WA - Ningaloo Coast

Ningaloo - it's a magic name isn't it? Well, it is to me anyway, and it was with some excitement that we wandered into the town of Coral Bay and booked a couple of nights at one of the van parks.

First of all, let me say that Coral Bay is a beautiful little place. Everything is centred around the bay itself but there is not a lot else there. Not that you need much else. A couple of bars to recover in after a strenuous snorkeling session and a couple of shops to buy more snorkeling gear. What else do you need?

We set up and then went straight across the road and into the waters of the bay. Beautiful white (coral) sand and coral everywhere with a zillion brghtly coloured fish resident on each one. Even as we waded out into the water, and in knee deep water at that, we had large spangled emperors swimming around our legs. What more can I say - you've seen it all on David Attenborough shows, but seeing it for real is so much better you just wouldn't believe it.

We retired to the van to shower and recover with a beer before dinner. After that we took a walk around the town (such as it is, the walk took us about 10 minutes) before grabing a beer in one of the bars there. A lively enough place and pleasant to be in.

The next day was pretty much a repeat of the first with us snorkeling around before a shower and recovery session. I was surprised at one point when a small black and white fish (about two inches long) took offense at me watching it and it attacked me! Tiny little nips on my hand were all it could do, but it drove me off! As it rereated back down I dove down after it and it turned around and attacked me again. I nearly choked laghing.

Gutsy little fish, even if it was in Collingwood colours. 

We left Coral Bay and drove north, through Exmouth and looping back down into the Cape Range Nat Park where we camped up to spend a little time in a non-commercial environment. 

We ended up camping in the Kurrajong campground (it is all very controlled up there) for two nights and had a ball. The camp ground was right on the ocean front and we were reated to a view across the lagoon area behind the reef, looking across to the reef itself which was evident from the breakers crashing across it. All was quiet and smooth inside the reef however. Lovely.

We went snorkeling in Turquoise Bay and found soft corals (different from the hard corals of Coral Bay) and lots of brightly coloured fish. The water was a little murky after the cyclone, but it was still a splendid experience.

We also drove down to Yardie Creek and took a boat tour up the creek to check out the black footed rock wallabies which are a rare sight these days. These little beasts live in caves and hollows on the clif front and hop up and down seemingly vertical cliff faces as sure footed as you could imagine.

(pics)

We also spotted some ospreys and were shown a nest that was first recorded in 1898 and has had annual occupation ever since. Quite some record.

Ater the cruise we took a walk up the gorge, following a ath alongside the water and then climbing the rough and rocky gorge top to get to some vantage points further along. a hard enough walk, but well worth it.

The Ningaloo Reef - a wonderful place indeed.