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Published: July 16th 2012
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Cape Range National Park (Ningaloo Reef), Exmouth and Coral Bay
I Love Cape Range National Park and snorkeling. I’ve never snorkeled before. Mum thought I might have trouble but I didn’t. The water is sooo clear and aqua blue. I saw all these awesome fish like the rainbow fish, wrasps, star fish, cuttlefish, zebra fish, clown fish and heaps more.
The first 4 nights we stayed at Osprey Camp. It is really hard to get to stay there. Luckily our Sue and Boyce told us to book it on line weeks ago. Some backpackers line up at 2 in the morning to get in there. (crazy!!!). We snorkeled all the areas in the park like, Torquoise bay, Lakes, North and South Mandu, t- bone and the Oyster Stacks. Dad liked South Mandu the best cause we had it all to ourselves. I played 44 home with mum and she couldn’t catch me. She saw a turtle. I think she was seeing things. WE all saw heaps of whales. They were breaching and looked like they were playing. We had to say good-bye to Sue and Boyce because they had to get back to Melbourne. I will miss them.
We then camped at Yardie Homestead. (Power !!!!) There was a little park there and I met some friends. Even though James is a good swimmer he won’t put a snorkel mask on so dad took him on a glass bottom boat tour. They loved it. We snorkeled all day everyday and James and I played with our new friends in the afternoon. We are all really brown. One day james picked up a backpackers snorkel and started filling it up with sand. It took mum a while before she noticed. They said it was ok but they moved soon after. It was pretty crowded that day so we got extra space. Our next stop was Exmouth. It was kid city. I jumped out of the car with Fred and instantly made heaps of mates. The caravan park had these snorkeling boards called vu a board. They looked like a boogie board with a clear container in it so you can see under you. James loved it. He was able to snorkel with us. James would lie on it and mum lay down behind him and kicked all around the coral. He wouldn’t get off it and snorkeled all day.
James saw exactly what we did.
Exmouth has the best bookshop we have seen since we started our trip, sorry Janice even better than Sydney. Mum and I would sneak off everyday and buy a new book each. We went out for dinner to watch the last State of Origin. Dad was really nervous cause he had a big bet with a mate. He turned his phone off so people couldn’t tease him. He lost!!! Dad went out on a fishing charter and caught a big fish that we cooked and ate for tea. It was called a shark mackerel but I didn’t like the taste of it much.
Our next stop was Coral Bay. It is really small and really beautiful. It has the best bakery ever. Mum and dad would send me there everyday to get the bread and a little surprise for me too of course. We did a Quad bike and snorkeling tour. It was soooo much fun. James sat behind dad and I sat behind mum. We went to a place called oyster bridge. I saw a wobbie gong with dad. Heaps of coral and fish.
That night we went to the pub for an auction for the local learning centre. Dad had a shocker. He got so excited that he was bidding against himself. He bought a gift voucher to a restaurant in town. We met some really nice people. Marnie, Russ, Quentin, and Steve. Mum and dad had a ball with them. The next day they invited us around their place for scones and tea. They had a huge family. It made us a bit homesick for our family. We met the Grandma of the family. She lives in a place called Busselton and we are going to visit her when we go through there. Dad is going to bring her a 6 pack of Emu Export because that is what she likes to drink. Will and Mia are the kids. They are really cute. We had pizza together on our last night. I hope they come and visit us when they come over to the East Coast.
I met heaps of new friends in Coral Bay using my secret weapon Fred to meet more kids. They came over to the caravan and did craft stuff. We also went to see
Alan and Denise who were staying at Wooroora Station. We went for a walk along a pretty beach that is also still part of Ningaloo Reef. Mum and Dad told me one morning that a backpacker kept them awake all night because he kept telling a girl who couldn’t speak good English that he loved her, wanted her, really liked her etc. etc.. He kept trying to get other girls who didn’t have good English either to tell her for him….confusing huh?
Well we finally had to leave Coral Bay and we went to a farm station called Bullara that our friends Marnie and Russ told us about. Marnie and Russ also let James have a singing microphone that he liked. James likes listening to this Kids Choice Awards CD on long car trips and on the way to Bullara he sang the songs into the microphone. James doesn’t talk much but he sure likes singing.
Bullara was good fun. It had the cleanest toilets and shower I’ve ever seen on a farm. You had to heat the water with a fire. There were also all these horses that kept coming over to our
caravan hoping to be fed. One horse that Dad called Brown Caviar (because he’s brown) came over and I fed him a banana. Then he threw the banana up all over our mat. Dad freaked and said “Get lost Brown Caviar”. Then Brown Caviar stood on my foot! Dad had to push Brown Caviar off my foot. It hurt a lot. Then Dad yelled “Rack off Brown Caviar”. Don’t tell anyone but Dad is secretly scared of horses. He reckons one bit him when he was a kid. Brown Caviar freaked him out a lot. Later on Dad started calling him “Brown Crap” instead of “Brown Caviar” when he tried to come back to the caravan. Mum told him to stop swearing.
Mum and Dad sat by the fire that night and talked ……boring. So James and I sat inside watching a DVD.
Stay tuned for more blog! Next we are going to a place called Carnarvon.
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Ashlen Potter
non-member comment
wow where are you guys!!!
Hi there Billy - hope you're having a good time! It sounds like you are. I would love to go snorkelling! Did you see any sharks? We are going to Cairns during the holidays, is Carnarvon anywhere near there? I am wondering when you are coming back ..... I'd love to see you all. Make sure you say hi to James for me. Your dad looks crazy and your mum looks very relaxed. Is it cool living in a caravan. We have Skype. what is your address? have a great time!!! from Ashlen.!