Blogs from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania

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Wow, once again,its been a big day! Might need to get home soon, for a bit of a rest! We set off just on 6 (had to wait to get some deisel first) for a 3 hour run to Exmouth and the Ningaloo reef. It's getting just that little bit cooler now, actually had to bite the bullet and put a jumper on for the first couple of hours this morning! Thats a little bit sad... Really good roads in WA so far and it was a pretty easy drive in. One funny sight though, sheep running free in the paddocks and often over the roads! You get used to seeing brahman bulls here, but not sheep! They are pretty brainless so Rob had to take care not to hit them as they darted across the ... read more
Ningaloo Reef Marine Park
Ningaloo Reef Marine Park
Ningaloo Reef Marine Park

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef August 5th 2013

Sunday 4thAugust Today we had a relatively short drive from Coral Bay, through Exmouth and around the top of the peninsular to Yardie Homestead Caravan Park where we caught up with David and Mary again. This park has a Sunday Roast for $20.00/head, so we had asked David to book us in for dinner. Lucky he did the previous day as the seating was sold out by the time we arrived. We chuckled over the serving and presentation – real country style, but any short comings here were lost in the taste of a good roast dinner followed by lemon sponge pudding. It was definitely LEMON and sharp. Marg and I love that sharpness, so we were well satisfied. We had also used this time reviewing what to do on Monday, and as you will see, ... read more
Yardie Creek Gorge 02
Yardie Homestead Park
Serving Sunday Roast

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef October 24th 2012

Ningaloo Reef has been in the news due to attempts to explore for oil next to it. However we first had to travel out of the Pilbara with all of its road trains, mining camps and heavy machinery. On a number of occasions we had to pull off the road in order to let very wide loads get past us. Exmouth is a strategic centre with an Air force Base, a Naval communications centre and an Army Base. There are huge communication aerial arrays to be seen on the drive. It was a long drive so we stayed the night in Exmouth Caravan Park. The friendly emu walking around each camp kept everyone entertained. This was the first night for a long time where we actually needed to get out a blanket. In the morning there ... read more
Another road train passes us
A desolate mining camp of dongas
No question – time to get off the road

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef August 15th 2012

Day 47 – Wednesday 15th August – South Lefroy Bay, Ningaloo Station More snorkelling, reading (Mark has now started the 3rd Millennium Trilogy book), diary writing, swimming with turtles, dolphin watching, dugong hunting (there is apparently a resident dugong in the next bay but Anna and I couldn’t find it while snorkelling), dune jumping, sand boarding and relaxing. Lots of relaxing and looking at the aqua sea. We were happily minding our own business in the afternoon when we had a surprise visit from two officers from the Fisheries Department, who politely asked if they could have a look in our fridge (and freezer!) to check that we have been fishing according to the regulations. We dissolved into laughter and said they were welcome to check the fridge but the only fish we had ... read more
Sensational beach
Beach chick
Snapshot of the fish and coral

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef August 14th 2012

Day 46 – Tuesday 14th August – South Lefroy Bay, Ningaloo Station Relaxing, reading, snorkelling (following turtles around the bay), fishing and more relaxing were the main activities of the day today. Oh, and lots of diary writing and maths/literacy work for Anna and Luke. Mark and Luke made friends with the next door but one neighbours on the beach who have a boy and girl roughly Anna and Luke’s ages. They live in Cervantes, north of Perth and are here for a two week holiday enjoying the wonders of the sea. They have a tinnie but haven’t offered us a go in it yet!! We are having no luck fishing from the beach (admittedly not trying very hard) and reckon our chances would be better from a boat. The wind is still pretty ... read more
Merry snorkellers
Nice fish
More nice fish

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef August 13th 2012

Day 45 – Monday 13th August – Ningaloo Station, South Lefroy Bay During the night the wind picked up considerably and it was very blowy when we woke up. Worse still, the unthinkable had happened… there were clouds in the sky! Not just any old clouds but grey ones and they seemed to be galloping in around us with the wind and it started to look a little bit like it might rain. Shock horror! This girded us into action to pack up before the rain came. We had put the awning up for a bit of wind protection so packing up the tent took a little bit longer than usual. Not sure how strong the winds actually were but it was definitely the windiest it’s been all trip and the gust were very ... read more
Entrance to Ningaloo Station
Our set up on the beach
Not a bad place to camp

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef July 14th 2012

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 ... read more
paradise
dad & Me
james

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef April 22nd 2011

We pass 4 days in exmouth / ningaloo reef and it was the best long weekend ever ..... such a great experience physicaly, visually and psychologically. Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass. It is known for its seasonal feeding concentrations of the whale shark, and the conservation debate surrounding its potential tourism development. In 1987 the reef and surrounding waters were designated as the Ningaloo Marine Park. Although most famed for its whale sharks which feed there during March to June, the reef is also rich in coral and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef ... read more
mark
ningaloo reef
ningaloo reef

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef July 17th 2010

I’m standing next to Paula and 8 others on the back board of a boat in the open sea. To the left is the Indian Ocean - nothing until you get to Madagascar. To the right I can just see the waves breaking over the Ningaloo Reef about a mile away, then after that the coast of Western Australia. We’re rolling and pitching with the waves, with a cold wind blasting the into us. I’m wearing two wetsuits and a snorkel and still shivering. The skipper is shouting down directions to our guide, and pointing out across the water. We are about to swim with a whaleshark - the largest of the sharks and in fact the largest fish on the planet. The guide shouts go, and one by one we take a large stride and ... read more
The whaleshark divers...
Another library picture. Was definitely not warm enough to wear trunks.

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Ningaloo Reef June 17th 2010

Hello! As we found yesterday so exciting we booked to swim with Manta Rays today. I’m getting really into this snorkelling business! Friday 4 June - Coral Bay - Swimming with Manta Rays We were welcomed back to Coral Bay Adventures; they already had our stuff ready from the day before, and went out on the boat. I’m still so impressed with them; when I accepted Natalya's offer of a cup of tea she said "milk and one sugar"; she’d remembered what I had from the day before! We were soon in the water having another snorkel and within 5 minutes Lya is shouting "Rachel, come here, there's a turtle". I swam over with my noodle, expecting to see a small or baby one but got a shock when I saw a huge turtle swimming ... read more




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