Blogs from Western Australia, Australia, Oceania

Our last day in Exmouth we headed out to the western side of the Cape Range National Park to snorkel along the Ningaloo Reef. This long reef stretches over 200 kilometres along the coast. It’s a matter of finding which spot you want to pick. We decided on two spots, Oyster Stack and Torquoise Bay. Oyster Stack is a bit treacherous with the “beach” very rocky, so getting in the water is fine if there is not a significant swell. On the positive side the water here is very clear with plenty of fish. It was a spot we really enjoyed despite picking our way over the jagged rocks. Torquoise Bay is the spot everyone talks about, and it is a gorgeous beach, but it in actual fact the snorkelling here was not as good. The ... read more

One of the surprises of the endless flatness on the drive to Exmouth is the Cape Range National Park. It is almost as if nature pushed up the flatness of the land and then took a giant knife to gouge out the landscape. In fact, we started our exploration at Charles Knife Canyon. From the main highway south of Exmouth we took a road that climbed a few hundred metres. We passed by tremendous views of what looked like a mini Grand Canyon. Soon we reached the Thomas Carter Lookout which is a picnic site and the start of a hiking trail. We started out on a hike on this meandering trail which was rocky in places, and traversed up and down over several hills. After 2.6 kilometres we reached Shot Hole Lookout which overlooks another ... read more

We started our day with a swim in the large hotel pool which we had all to ourselves. Then we went exploring the neighbourhood. There are many large homes situated on canals which allow owners to moor their boats adjacent to their properties. The prices are not over the top, $780,000 for a large modern two storey home on the canal with your own access to the water. It’s evident they take flooding seriously with monssonal rains potentially causing flooding. The canal walls are high and the moorings are expandable to compensate for changes in water depth. What is over the top is the price of fuel here. For our American friends the price is equivalent to $7.00 a gallon. Filling a large 4-wheel drive may set you back close to $200. A few kilometres north ... read more

Where did our week go? This was our last day in Kalbarri before heading off early in the morning for Exmouth, about an eight hour drive. So we had to do laundry, vacuum some of the red dust that infiltrated our vehicle and get our packing organized. We did have a chance though to explore a couple of nearby spots and spend a bit of time taking in the sun on the river mouth beach. Meanarra Lookout This lookout sits several kilometres east of town and gives panoramic views of the Murchison River, Kalbarri on its banks and of course, the vast Indian Ocean. Clearly visible also, were several clearly delineated black areas which were the sites of localized bush fires. The hill sits within the Kalbarri National Park which is without trees and as far ... read more

The Abrolhos Islands have always held a fascination. It was one of the earliest spots where Europeans landed in Australia. Most famous, the Dutch ship Batavia, was wrecked on one of the smaller islands In 1629. Our pilot and tour guide described the event in which 40 people died in the wreckage. Then a mutiny led to horrific slaughter of men, women and children. It was not a great introduction to the West Australian coast. We had the opportunity to go snorkelling with some trepidation. Even with thermal tops on, the water was frigid! We gritted our teeth and surprisingly about 100 metres out, the temperature rose about 10 degrees. Strange indeed, because usually it’s the opposite, warmer closer in to shore. We saw plenty of fish, a large mullosc and Adele even spotted an octopus. ... read more