Travelling Pete - Coral Bay & Carnarvon

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Kicked off early (9am), from Exmouth on the road to Coral Bay, not sure if I would be able to find accommodation, as the 2 CP's there had said they were full when I tried to phone book ahead, BUT fortunately as we all know, I never take notice of negative people anyway.

Just a short run of about 154 kms, and a bit over 2 hours. Rocked up to the preferred CP and asked about a site for at least a night. Much clicking of the PC mouse and sighs and head shaking, so I said what about 2 or even 3 nights if that was possible ?.

Instant success, suddenly a site IS available for 3 nights as long as I inspect it first myself to make sure I fit (Good customer service on show here, I can sense at once). I inspected the site, it was ok widthwise, but on the cusp in length, but not to be put off, I trotted back to reception, said I was happy, parted with the 3 nights fee, and went and (very) carefully backed onto the site. I fitted like a tight glove, but from being told nothing was available on the phone, before I left Exmouth, to getting the 3 nights that I really wanted at the better CP wasn't a bad effort, despite the obviously well trained and customer focussed staff.

I think at every other CP, the reception staff ( often owners ) have been good to great. A lot of places insist on taking you to your site, helping you back in etc, making life easy all round.

The beach was straight across the road from the CP, with the local shoping mall very adjacent, all in all, only metres to everything. Coral Bay is in fact really 2 bays, the main one being where the people and activity are, and the other to the south, reached by another road, was where the boat ramp and jetty and boat moorings are located.

The vertical tide rise and fall is about half a metre, but the beach at the southern end (in front of the acommodation areas and shops etc, is flat and up to about 50/75 metres wide at low tide. Towards the northern end of the bay the beach shelves quickly, the foreshore is sand hills and uninhabited, and at high tide there is no beach for over a km to the top end of the bay.

Where the beach ends, the bottom drops away sharply, and the bottom of the bay is in fact a coral reef. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, The coral here is called a Fringe Reef, that you normally have surrounding a tropical Coral Island, but in this part of the world, runs at times almost touching the coastline and the outer edge seldom is more than 1 or 2 kms from the coast, for over many hundred's of kms. It is claimed to be the longest continuous Fringe Reef in the world.

From the beach, especially at load tide you can see the waves breaking against the edge of the reef, about a km out.

There is a special underwaterd enclosed glass walled boat that operates in the bay, straight from the beach, that does tours of the reef. Very good value, Seniors only $31 for the hour trip. The coral is completely different from the Great Barrier Reef, not as colourful, more a dull brown, or grey, but with a pretty blue coloured branch like coral. Over 50 diferent types of coral in the bay, and very densly packed, another difference between fringe and barrier reefs.

There is not the prolific range and colours of fish to be seen as on a barrier reef ,but they are there to be seen. Mainly a lot of bigger fish, up to 30-45 cms. the whole area is a marine park and fishing is prohibited. If you are a good snorkler (?) face masks and flippers can be hired and you just smim or float around the bay looking at the coral. In large areas the water is not more than a couple of metres deep at low tide.

Not much else to see at Coral Bay, but there are plenty of fishing boat charters into the deeper water outside the reef, as well as in season, turtle and whale watching out to sea. A very relaxed place, and with 2 full days there, I was able to do some good long beach walks to the north point and onto the next bay and back.

Every afternoon at about 3.30, the owners of the coral viewing boat put on a free event, feeding the fish from the edge of the beach. Very popular with the tourists, and little kids (and adults too) are given a small handfull of special fish food pellets to feed to the fish. They come in a big school, easily a hundred or more, and one step off the beach and you are already knee deep in water so if you stand still the bigger fish, up to 30 cms, will swim between your feet looking for food. The operators give a little talk about the fish and feeding and it's very enjoyable.

Lasts about 2o minutes.

Thursday 9th, rolled up the annex, and motored off to the next stop at Carnarvon., a run of about 250 kms. The country side was generally very unniteresting, with the only habitation being one roadhouse along the way. However about a 100kms before Carnarvon, spring sprung into view a little. Beside the road small patches of ground cover strated to appear, mainly bright purple, but intermingled with clumps of white and yellow flowers.

Carnarvon finished up being a 5 night stay as I wanted to really wind back a little, do spring cleaning to the MOHO, wash everythingv in site, etc. Again not much to do in Carnarvon itself, and really not a lot nearby either. However it is famous for having the "One Mile Jetty" not operated commercialy now of course, but it does jut out a full 1 mile into the ocean, to deeper water. In the "old" days, it was a port for live cattle exports, the cattle would be driven (drove) out along a special race on the jetty, and loaded directly onto boats.

There was also a rail line on the wharf, which in fact ran all the way back to the edge of town, about 3 kms over a couple of mud islands connected by wooden bridges, which was used to unload supplies of food, cement, bricks, shop goods etc, as there were no internal roads in the old days, and most "stuff" was brought to places like Carnarvon by sea, by small coastal freighters.

The whole Jetty and Tramline is slowly being re-built by a local group, and it is now possible to get on a train, engine and one coach, and be taken to the end of the wharf. You can walk back to land or go back on the train. I really enjoyed this experience, and when the restoration is fully finished in about 5 years time it will be a major tourist attraction. There is also a heritage area at the land end of the wharf, where a museum is being set up, and rail rolling stock being restored to working condition, as well asseveral old vehicles, drays etc.

Also there is a rusted metal lifeboat on display, that came from the Kormoran, with the German survivors of the sea battle between the Kormoran and HMAS Sydney which saw each ship sink the other. There were no survivors from the Sydney, her whole crew of 645 were killed. The battle took place not far off the WA coast from Carnarvon.

So, rested and somewhat cleaner, I headed off to the next destination of Denham, which will be the subject of the next blog.

For the statisticaly minded amongst you, this is night 66 since I left Broadbeach, I've driven 8,844 kms, stayed in 28 different caravan parks, and still can smile and enjoy the trip.

Bye for now,

TRAVELLING PETE

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Comments

[Mary]

Hey Pete, Another great epistle. Felt like I was there. I was led to wonder whether you did go snorkeling? The thing with the fish sounded great. Hope you are still having a good time. Love to hear more about some of the souls you have met both residents and travelers. Mary