Exmouth bounces from strength to strength with first direct Melbourne flight as town enters post-eclipse era

Sunday saw Qantas’ first direct flight from Melbourne to Exmouth take place, as the town and State Government hope to keep the buzz going after the total solar eclipse. The five-hour flight, the first of many planned from now until October, left Melbourne at 9.44am AEST and arrived at Learmonth Airport in Exmouth at 12.21pm AWST on April 30. There will be two weekly flights between Melbourne and Exmouth, on Sundays and Thursdays, with more than 18,000 seats available during the period. The first flight, on a Boeing 737-800 with a capacity of 174 seats, was two-thirds full according to the airline. Jackie Brooks, Exmouth Shire vice president, secretary of the Exmouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry and manager of Ningaloo Lodge, was onboard the inaugural flight and said she met many Victorian tourists eager to explore the region. “There was quite a lot of people that were coming from Melbourne for the first time,” Ms Brooks said. “It was good to see, a lot of them had booked whale shark tours and were very keen to get into the water.” “The guy next to me yelled ‘wow, there’s no trees’ so I think it was very exciting for the first time travellers.” Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Roger Cook said the new service would help keep the momentum going after Exmouth was the hotspot for travellers during the total solar eclipse on April 20. “The first flight arriving in Exmouth is perfectly timed after the phenomenal success of the total eclipse last week. The goodwill and positive publicity for Exmouth and the wider region from tourists and international media was exceptional,” Mr Cook said. Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said he expected the Ningaloo would be a popular destination for Melburnians looking to escape the winter gloom. “When we announced this new service we knew it would be a popular destination for Victorians wanting to enjoy a few days of leisure,” Mr David said. “The lure of Exmouth’s warm weather, coral reefs and the opportunity to swim with whale sharks has driven strong demand, particularly over the upcoming winter months.” While offering tourists a direct route to Exmouth is important, Ms Brooks said linking North West Australia and Victoria will also benefit locals, not only in the Gascoyne but also places such as Karratha and Broome. “We do have a lot of people here that have family on the east coast, so it’s also connecting people with their loved ones as well,” she said. “And we have a lot of footy fans who are keen to go over and watch the football as well.”