On the drive back from Turquoise Bay we stopped at the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse to get some spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. If you are coming straight from Exmouth the lookout is about 15 minutes north of the town, and it is not within the Cape Range National Park boundaries so you don’t need a park pass to enter.

We visited right in the middle of the day, but something special about the lookout is you could come here to watch either the sunrise or sunset! so you have plenty of options for beautiful views.

The are is quite rich in local history, and I learned that the lighthouse was built in response to the dangerous coastline in the area, and the wreck of SS Mildura.

During the Second World War a radar tower was built near the lighthouse for use by the U.S Navy. There are a number of signs and plaques that explain this history of the site, as well as the Harold E. Holt Communications Station which can be seen in the distance.

The area overlooks a holiday park, and if you are lucky like we were, you might see a kangaroo bounce down the hillside!

Just around the corner is the lookout for the wreck of the SS Mildura mentioned earlier. The signage here provides more detail on the history of the area and the wreckage is only 80 metres off-shore so it is easy to see from the beach.

Even if you can’t explore the entire North West Cape I highly recommend a short trip out to the lighthouse and lookout.