Exmouth to Carnarvon

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We spent 4 days at Exmouth but it was very windy for the first 2 days. We amused ourselves by buying 2kg of beautiful fresh king prawns at only $17.00 per kilo and eating them with lots of fresh bread. (These cost about $28.00 in Melbourne and they are not this fresh) Oh, I wonder what the poor people are doing????? !!
Ningaloo Reef frames the coastline from here south for 200km and the coral reef starts just 20metres from the shore.
Because of the wind, we only got to go snorkelling on the reef in the National Park for the last 2 days. We donned our masks, snorkels and fins and drifted with the current along Turquoise Bay looking at all the beautiful fish and coral. We did this a few times over the 2 days. Absolutely fantastic.

Then it was off to Coral Bay 170km further south for the next 4 nights. This is a really pretty and popular holiday spot for Western Australians - and it was school holidays so it was quite busy. Ningaloo reef is still off the coast here. We went on a Quad bike tour along the beaches for 3 hours, stopping at 2 snorkelling spots. It was really fun, although I got cautioned by the tour guide because I was fish-tailing the bike in the sand along the beach and around the corners in the track and being a bit of a hoon. I think he was a bit surprised that an ALMOST middle aged woman would ride like that. (There were a couple of the guys doing this too, including Wes, but he didn’t catch them!)

On one of our morning walks along the beach, we saw a school of reef sharks in the shallows and we walked into the water and got to 3 metres away from them. For our UK rellies, reef sharks grow to about 2 metres but are not dangerous - they only eat toes. We also saw a number of smaller manta rays in the shallows - large manta rays are over a metre across - and a couple of large green-backed turtles. It was fascinating. On another walk, we got to peer in the nest of a Nankeen Kestrel, where 2 fluffy white chicks where waiting for a feed. They were so cute.

That was it for Coral Bay and we headed to Carnarvon. Not a bad place, but not much here except an historic mile long jetty, lots of fresh produce because it is an irrigation area - and good pizzas.

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Photos

Big Prawn - Exmouth
I know, I know - which one is the big prawn??!!

Lighthouse - Exmouth
We had to drive up here to get phone reception.

Quad Bike Tour - Coral Bay
Not bad scenery?

Quad Bike Tour - Coral Bay
The naughty girl with no remorse!

Camp Guest - Coral Bay
This goanna caused quite a stir when it went under our caravan and into the camp behind us. It nearly walked over my foot!

Raw Witchety Grub
There was a shop in Exmouth that sold Witchety grubs and Wes had said that he wan't to try one, one day- so he had to live up to it when I bought it. He said it wasn't bad but quite a rich taste. Said he couldn't eat more than one - nearly made me heave watching him. The Aborigines eat these as a protein source. They find them in the trees and just eat them.

James Bond
Wes after snorkelling at Turquoise Bay. I think he thinks he looks like James Bond in his budgie-smugglers and snorkelling gear!

Comments

[Dom]

Look at the legs on that prawn
So much material here guys... the prawn was an obviouse one and as for James bond coming out of the water, with those man boobs, all he needs is a belt around those trunks and he would look like Ursula Andress in gold finger!!! was the water cold AJ ? Keep on trucking Dom

[Gerry]

Greetings from the "poor people person"
Hi James Bond and PrawnSTAR, Exmouth sounds like my kind of place - I looooooove prawns!!! - I think James Bond was very brave to eat that protein witchety grub oh and by the way James you need a filling in the top eft molar!! Talk about EXMOUTH !! You both are developing great tans - which is an improvement on the pastie white you were sporting when you started on your "intermission" journey! Take Care -