Carnarvon, the tropical gateway to the north, is located 905 km north of Perth, on the southern side of the mouth of the Gascoyne River. Most of its port facilities are located on Babbage Island, which is just offshore and connected to the mainland by a causeway, and at South Carnarvon near Mangrove Point.

The Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog sailed along this coast in 1616, landing on an island that now bears his name, just a short distance south in Shark Bay. Soon followed William Dampier, who left unimpressed. It was not until the explorer George Grey visited Shark Bay that any land exploration was carried out. His 1839 expedition resulted in a number of places around this region being named, including the Gascoyne River, which he discovered and named after a friend.

The town was gazetted in 1883, seven years after the first settlers drove sheep north from York to take up land in the district. It became an important port as the vast pastoral holdings produced large quantities of wool. The One-Mile Jetty juts out from Babbage Island nearly 1.5 km (1 mile), and was built in 1904 to service the growing trade with the town and the hinterland. Nearby is the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage, which was built around the same time and is now a museum. The wide streets of Carnarvon are also a legacy of these early years, when camel trains had to be able to make a turn in the main street.

In 1950 a whaling station was based here. This was eventually closed down in 1962, and today this building is the prawning factory, and tours are conducted there during the winter months. The town has also seen some high-tech industries established, including the satellite tracking station used by OTC, the former overseas arm of Telstra, Radio Australia and a NASA tracking station. All of these have closed, and the prominent dish of the old OTC station is now used as a pedestal for a fine viewing platform. The town is now an important agricultural centre, with a population of 7000, and bananas and exotic fruits grown on a number of nearby plantations. A rich prawn and scallop fishery is also based in Carnarvon, and 65 km (40 miles) north is the Lake Macleod Salt Mine.

Carnarvon is a fine base from which to explore the surrounding area, and the coast is well known for its many attractions and great fishing. Offshore there are the long thin islands of Bernier and Dorre, while further south are the bays, inlets, rugged bluffs and headlands of Shark Bay and its marine park. If you are into surfing, Three-Mile Beach is considered by many to have the best left-hand break in the world. Inland are the Rocky Pools on the Gascoyne River, and further afield there are a number of semi-desert parks and reserves. The major celebration of the year is the Carnarvon Festival, held in August.