The Coral Coast / Ningaloo Reef (Exmouth – Cape Range National Park – Coral Bay)

The last week has been incredible as we have had the opportunity to snorkel with some amazing aquatic life including manta rays, reef sharks, green sea turtles, blue spotted fan tail sting rays and so many different species of fish it is impossible to name them all. However before I recap the last week, I mentioned in the last blog the diversity and change in landscape as we drove from Tom Price to Exmouth and I have included a few pictures below which hopefully capture the change in scenery as we traveled towards Exmouth.

  

Just outside Paraburdoo

The vegetation became sparse as we turned off the North West Costal Hwy  towards Ningaloo

The final 60 km into Exmouth  from Ningaloo- a big day of 650Km

As we arrived into Exmouth last Monday, we all of a sudden came to a screaming halt as the car and caravan in front of us hit the brakes. We soon saw why when an emu and a baby emu chick wander slowly across the road in front of us. Unfortunately we were not quick enough with the camera and the girls were very excited to see an emu so close. Little did they know that 24 hours later Bella would be hand feeding an emu that walked into the caravan park at 5pm looking for food.

Bella hand feeding an emu just along side our campsite!

It was nice to finally reach a place where we could clean the trailer so that we could remove some of the red dust and dirt from Karajinni which covered you ever time you touched the trailer to pack or unpack.

The red dirt from Karajinni is very hard to get off clothes!

We stayed 2 nights in Exmouth as we were unable to book a site on line for the National Park despite trying numerous times. Fortunately we were able to get one night eventually at Pilgramunna camp ground which was fantastic on Wednesday night. After our first night at Exmouth we set off reasonably early (8am) for Turquoise Bay in the Cape Range National Park. On the way we visited the Exmouth Lighthouse and Turtle observatory as we headed towards the National Park some 40 kms down the coast.

The Exmouth Lighthouse

When we arrived at Turquoise Bay at about 9am we were surprised to find no one else there given that we were unable to book a sight in the National Park. As we walked down from the car park on to the beach at Turquoise Bay, this was the sight that greeted us.

Turquoise Bay as we found it!

 It was unbelievable – the turquoise colour of the water along with the white sand was stunning. 

Could it get any better? – The answer yes!. As we all hit the water to snorkel around the reefs some 10 m off shore, the marine life blew us all away. The number and variety of fish was spectacular. All you could hear was the girls trying to talk through their snorkels with sheer delight as they saw a new species of fish.

Sophie snorkeling at Turquoise Bay

 It was a fantastic day with perfect weather. The highlight for Sophie and I was finding a green sea turtle and been able to follow it around as it swam around the bay. Unfortunately we have not got our photos back from our time in Cape Range National Park so it will be great to finally get them processed when we get the opportunity. In the afternoon we headed around the point from Turquoise Bay to a place called the “Drift”. Here you walked about 500m up the beach and then snorkelled back with the tide. Again the aquatic life was spectacular.

Heading in to snorkel the "Drift"

Bella at the "Drift"

The next day we packed up early and headed to Pilgramunna which is a small campsite within the Cape Range National Park. It was a great spot with only 9 campsites and the view from the tent is shown below.

Campsite to water - 75m away.

 The wind had strengthened so we spent the morning exploring the rocks around the campsite and the girls found heaps of these green crabs crawling around the rock pools. They were amazed they could scrape salt off the rocks where the water had evaporated. 

In the afternoon we ended up returning to Turquoise Bay which was quite protected. Again the snorkelling was wonderful so everyone was quite happy to have a quieter day in the protection of the bay.

Sunset at Pilgramunna

We had been waiting for a higher high tide so we could snorkel at an area called the oyster stacks. Unfortunately this meant an early start to pack up and get to this area to take advantage of the high tide. The wind was still blowing yet we all took the opportunity to clamber over the rocks to snorkel around the oyster stacks. The fish life in around these rock stacks covered in oyster shells was incredible. There were literally hundreds of fish sitting under the rock ledges and it was worth braving the challenging entry and exit to see this area.

Late morning we set off for Coral Bay some 150 km south of Exmouth. We arrived and checked into the People Park caravan park which was right on the beach at Coral Bay and was a great spot to set up camp. The afternoon was spent snorkelling out off the front bay which was disappointing after our experiences at Cape Range National Park. Much of the coral was dead and the marine life was limited.

Coral Bay

The three wind generators which supply the town of Coral Bay with power

This disappointment was quickly nullified the next day when we had had the opportunity to speak to some locals who told us to walk around to the left of the point and then snorkel back to the main bay. The cabbage coral was huge and we found an area referred to as the “Lavender Patch” which was a large area of lavender coloured coral – superb! I just hope my photos work out with the disposable underwater camera I was using. Again the colour and clarity of the water was fantastic which allowed us all to have a great day snorkelling off the beach at Coral Bay.

Each afternoon at 3.30pm there is fish feeding that takes place in 1 foot of water in the main bay. The girls could not believe the size and number of fish that swam through their legs!

After much deliberation we decided to take a tour out to the outer reef with the hope of snorkelling with Manta Rays, reef sharks and green sea turtles. This turned out to be an unbelievable day and the marine life and coral that we got to see and snorkel with / over was worth every cent. We all have not stopped talking about our day yesterday and it is one we will never forget. To swim with three Manta Rays no further than 3m away, to see a hammer head shark, to swim with turtles and reef sharks – let alone all the other species of fish is something that was very special. The girls did a great job snorkelling off shore and we were all rewarded with life time memories.

Fortunately we had a guide who was able to capture much of what we all saw using a proper underwater camera. I have said enough about this so I will let the photos do the rest!

One of the outer reefs we snorkeled on

Bella and Lucie Snorkeling

Cabbage Coral

Green Sea Turtle

Dugong

Manta Ray

An all black Manta Ray - apparently very rare to find or see!

The blue spotted fan tail stingray

Fish under the tour boat

A hammer head shark - again apparently very rare in these water - the speed at which this shark could turn 180' was incredible.

The end of a great day - the whole Manifold Family : ) 

Today we packed up and left Coral Bay to head to Denham (25km from Monkey Mia). Tomorrow we will head to Monkey Mia so we can hopefully feed the dolphins. This is something that the girls have wanted to do since the start of the trip so I just hope it lives up to their expectations! It is hard to believe we have hit the first day of September – if someone knows how to slow time down or even better to rewind time – please let me know!

Broome – 80 Mile Beach – Karijini National Park (The Pilbara) – Tom Price – Exmouth

It is hard to believe that we have now been on the road for nearly 8 weeks. Time is flying, yet when we think back about what we have done and seen, it is quite amazing.

Since I last updated the blog, we spent our last days in Broome on Cable Beach and taking a sunset camel ride along the beach. There are 3 tourist camel rides and we choose the red camels! The 30 minute ride was enjoyed by all and was a great way to end our final evening in Broome. Sophie and I were on the lead camel Ashwan and Annabel and Lucie were right behind on Jacko. They are interesting creatures whose walking gate is like cantering on a horse in slow motion.

Sunset on Cable Beach

Luckily we had timed (unintentionally) our last morning to coincide with a very low tide (0.71m) which allowed a early start (6.00am) to head out to Gantheaume Point again to see the dinosaur foot prints which lie below the cliffs at the point. It was incredible to think that these foot prints have been here for 20 million years and it was a challenge to try and get the girls to comprehend this time frame!!

From there it was a quick drive around to the Town beach on the opposite side of Broome to walk out to the Catalina plane wrecks. These remains are from the Second World War when the Japanese shot down three civilian sea planes. Both Lucie and I had thought that these were located off Gantheaume Point so the walk out to these wrecks some 2 kilometres off shore turned into a run when we passed a man who said to me “Do you think you will make it in time – the water in the channel has turned and was up to my knees!!” Fortunately I made it just in time and in some regards it was perfect timing as I was out there at the wreck by myself for a couple of minutes which allowed me to get some pictures without tourist all around the wreck. The return back to shore was just in time as the water was up to my waist and coming in quickly.

As I caught back up with the girls on the way in, we came across a large sea turtle which was a great way to finish our time in Broome. We returned back to the caravan park and packed up the last of the camper trailer and were on the road by 8.30am for 80 Mile Beach.

The trip to 80 Mile Beach was uneventful and about 3 and a half hours later we arrived at a very interesting place. 80 Mile Beach is a beautiful beach which is inhabited by 100’s of fishermen who head out onto the beach for hours each day in the search of a big fish. It was incredible to see them all head off 2 hours before high tide to stake their spot and look out anyone who decided to get to close to them to fish. This meant that you had to walk nearly a kilometre up the beach to find a spot!.

The other thing that 80 Mile Beach is renowned for is its shells much to the delight of everyone. We were really pleased to catch up with the Wynne family who we had met at Middle Lagoon and so all the kids had a fantastic time searching for BIG shells. We awoke after our first night at 80 Mile Beach to a thick fog at sunrise and again to a very low tide. The walk out to the foreshore was over 2km and it was hard to believe that within 5 hours, the tide was right back up near the base of the sand dunes. 

Sunrise and a very low tide at 80 Mile Beach

In the afternoon Michael and I joined the throng of fishermen trying to catch fish with little success, and then we decided to drive about 8 km up the beach to try and find some better shells for the girls. Well we were not disappointed and the 2 hours flew with our collection of shells becoming bigger by the minute. Our time with the Wynne Family was fantastic as Michael and Amanda were great fun and the kids got on so well.

80 Mile Beach

A great afternoon with the Wynne Family

As a side note – 80 Mile Beach has some unique residents! The Captain (or self appointed Coast Watch Supervisor) was a very interesting man to say the least. On our arrival at 80 Mile Beach we were greeted by a female on an ATV in white shorts, a white T-Shirt with Coast watch on the back and she was wearing a Captains hat!! This man has 2 large shipping containers with a shelter over the top. Under the shelter he has a full size above ground pool and a spa bath. On further investigation, the man called “Captain” has 6 women living with him and at 5pm they all change out of their uniforms into white terry towelling bath robes and close the doors!! – Look out Hugh Heffner. It was hilarious to speak to this man to hear how he was there to supervise the 80 miles of beach for the government and was quick to let me know that he had a direct line to the police to report illegal immigrants and drug traders.

The Captain heading in for the afternoon!

One of the Coast Watch shelters on 80 Mile Beach

The next day, we decided that we would make an early start and leave 80 Mile Beach in convoy with the Wynne’s to get to Karijini National Park in the Pilbara. This was about 600kms so we left at 6.30am with the aim to have breakfast in Pt Hedland so we could break the back of the trip early and get into Dales Camp ground at a reasonable hour in order to get a site. The early morning start was fantastic in hindsight as the views we were greeted with as the sun rose were superb.

 Along the way we passed the biggest two pieces of Mining equipment I have ever seen. Matthew you would have been impressed with the haulage set up. The main trailer was huge and the piece of machinery could be seen from at least 2 km away. The two trailers were on their way from Pt Hedland to Tom Price.

24 axles - and hundreds of tyres!

Pt Hedland was not the most inspiring town. Everything centred around mining and everything is red from the iron ore appart from the huge mountain of salt - a by product of the processing of the ore. As we drove into town we were greeted by the longest train I have ever seen - the girls gave up counting the number of carriages carrying iron ore when they got to 130 and we were only a quarter of the way along the train and carriages. 

So where is all our iron ore going ???

Just some of the carriages!

The mountain of salt

We arrived at Karijini by about 2.30pm and were fortunate to get a couple of campsites side by side in the Dingo Camp Ground. After setting up we headed off to Dales Gorge just down the road to have a quick look before dinner.

The Chichester Range - heading towards Karijini

Dales Gorge

While I was over gorges by the end of the Gibb River Road, the red colour of the iron ore in the cliffs at the sunset was stunning. The next day we were up and ready for a day to explore Karjini. We decided to start with Kalamina Gorge. This was a relatively easy walk and the kids had great fun clambering over the rocks and enjoyed the final climb up to the rock arch. What was most impressive were the rock formations. MJK would have been in his element with the folding and faulting that was present. This combined with the colours made for a stunning walk.

The waterfall at the beginning of the Kalmunda Gorge

The kids climbing up to the blow hole

From here we headed further into the park to the Joffre and Knox Gorge lookouts. These were stunning and again the sheer size of the cliffs and the narrow gorges were incredible. Looking down into Joffre Gorge we could see some people swimming below and another couple half way up the waterfall at the end of the gorge. This looked spectacular!

Joffre Falls

Looking right from the Knox lookout

We decided to push on to Weano Gorge for lunch and the Oxer Lookout. This look out was at the junction of the Weano, Hancock and Red Gorges. By this stage the kids were starting to fade and there was a need for a swim. We decided to return to Joffre Gorge and to make the steep walk down into Joffre Gorge. The walk down was tackled really well by all the kids and the view from the bottom was incredible. Before long, Lucie and Michael and all the kids were half way up the waterfall at the end of the Gorge! The water was bloody cold, yet it was well worth it.

The bottom of Joffre Gorge

Heading down from after climbing up the waterfall

The colours in the rock formations were stunning

Getting warm after cool swim!

The trip down into Joffre Gorge was a fantastic decision as everyone was challenged and Amanda overcame her fear of heights very quickly! The kids including Monty (5 yrs old) loved the climbing and did a great job getting down and back up from the gorge.

We headed back to Dales Camp and on the way decided that we would finish the day by heading to Fortescue Falls and to have a swim at Fern Pool. The waterhole at Fern pool was quite warm and the water coming over the water fall was like a warm spa. A great way to finish off a long day!

Fortescue Falls

Fern Pool

The next day we decided to head off for Tom Price as we had to book some accommodation for the Coral Coast and to try and take 100 km’s of the next stretch to Exmouth. We headed to the Karijini Visitor Centre which is made from steel and shaped in the shape of a goanna. A $4 mil dollar building which was well worthwhile, yet it was interesting to note all the plaques had been ripped off which obviously made mention of government funding and who had opened the building. Maybe I am a cynic!!

Today we said goodbye to the Wynne Family in Tom Price as we headed off to Exmouth via Paraburdoo. We have had a lot of fun with them and it was sad to say goodbye. The 650km trip through the Pilbara and Gasgoyne areas saw an ever changing landscape. The Pilbara is an incredible area and one we will need to come back to explore further. Unfortunately time is catching up so we have to push on.

Sophie, Lilly, Monty, Rigby, & Annabel

Monty (4) and Amanda and Michael Wynne - A very funny last evening together!

 For the next week we will spend time on the Coral Coast between Exmouth and Coral Bay before heading down to Denham and Monkey Mia and then on to Perth via Geraldton.