Exmouth reopens to holidaymakers amid cyclone recovery, road trips and flights encouraged to kickstart tourism

Exmouth is officially back up and running, with visitors urged to flock to the town following the devastation of tropical cyclone Narelle. With recovery efforts in the aftermath still wrapping up, the Shire of Exmouth reopened the popular holiday destination as of Thursday, April 9. The town was closed to non-residents as the town suffered severe damage causing road restrictions as well as power and water outages — all of which needed time for recovery. On Thursday, roads and flights to Exmouth officially reopened less than two weeks after the cyclone made landfall. Parts of the Minilya-Exmouth Road were opened by Main Roads allowing for road trips from Perth through to Exmouth via the North West Coastal Highway and Burkett Road. Holidaymakers have been urged to make their way back to the renowned holiday destination but needed to ensure they had confirmed accommodation as the town continued to transition from incident response to recovery. Deputy shire president Jackie Brooks asked returning tourists to visit with respect. “We welcome visitors back into Exmouth to continue sharing the many wonders our town and coastline have to offer. At this time, we ask for your cooperation, understanding and patience,” she said. “The best thing you can do to support Exmouth and Ningaloo is to keep your booking with tour providers, reschedule if needed, confirm accommodation before anything else, tread lightly and spend locally when you visit our still recovering region.” The shire said as the coastal community was built on small businesses and people who “cared passionately” about the town and nature, it was important returning visitors kept that front of mind. Tourism Council WA celebrated the decision to reopen the town to visitors and looked forward to welcoming people back. Chief executive Evan Hall said Qantas flights to Learmonth Airport had resumed with passenger screening for regular services approved by the Federal Department of Home Affairs. “We encourage families and caravaners to head north for their school holiday and Anzac Day long weekend road trips,” he said. “Your road trip is a huge part of the economic recovery of cyclone-affected towns.”