Treasures of the West Coast

In Northwest Australia on the Indian Ocean, where the desert meets the sea.

Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, N Australia, on an inlet of the Timor Sea. It is the chief port and administrative center for the sparsely settled tropical north coast. Called Palmerston until 1911, it was renamed for Charles Darwin, who discovered its site in 1839. It has been largely rebuilt since a devastating typhoon in 1974. Kakadu National Park is nearby.

Exmouth is a great base from which to join one of the many fabulous eco-tourism tours around the area. Exmouth is situated on the northern tip of the North West Cape which offers a number of nearby attractions. There is also a fantastic swimming beach at Pebbley Beach.

One the tip of the North West Cape is the Vlaming Head Lighthouse which has breathtaking views of the spectacular Coral Coast. There is also a shipwreck near here, which you can just about see poking out of the water. This is the SS Mildura which was beached on the North west Cape back in 1907.