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Published: September 30th 2010
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What a contrast!
When we left you just a few days ago we were on our way to Tom Price, a purpose built town for the mine site and named after the American Tom Price who was very instrumental in getting iron mined in the middle of nowhere. He apparently died on the day the first load was shipped out of the mine!! Not much to rave about, we were even a little disappointed in the mine tour, oh well, never mine……
However as we were about to leave Tom Price we were approached by a young lad who asked if we could possibly give a lift to a young female back packer who was stranded. Like charitable Australian citizens we told him to f**k off! So off we go, just the two of us.
Exmouth being our next destination, back to the coast, but due to the distance we free camped at a little place called House Creek. We say place, but it is just the name given to the Rest Area. Anyway, disaster strikes as we decide not to put the fridge freezer on gas but let it run on battery power, which it did for 3
hours until the car battery was drained. When you’re battery’s flat and your car won’t start who do you call? No not the ghost-busters, 3 Scousers in a 30 year old Holden and Mr NTN (Nerd the Nomad, or Nomad the Nerd, which ever you prefer!) NTN provides the jump leads, the avo meter and the technology whilst the Scousers provide plenty of beer, oh and the 30 year old Holden for the power. After several hours we were up and running. We reckon 15 minutes would have done the trick but we did have a full slab to consume! The following morning, still fully charged, we were on our way to Exmouth.
Our park is at the Lighthouse approx 17km north of the town and within walking distance to the beach and a short drive into Cape Range National Park and the area known are Ningaloo Reef. We had been told it gets a bit breezy on the coast of WA and they weren’t joking. But undeterred we hit the National Park and go to a spot called Turquoise Bay which has two excellent snorkelling spots. The water is a little cold so it’s snorkel, get out and warm
up, then back in again. Plenty of fish to see but alas the coral is looking a little jaded.
At this point Debby decides it’s time to share her terrible cold that she had had since Port Hedland with Steve and the snorkelling gear is stowed away. So our next couple of days are spent on the beach watching the turtles feed and mate in readiness to come ashore and lay their eggs. Fact: if a baby turtle survives, twenty years later it returns to the same beach where it was born to continue the cycle. In the hope of seeing this truly amazing occurrence we spent 2 hours on the beach at high tide between 8.30pm and 10.30pm but a lass did not come ashore.
Exmouth, although very isolated is striving to entice people to some and live there. Some brave entrepreneur is in the process of building a canal development with shops and restaurants, several houses having already been built.
Coral Bay was not on our list of places to stop but having been told on several occasions how pretty it was, we decided to go and see for ourselves. WOW< what a great little place.
The caravan park is right by the beach, you park the car and that’s where it stays for the next 3 days. Lots of snorkelling and excursions (mainly to see the coral reef). We hire a glass bottom canoe (still got those pesky colds) to do our viewing of the reef, did the fish feeding twice and listened to a guy called Eli Wolff singing and playing his 12 string guitar. We had showers in hot saltwater, the water coming from 830m deep, chatted with our new neighbour Outback Paddy, whose main job is touring WA Primary Schools ogling, sorry entertaining the kids and the rest of the time was spent on R&R.
Well, we are truly on our way south but only a short journey takes us to Carnarvon where we will stay for a week due to the September school holidays before moving on to Kalbarri via a day trip to Monkey Mia. So see you all again in a week or so.
Our thanks again to the Three Wise Scousers and NTN for their help at House Creek and apologies to the backpacker who now resides inTom Price….
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Fran & Frank
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Dear blog blog bloody blog
Delightful pictures from Cape Range,Turquoise Bay,Coral Bay. Are you trying to tell us Queenslanders that there is some place else that is better than "Beautiful one day, perfect the next?" Not having seen sunshine here in the sunshine state for weeks now,we envy you. Don't suppose that you were able to catch one of those fish that were being fed at Coral Bay. Us armchair travellers are looking forward to your next blog. Keep on keeping on.