Blogs from Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania - page 3

Dec 8th - Dec 12th “We saw turtles, rays and a huge shark that was bigger than a grown man!” This was the excited call we heard from a family on Turquoise Bay beach just as we were walking onto the sand. As much as we love the sea and snorkelling coming face to face with a 6ft shark is not something I want to experience without the presence of a cage. I know the reef sharks are harmless but I blame Spielberg for the fact that every time I go in the water (especially the shark infested Australian waters) I hear the Jaws theme in my head. To be fair Simon wasn’t as worried as me because he really wanted to see a shark. But first we needed to sunbathe. Turquoise Bay is an idyllic ... read more

Shark Bay 21st - 25th June Still trying to chase the sunshine, we headed further up the west coast. We stopped at Hamlin Pools on the way to see the stomatolites - ancient organisms which build up solid 'towers' in the sea. Next stop was Shell beach which was stunning - pure white shells stretch along the whole of the bay. Too cold for a swim though. Shark Bay was great - First Rob and I went to Monkey Mia, a little resort at the tip of the peninsula which is famous for the dolphins coming close to the shore. They feed the dolphins each morning (only very small amounts to stop them beoming dependent on it). We stood and watched the feeds and I was longing to be picked to feed one of the dolphins. ... read more

Distance traveled 577km/4300km(13%) 4 nights stayed Another short(just less than 200km’s)putter up the coast from Dongara took us away from the coastal road and into the farming areas of this region of Western Australia.Both Sue and I cannot get over just how dry the countryside is….not at all surprising considering that it hasn’t rained since October and summertime temperatures are 40degC and above daily.The Aussies don’t have a weather fixation because there is nothing to fixate about when they know it will be sunny and hot for at least 6-7 months before the brief respite of winter rain.One of the photo’s in this blog illustrates the point being made.We stumbled across a charming little town by name of Northhampton(no street or town renaming yet although with all the “sorries” going on to appease the Abo’s who ... read more

Shark Bay , Denham what a drive !! We stopped off along the way to investigate the stromatolites. What is this business they talk of, with this funny growing rock thats ALIVE . . . was very interesting. You could see the tracks from the old carts they used when carting wheat and sheep to the ships over this growing rock. Then we stopped off at Shell Beach. This place is fantastic. The sound of crunching shells a zillion of em under your feet as you walk towards pristine water. Then scene is B E A utiful. Alex you wouldn't enjoy this beach, if you can't handle crunchy sand this is a no go for you, and for people not wearing thongs . . can be a bit tricky! This is also the place where throwing ... read more

After a night in Exmouth in an interesting motel, a converted accommodation block from the old US Navy establishment (it brought back memories of Akrotiri), we set off to Cape Range NP and joined the queue for camp sites at the entrance at 7:30. We were thirteenth in the queue and the people at the front had been there since 4:30! Fortunately, there were eighteen camp sites available so we got in. Our camp site was a disappointment, deep soft sand, no shade and very cramped. To make matters worse, the weather looked very stormy. We drove south into the rain to Mandu Mandu Gorge. After the shower we went for a lovely walk through the gorge. The gravel creek bed winded through flowering shrubs with impressive rock walls on each side, the path returning along ... read more