There's a new reason to visit WA's beautiful Ningaloo Reef

Along a coast known for its underwater wonders, all eyes will soon turn to the sky.

At Ningaloo Reef, it's all about vivid hues; fiery west coast sunsets, sparkling turquoise waters, tropical fish the colour of jewels beneath the surface. Here, desert sands run right up to the shoreline and seemingly endless whitewashed beaches are strewn in places with rose-coloured coral fragments.

The reef is guarded by the dramatic peaks of the Cape Range National Park, where rock faces turn from gold to ochre to ruby red as the light turns.

The traditional custodians, the three tribes of Nyinggulu, know the country as an emu spirit dreaming place, and when the sun disappears each day, another show begins.

Staying at Bungarra, our desert campsite base for a five-day kayaking tour of Ningaloo Reef, the first night revealed a dazzling spray of low-hanging stars, the Milky Way forming a dome to enclose the world below.

In this World Heritage region most well known for bucket list natural adventures, the night sky is about to take centre stage. Midmorning on April 20, 2023, for 62 awe-inspiring seconds, the world will go completely dark. For this moment, Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef will be the best land-based locations on the planet to witness a rare complete solar eclipse.

The "dark sky tourists" who make the journey to see this astral event will need to have that bucket list handy, with access to the world's largest fringing coral reef and a chance to swim with Ningaloo's poster fish, the accommodating whale shark.

The local tourism industry based at Exmouth is in preparation mode for the eclipse influx, which will occur at peak visitation time. Operators there are always geared up to show off Ningaloo, and experiences on offer vary from the passive to the extreme, from glass bottom-boat excursions, day visits and family-friendly snorkelling tours to kayaking expeditions, offshore snorkelling, diving and deep-sea fishing. Then, of course, there's the option, from late March to late July, to swim with the biggest fish in the sea.

Our tour was operated by Exmouth Adventures Co assisted by east-coast based Sea Kayak Jervis Bay, who guided us as we paddled different sections of the reef each day, the itinerary dictated by the morning's weather forecast.

Ningaloo is a snorkeller's paradise; the sea is teeming with marine life such as turtles, rays, fish, starfish and sharks. Much of this abundance can be easily accessed with coral gardens blooming close to the shore in many places. Our offshore snorkel, which involved tumbling ungracefully out of a moored kayak, felt like being dropped into an enormous fish tank. The coloured coral, the vast schools of fish of every shape and size, and the sheer range of sea creatures was simply overwhelming.

On another day, paddling through an idyllic area nicknamed "turtle alley", we found green turtles shooting through the glassy water beneath our boats. In Mangrove Bay, giant rays spread out like tablecloths in the shallow waters.

One evening we took a sunset walk to Nardi Creek, which snaked silently through gorges below us. Against the gold of the cliffs, the local black-flanked rock-wallabies watched us curiously, as ospreys settled into their nests. The ranges themselves conceal a network of limestone caves and there are hiking trails throughout the park.

After five days exploring, it still felt like we had only scratched the surface.

Unsurprisingly, this natural tourism playground faces environmental pressures. Halfway through our week we were issued with stinger suits, after sightings of Irukandji jellyfish. Research suggests a lengthening of season and range for jellyfish species around Australia's northern coastline is in response to warming waters.

Just weeks before our trip, the Australian Marine Conservation Society released photos of a coral bleaching event on Ningaloo Reef. The society's Paul Gamblin described the footage as distressing. "These alarming images and scientists' predictions must wake us up to the harm we're causing to our most treasured places," Mr Gamblin said. "Ningaloo-Exmouth Gulf is not only a natural wonder but generates considerable economic returns and supports many family businesses and jobs."

Getting there: Qantas flies from Perth to Exmouth, but tickets can be pricey so book early.

When to go: Whale Shark season is late March to late July. March and April are also the season to witness coral spawning and turtle hatchlings. At Exmouth on April 20, 2023, a Hybrid solar eclipse will produce the rare phenomenon of Baily's Beads, where the final rays of sunlight pass between the moon's rugged topography. See ningalooeclipse.com

Staying there: Rooms start from $360 a night at Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort. Exmouth Shire President Darlene Allston said while accommodation for the eclipse was heavily booked, the shire was exploring options to host more visitors. See www.exmouth.wa.gov.au/eclipse