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Published: June 13th 2015
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The Baileys had called in here to Quobba a few years ago and we were all keen to have a look at this cattle and sheep station right on the coast with some spectacular drives, scenery and beaches. Unfortunately the flies and the wind like this place too. Not only that, we couldn’t get the gas supply to the fridge to light which was a problem as we had filled it up for the next week or so whilst being away from Colesworths! Lots of angst followed with the team of intrepid nomads trying everything to get the damn thing going. The Whitfields couldn’t get theirs to stay alight either, the wind kept blowing it out. They moved their van so the vent was out of the wind and bingo, all good. In the end we plugged ours into the power for the night which was a bit tricky because the power only runs from 6 pm to 11 pm at night and 6 am to 10 am in the morning. We stayed for 2 nights so had to put all our freezer stuff into the fridge in the camp kitchen to ensure we didn’t lose it all. So we now
have another little problem to be fixed when we get back to civilization.
The next day we headed out for a drive up to Gnaraloo station via a place called Red Bluff that surfers just love. Another coastal campsite with basic facilities (read VERY basic) but it has a little shop and bar that serves pizza and has a reputation for good pies. I really can’t describe how isolated and desolate this area is. Amazingly, it has the most glorious beaches but lack of fresh water is the biggest shortcoming otherwise I would imagine there would be a Holiday Inn every few km’s to take advantage of this incredible coastline. We had a great drive along rough sandy tracks with spectacular coastal scenery and wonderful surfing locations. We passed the campsite here called Three Mile (a known surfing mecca) and it looks pretty good with a much younger clientele of families and surfers. We continued on to Gnaraloo Bay (we were told this was what Coral Bay was like before the development) which had the most magnificent DESERTED white beach with turquoise water you could imagine. Everyone had their first swim in the Indian Ocean here (except me, as
This truck is carrying salt!
Mined from one of the big salt lakes around here. I didn’t think it was going to be warm enough and didn’t bring my cossie!) It was a truly wonderful day with so much to see - one of the best things about this area is there’s hardly anyone here - unless you have a 4 wheel drive you just couldn’t do it so we were so lucky to have the opportunity to see it all.
After 2 nights in Quobba we continued north to the delights of Coral Bay. One of our very favourite places in 2006 and had booked in for a wonderful 4 nights here. We finally got rid of our winter gear and got the cossies out to be well and truly used at last. Coral Bay is on the Ningaloo Reef and is Aboriginal land leased out to a small number of businesses. It has changed very little in the last 9 years which is wonderful. We spent our time here snorkelling, luxuriating in the warm water, sitting on the beach reading and generally having down time. Geoff, Gayle and Graham went out one day to swim with the whale sharks, we didn’t go as it is $390 each and we’d done
it in ’06. They had a wonderful day and found a couple of whale sharks to have their photos taken with!!!!! Another day, we all did a quad bike sand dune ride out to a beach where we were able to snorkel on the reef. The beauty of Coral Bay is not only the crystal clear water but you can virtually walk out to the reef and snorkel without having to go by boat. It also has one of the best Backpackers you’ll find anywhere and the only new thing opened is a bar/restaurant called “Bills” which looked great. Needless to say, Coral Bay did not disappoint and we were very sorry to leave.
But leave we did and headed up to Exmouth to have our fridge fixed, to stock up and to visit Cape Range Nat Park. The fridge was fixable thank goodness (carbon buildup) and at the time of writing (days and days later) is still going strong. We were surprised by Exmouth, the scenery once again very different even without the damage done by two very recent cyclones. The trees in the van park should have provided lots of shade but had been stripped
pretty bare and some had a distinct lean to them. Weather here was overcast, rainy and windy so back into some warmer clothes and the doona back on at night. We were incredibly surprised by the history here. It was pretty much the end of the earth for the soldiers sent here to man radar stations and anti aircraft guns in WW2 (the Bay was used as a refuelling stop for US submarines) and it wasn’t till 1963 when the US and Australia set up a joint communications base (now named the Harold E Holt Communications Base) that the town of Exmouth was actually created. The defence forces withdrew in 1992, leaving the the base in the hands of civilian operators - but still very much operating. The US camp is now abandoned but the buildings are all still there including the Barracks buildings, the ten pin bowling alley, the bar and grill, the swimming pool (with its diving board) and the baseball park which still has its watering system set up. It’s incredible to see - it looks like it would only take them days to get it up and running if the need ever arose!!!
Surfers Paradise
Getting in and out of this surf break is only for the young and the brave. The shoreline was just rocks, rocks and more rocks. We visited the Vlamingh Head lighthouse to read all about the WW2 presence and for another spectacular sunset. Spent a day driving down the Cape Range NP as far as Yardie Creek and back again. The Baileys had gone straight out there bypassing Exmouth and were staying in a fabulous campsite called Osprey Bay. Just the most glorious views from their van of the coastline - if the wind hadn’t come up they might have settled there for good. Probably the top of the list as far as swimming beaches goes in the Cape Range NP would be Turquiose Bay named for obvious reasons, I hope the photos do it justice. This drive was just wonderful, the beaches are all to die for - no surf but crystal clear for swimming and snorkelling and another fisherman's paradise. We were pleasantly surprised by Exmouth, it has a very small commercial centre, no Colesworths but has a new 5 star Novotel Resort that looked fab and the town has been extended to include Marinas with million $ homes and boats, so for all my 5 star friends, put it on your list and you will truly enjoy getting away from the beaten
Quobba Station Campsite
Just a bit desolate but over the hill behind us is the beautiful beach. track.
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Kate
non-member comment
Stunning!
What amazing photos of Australia's beautiful coastline! If only it wasn't at the very opposite side of this big brown land, it could be our next holiday destination!! Love the quadbiking pics too xx