Flanking Australia’s most westerly point, the Ningaloo - Shark Bay landscape is a mesmerising mix of pristine shorelines, crystal waters, ancient rock formations, unique plants and animals, and

marine life in extraordinary abundance.

It’s an outstanding example of ongoing geological processes and major stages in the earth’s evolutionary history; as well as supporting important habitats where threatened animal species survive.

One of only a few sites in the world that meets four of the natural criteria for World Heritage listing, the massive 2.2-million hectare Shark Bay region is a meeting point of three major climatic regions, resulting in plant and wildlife species found nowhere else on Earth.

Its sheltered waters are only nine metres deep, revealing spectacular sea grass meadows covering 4,000 square kilometres of the bay. The 1,030 square kilometre Wooramel Seagrass Bank is the largest structure of its type in the world.

Here you’ll find the world’s largest concentration of Dugongs (sea cows); as well as a myriad of sea creatures such as humpback whales, loggerhead turtles, dolphins, whale sharks and manta rays.

Within the landscape is Denham, Australia’s most westerly town. At Steep Point you can stand on the most westerly point of Australia, and see the magnificent Zuytdorp Cliffs that stretch for more than 200 kilometres along the coastline.

In the 1960s wild bottlenose dolphins began visiting fishermen in the Monkey Mia region who often shared their catch with them. Dolphins continue to visit the beach nearly every day of the year, with conservation measures in place to ensure that these wild creatures do not become dependent on humans.

The Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve is home to one of the world’s only population of living marine stromatolites, living relatives of some of

the first life on earth, dating back three and half billion years.

More than 130 archaeological sites provide evidence that three Indigenous Australia groups - the Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta - have lived in Ningaloo-Shark Bay during the past 30,000 years.

These tribes were probably the first Indigenous Australians to encounter Europeans – Shark Bay was the site of the first recorded landing by a European on Australian soil, when in 1616, Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog anchored at the island that now bears his name.

Mount Augustus National Park is home to the world’s largest monocline, known as Burringurrah by the local Wadjari Aboriginal people. The rock itself is about eight kilometres long and covers an area of 4,795 hectares within the park. The granite rock that lies beneath Mount Augustus is 1,650 million years old. This makes it twice the size of Uluru and considerably older.

Stretching for almost 300 kilometres and situated unusually close to the continental shelf, Ningaloo Reef is the largest reef in the Western Australian coral reef system and the only major coral reef system on the west coast of any continent. The reef contains a diverse range of species including more than 250 corals, 500 fish, and 600 different types of molluscs.

The gentle whale shark is the largest fish species in the world. They visit Ningaloo Reef each March following the coral spawning after the full moon. Whaleshark tours operate out of Coral Bay or Exmouth from mid March to mid July.

The landscape that forms the coral reefs is also the base of the spectacular limestone karsts of Cape Range National Park, as movement in the earth’s crust forced the uplift of the seafloor more than 150 million years ago to create the ranges from ancient fossilised coral beds.

NATIONAL LANDSCAPES

Ningaloo – Shark Bay

Key Facts

• The Ningaloo-Shark Bay National Landscape has a World Heritage area at its northern and southern end. Shark Bay received World Heritage listing in 1991 and is one of only a handful of places in the world that satisfies all four criteria for a heritage listing. In June 2011, the Ningaloo Coast, encompassing more than 600,000 hectares and including the Commonwealth and State waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park; Cape Range National Park; Muiron Islands Marine Management Area and Nature Reserve; Jurabi and Bundegi coastal parks; and Learmonth Air Weapons Range, was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

• Shark Bay Marine Park is Australia’s largest marine embayment at a size of 748,735 hectares and covering 1,500 kilometres of coastline. As well as aquatic wildlife there are some 100 species of reptile and amphibian, 240 bird species, 320 fish, 80 corals, 218 bivalves (scallops, clams, mussels, oysters) and 820 species of plants. At least 70 of these species are endemic – that is, they are found nowhere else in the world.

• The 300 kilometre-long Ningaloo Reef is the longest fringing barrier reef in Australia.

Things to see and do

• Swim with whalesharks from Coral Bay or Exmouth

• Take a glass bottom boat tour in Coral Bay or Exmouth

• Breakfast with the dolphins at Monkey Mia

• See the stromatolites - the oldest and largest living fossils on earth at the Hamelin Pool

• Explore the amazing red rock canyons of the Cape Range National Park by 4WD

• Float your boat on a tour of Yardie Creek in the Cape Range National Park looking out for rare black footed rock wallabies

• Take a scenic flight over Shark Bay and / or Ningaloo for breathtaking views of the whole panorama

• Watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean from the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

• Gaze in awe at Mount Augustus, the world’s largest monocline rock formation

• See the landscape through the eyes of the traditional land owners on a 4WD tour, kayak adventure or walking tour in Shark Bay

• See the natural spectacle of the blow holes (70 kilometres north of Carnarvon) shooting water into the air

• Relive the past at the Carnarvon Heritage Precinct

• Dive or snorkel the reefs around Dirk Hartog Island, the Ningaloo Marine Park and the world famous dive site at Navy Pier, near Exmouth.

• Swim with manta rays with wing spans several metres wide year round at Coral Bay

• Quad biking at sun set

• Go on a game fishing charter

Ningaloo-Shark Bay

Perth

For further information contact:

Tourism Australia Global Public Relations GPO Box 2721 Sydney NSW 1006 Phone: +61 2 9360 1111 Email: internationalmedia@tourism.australia.com

www.media.australia.com

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Suggested itineraryIf you only have a few days, concentrate your time on the World Heritage sites between the highway and Monkey Mia. To get any sort of appreciation of this landscape you’ll need at least a week.

Start at Denham, approximately 800 kilometres from Perth, and visit the World Heritage Discovery Centre to gain a full appreciation of the reason for Shark Bay’s World Heritage listing. Then head to the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. Visit the historic Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station before heading for Shell Beach. Visit Steep Point, the most westerly point of Australia, and enjoy the views over the magnificent Zuytdorp Cliffs.

Make an early start and head for Monkey Mia to see the world famous dolphins. Feeding occurs in the morning from around 7.30am, so try to be early (only a few people are selected to feed the dolphins). In the afternoon either take a boat cruise to try and spot more local marine life; visit the local aquarium; take a cultural tour with a Malgana guide; or get some solitude with a walk among the dunes on the Wulyibidi Yaninyina Trail. Other options around Monkey Mia include camel rides on the beach and water activities such as sea-kayaking and snorkelling.

Take a 4WD tour into Francois Peron National Park to explore the rich red sand dune landscape and stunning turquoise waters surrounding the Peron Peninsula. Stop at the Peron Homestead to experience station life as it was before the area became a national park. The artesian hot tub and the ‘Station Life’ walk are attractions at the old homestead. If you have time take a trip to Dirk Hartog Island for history and excellent diving and snorkelling.

Head north to Coral Bay or Exmouth and join a snorkelling (people are not able to scuba dive with whale sharks) tour to swim with the whale sharks (Mid March to Mid July). Visit the Jurabi Turtle Centre and learn about NinGaloo’s endangered turtles. There are also beach fishing and daily deep sea game fishing charters.