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Geraldton, WA

Located 424 kilometres north of Perth and the gateway to the State’s vast north, Geraldton is a bustling coastal town.

Blessed with beautiful beaches and warm, sunny weather, Geraldton is also a major export centre for far flung pastoral, mining, agricultural, manufacturing, construction and fishing industries.

Situated on Champion Bay on a spectacular stretch of coastline known as the Batavia Coast, Geraldton offers cultural, entertainment, shopping and sporting facilities.

Lovely natural beaches provide a smorgasbord of water based recreational and sporting activities, with special emphasis on yachting, surfing and diving. The town is also world renowned as a Mecca for windsurfers.

Geraldton is an ideal base for self drive tours, especially during the famous wildflower season from July to November, and is within a few hours’ drive of sealed roads to the real ‘Outback’. Throughout the year there are scenic flights along the Batavia Coast to Monkey Mia (where wild dolphins visit), Kalbarri National Park and the spectacular Murchison River gorges. Tours to the Abrolhos Islands are also available by boat and float plane, offering fascinating views of these unique islands.

Among Geraldton’s many attractions are first class theatres, art galleries, museums, lookouts and parks. Two of the town’s most striking historical buildings are the Monsignor Hawes designed St Francis Xavier Cathedral and the unique all steel Point Moore Lighthouse, dating back to 1878.

Recent additions are the Western Australian Museum, Geraldton, which houses relics of ships wrecked off the rugged coastline, and the magnificent Memorial to the 645 crew members who were lost when HMAS Sydney went down on 19th November, 1941.

In 1879, Geraldton was the western terminal for the State’s first government built railway line between the port and Northampton. In the 1890s it boomed through gold discoveries in the Murchison region and became increasingly important as a supply and shipping centre for the pastoral and agricultural industries.

Now almost three million tonnes of grain and minerals are shipped from the port each year and huge ships can be seen entering the port from the open sea.

A marine commercial centre, it is distinguished as the world leader in rock lobster fishing, producing world class quality as a result of the pristine water conditions.

An excellent range of restaurants and cafes, many featuring local seafood, are available. Geraldton also offers a number of hotels, motels, holiday flats, villas and caravan parks.

Lobsters galore

The Batavia Coast offers a choice of great locations and facilities for traditional and relaxing ocean-side holidays. Attractions include fishing, reef diving, surfing, wind surfing, yachting and unspoiled beaches.
Many of the towns along the coast are really no more than villages, but all have lobster boats and pleasure craft riding at moorings or tied up in a marina.
The Batavia Coast is home to one of the world’s richest sources of rock lobster (crayfish) and from November to June at Dongara and Geraldton, you can take an educational rock lobster tour and learn more about the industry. Many of the area’s restaurants specialise in the freshest seafood.
Geraldton, with a population of 25,000, is the capital of the Mid West region and the commercial centre and port for the Batavia Coast.
The town of Kalbarri, 160 kilometres north of Geraldton, can only be approached through the 186,000 hectare Kalbarri National Park. Despite its popularity as a holiday destination, Kalbarri has retained its village atmosphere. With its breathtaking scenery of coastal cliffs and river gorges of the national park, whale watching, soft adventure options such as canoeing, abseiling, rock climbing, horse riding, and hiking, plus an excellent selection of accommodation, it is no wonder that Kalbarri is one of the state’s most popular holiday destinations.

Paradise found

Consisting of 122 islands, the area is home to an abundance of wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, migratory whales and sea birds.  The extensive coral reef system stretches for 100 kilometres and is home to many species, some as yet to be named. The unique wildlife and pristine beaches make for excellent swimming, snorkelling and beach walking.  The Houtman Abrolhos Islands provide idyllic surroundings for a quiet picnic on the beach, or an afternoon snorkelling over coral gardens just under the surface.
The warm southern flowing current creates a marine environment that breeds both tropical and temperate sea life. The current maintains water temperatures at about 20 – 22 degrees allowing corals, sea grasses, tropical fish and other sea life to thrive in an area they wouldn’t normally be found.
The Abrolhos Islands are the main source of supply for Western Australia’s rock lobster fishing industry. Home to fishermen from March until June, the Abrolhos remains almost deserted for the other eight months of the year. 
The Abrolhos are also famous for their historic shipwrecks, the best known being the Dutch East India Company vessel Batavia, which ran aground in 1629.The water surrounding the islands is the graveyard to 18 other wrecks, mostly believed to be from the 19th century. Visitors can access these pristine islands by charter, fishing and eco boat tours from Geraldton and Kalbarri, float plane tours from Geraldton, and aerial tours from Dongara, Geraldton and Kalbarri.
Geraldton is the region’s largest city and is also well know for being one of the windiest places in Australia, making it ideal for windsurfing.  From Geraldton there are also many diving tours to the reefs and shipwrecks.

Nearest Airport: Geraldton – in the Shire of Greenough (11km)

Where to stay?

Experiences

  • Caravan and Camping
  • City
  • Cultural
  • Eco Tourism
  • Historic/Heritage
  • Island

Popular Activities

  • Beach
  • Diving
  • Fishing
  • Golfing

About Geraldton

  • Locality: Major urban locality
  • Geraldton Postcode: 6530
  • State: Western Australia
  • Region: Exmouth & the Coral Coast
  • Latitude: -28.77307
  • Longitude: 114.61127
  • Elevation: 10m
  • Population: 3148
  • Median Income: $29380
  • Area (Sq/km): 4.475
  • Timezone: Australia/Perth

Tours In Geraldton

Discover some of the tours options around Geraldton

Explore The Outback

Australia has a vast remote interior, much of it largely untouched. By night, the outback is deathly quiet, with the only light provided by the stars and the moon - a perfect oportunity for stargazing. Explore the isolated heart of the country, meet and connect with Aboriginal people and experience one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Go ‘walk-about’ and immerse yourself with Australia’s endless outback horizons.

Outback Experiences

Luxe Accommodation

Enjoy a distinctly Australian luxury experience, such as the unforgettable reefs, islands, beaches and coast; rugged mountain ranges, rainforests and vast national parks; and the many vibrant food and wine regions. Take a once in a lifetime adventure and discover the sheer indulgence of experiencing the wonders of Australia in style and stay in total luxury.

Australia has wide variety of accommodation options to suit most budgets and travelling preferences. Choose from luxury lodges, boutique hotels, serviced apartments, motels, bed and breakfasts, caravan parks as well as youth and backpacker hostels.

Accommodation

Glasshouse Mountains

The Glasshouse Mountains in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast are actually the cores of 20 million year old volcanoes. The sides of the volcanoes have eroded away leaving only the hardened rock spiremountain cores we see today. Learn more about this awe-inspiring landscape.

Glasshouse Mountains