to our camp chairs to enjoy a cuppa and read our books. This place was paradise!

[South Lefroy Bay Ningaloo Station.]

Our next stop was Worroora Station, another gem! The road in was a lot more enjoyable then that to Ningaloo. We were greeted by the extremely friendly host and parked up for the night at 18 mile beach. It was a beautiful spot but we found it a little too crowded after our 5 days of solitude so the next day we drove down the road to a camp area called sandy point. Turquoise water and not a soul around, bingo, we had hit the jack pot again. Even though the wind had kicked up by this point we were still able to enjoy a swim in the ocean and then seek relief from the wind at camp which was tucked behind the dunes. There is so much coast to explore along here, so make sure you pack your snorkelling gear and fishing rod and go for an adventure.

[Sandy Point Worroora Station]

After 3 nights at Worroora it was time to hitch up the trailer and restock in Carnarvon. This lead us to our next destination, Red Bluff. If your not a surfer you may not fully appreciate this place, but waves aside this is still a beautiful place to visit. The camp is situated on the north side of a bluff which protects the beach and camp from the southernly winds. Most camp sites have there own access track to the beach and if you head north along the beach you’ll find some beautiful rock pools on low tide to dunk in. Walking out on the bluff is a must as well, at the south end of the beach you’ll find some amazing limestone caves to explore just before the track starts. If you continue to follow the track out onto the bluff along the rocky edge, you’ll most likely spot turtles, dolphins, sharks and bait balls along the way. Like the rest of the Ningaloo coast the ocean is so alive! If the Wave Gods shine favourably on you, you’ll be able to witness a world class point break ‘Red Bluff’ doing its thing. Make sure you pull up a seat and watch the show, your likely to witness the extreme highs and lows of surfing.

[Red Bluff]

Continuing north from here you’ll find yourself at our all time favourite, 3 Mile Camp at Gnarloo Station. After traveling around Australia for the past 12 months there’s good reason as to why this place still takes the cake for us. There’s something for everyone here, surfing, fishing, snorkelling, rock pool hopping, coastal walks and general good vibes. Although during our time here “Huey” didn’t answer our prayers and produce surfable waves, the kite surfers took full advantage of the strong southerly winds which was very entertaining to watch. If you happen to get the right conditions it’s well worth checking out the infamous wave ‘Tombstones’ which is one of the best left handers in the world. However this time round we spent our days exploring the coastal track between Gnarloo and Red Bluff which is littered with secluded beaches, rugged cliffs and amazing snorkelling spots. Our planned three days here quickly turned into a week, which seems to be a common theme every time we visit.

[Ningaloo Station]

Whether your traveling with a pooch or not these are four amazing spots worth putting on your West Australian bucket list!