Cape Range National Park

After a fabulous three nights on the water, next on the sightseeing agenda was Cape Range National Park and Exmouth. Heading north, large Spinifex termite mounds were our companions at our roadside lunch stop. These bulbous mounds can reach heights of six metres with up to one million termites living in a highly structured colony, and there are hundreds of them dotted all over the grassland stretching for miles and miles.

There are two WWII memorial sites located on the Exmouth Gulf; The Potshot memorial commemorates the use of the West Australian coast for the allied attacks on the Japanese. The United States submarines used this area as a refuelling base and an airstrip was built for the fighting squadron until it was destroyed by a cyclone in 1945.

The next site, the Krait Memorial, is a tribute to Operation Jaywick. Fourteen members of the "Z Force" Special Operations Unit sailed from this spot on 2 September 1943 in a former Japanese fishing vessel (renamed the 'Krait') to Singapore. Under the cover of darkness they attached limpet mines and severely damaged seven ships totalling almost 40 000 tons. The party returned to Exmouth Gulf after 47 days at sea. Unfortunately, the next mission for "Z Force" 12 months later, Operation Rimau, ended in complete failure with all loss of men. Posts of the original jetty remain, and the site is an ideal spot to see the sun rise out of the water; a novelty on the west coast.

 

The National Park had no available camp sites, so we spent the night in the Lighthouse Caravan Park right near the tip of North West Cape. There are no free camping sites anywhere on the North West Coast; you must camp in designated camping areas only, otherwise you're slapped with a $1000 fine. How the local councils enforce that I don't know, as there are and always will be freedom campers.

 

A walk along the beach at sunset, followed by sausages on the BBQ, we turned in early listening to the waves, wind and rain. Gary and I rose at dawn for a birthday bike ride, about 20 kms along the flat before tackling the lighthouse hill for a sensational view overlooking the caravan park.

 

 

The town of Exmouth was established in 1967 because of the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt; a joint US and Australia venture for submerged submarine communications. The tallest tower of the 13 (pictured above in far distance), central tower, is the second tallest man-made structure in the southern hemisphere standing at 387 metres.

 

After our ride, the day became more and more windy with a bit of rain. Coats on, we entered the National Park stopping off at the bird hide, the Milyering Visitors Centre and finally Turquoise Bay, one of the top 10 beaches in WA. Unfortunately, the weather kept us out of the water (and everyone else!) on this day but two days later Gary and I returned to a different looking beach with people everywhere. The snorkelling is terrific; a thriving reef with plenty of soft corals and variety of fish, and it's all just a step off the beach. You can do a drift snorkel on the southern side of the beach, or a bay snorkel on the northern side; either way beware of the current and get out before you reach the sandbar so you don't get swept out to sea.

Egret viewed from bird hide.



 

Turquoise Bay on Sunday

Turquoise Bay on Tuesday

 

After a full day in the Park, mum's three week adventure was coming to a close. We finished it with a birthday dinner for Gary at the local Chinese/Thai (courtesy of Manfred, Ann, Jan and Jeff, thank you!) and a final freedom camp close to the airport. It has been wonderful to spend time with mum, particularly in such a way as a road trip. I think I have converted her to the motor homing way of life! 

 

After a teary airport drop off, Gary and I headed back into Cape Range National Park with our annual parks pass. After checking the board at the entry gate, Mesa Camp indicated some empty spots, so we used that as our base for the next two nights. As from April next year, all camping is to be booked online at least 48 hours in advance: there goes the spontaneity when travelling around.

 

Donning our hiking boots, we took a three kilometre (1.5 hours) walk up and over Mandu Mandu Gorge, a spectacular dry gorge with red cliffs and panoramic views to the ocean. It's a Grade 4 walk; this means some steep climbing and descending and rocky underfoot, so don't attempt it in thongs as we saw some people doing. 

 

On to Yardie Creek, the south end of Cape Range NP, for another (shorter) gorge walk but this one has a permanent water supply. The eroded multi-coloured cliffs provide roosting sites for many bird species and again the views to the ocean are stunning. We didn't see any of the rare black-footed rock wallabies; they were hiding too well.

 

Another great snorkelling spot in the Park is Oyster Stacks. After a morning ride into a very strong headwind, I put on my newly acquired gear and once again saw some fabulous coral and fish. This area can only be snorkelled on the high tide as is becomes too exposed otherwise and difficult to negotiate the coral.

 

Having explored the western side of Cape Range, it was time to look at the Eastern side on our way back to Coral Bay. Some of the roads and walking trails are closed due to the April flooding, but we did get to the top of Charles Knife Road for a look at the canyon. It was spectacular, and well worth  the part-rugged drive up there. We could see the naval communication towers, Exmouth Gulf and all the way to Learmonth airport and beyond. We decided to stop for awhile to take in the view.

 

 

And so our five day trip Exmouth and surrounds was coming to an end. Gary and I were once again reacquainted after three months apart. It was time to head back to Coral Bay and our current but temporary lodgings at the Seasonal Workers Village, and stroll down to the town beach and watch another infamous west coast sunset.

 

 



Ningaloo Reef

I have been so flat out enjoying all the activities this region has to offer that I have had no time (or I am completely exhausted!) to write anything. We put mum on the plane back to the East Coast on Monday: after three weeks of travelling together in the motorhome it feels a little odd that she's left. However, her ugg boots are still sitting in the allocated spot, so she's still here in a way.

But let's rewind to last week....

The scenic flight over Coral Bay was sensational, even if I did get a little airsick when the pilot spiralled down for us to get a better look at the humpback whales cruising up the coast on the outside of Ningaloo Reef. There were Manta Rays galore, which we were to swim with when out on our sailing trip the next day! The contrasting colours of brilliant blue water and desert sand was striking, as well as the endlessness of the terrain. The Ningaloo Reef stretches for 260kms and is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world.

Manta Rays

Ningaloo Reef

The 30 minute flight gave us a good view of the town, Coral Bay, as well as the marina and Shore Thing, the sailing catamaran that will be our home for the next three nights.

 Coral Bay

Coral Bay Marina (Shore Thing lower right)

 

 

Last Tuesday saw us embarking on Shore Thing, a 51 foot well-appointed catamaran which Gary is the skipper, and mum and I get to see what has been his backyard for the last three months. Luke and Lannie, owners of the vessel and company Sail Ningaloo kindly had us on board with five other guests from Sydney, USA and Wagga Wagga.  

 

 

 

It was an action packed itinerary that included plenty of snorkelling, a manta ray and green turtle swim, a beach excursion, plenty of fine dining and a little book reading time. The abundance and variety of coral and fish are amazing. I have snorkelled a lot of places in the world and the Ningaloo Reef really is nature at its best. There is so much to look at, and can all be viewed by snorkelling. Sensational. I even got mum in for a look, even if it was a little choppy on this occasion with a fair bit of current.

We had a fabulous time on board, so thank you to Kirsten the cook, Alex the snorkelling guide, and of course Gary the skipper. Plus, the other guests who also made the trip very enjoyable.

Carnarvon to Coral Bay

After a night of star gazing, we woke to another beautiful day in the north west wilderness; the last day of our road trip. We drove the hour to Carnarvon, picking up supermarket supplies before having a little drive around the town. The longest wooden jetty in WA is here, but a $5 fee was being asked to walk along it. We still had a nearly three hour drive ahead of us so all we did was have a quick look around, which included a climb up to the water tower for 360 degree views of the area.

The farm gate fresh fruit and vegetables were calling us, on either side of the river on the way north out of town there are rows and rows of neat and ordered plantings. We stocked up on corn, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, herbs, broccoli, beans....yum! Even frozen mango from last season's bumper crop.

Time to head north, the drive getting a little monotonous now on the North West Coastal Highway as we get closer to our final destination. A cold drink stop at Minilya Roadhouse before turning off for Coral Bay. At least the recent flooding rains had turned the landscape into carpet of green: a welcome change to brown, scrubby bush of the last 500kms.

At last, three months to the day I finally see Gary. It felt a bit strange for both of us initially, but we soon slipped into the comfortable shoe mode. It is nice to be together again. A quick tour of the town and a walk along the beach taking in the sunset before dinner, and all was well in the world.

Before heading out on our three day boat trip, we shouted mum a scenic flight of the Coral Bay area. A clear, calm afternoon gave us the most stunning views of the reef: and we saw humpback whales and manta rays. I can't wait to get out on the water for some snorkelling and sailing!

Photos to come from the air, as having a couple of technical issues out here on the water.

Shark Bay continued

We tried to get an early start to see the feeding of the dolphins, but two things held us up. First, the beautiful orange and pink dawn with the full moon shining like a spoon (it also captivated me last night as it rose over the hill). Second, a minor maintenance issue with Delvy. Phone a mechanic was available for helpful advice so we were soon on our way to Denham en route to Monkey Mia.

However, we just missed nine dolphins being fed but I did see two swim past me right beside the jetty. Other wildlife viewed was two camels (saddled up and ridden by tourists on the beach), an emu (as we drove into the park), a pelican (showing off on the beach), dozens of welcome swallows (flitting all around us) and a loggerhead turtle (bobbing around some metres away in the distance).

 

The scenic drive through Denham on the return leg was indeed scenic: it’s a tidy and pretty area with several yachts moored in the azure waters, a couple of shell-block buildings along with the ever frequent modern seaside Mcmansions that are popping up all along the west coast, artificial grass on the medium strip and the usual array of tourist and service shops with bright coloured flags flapping in the south east breeze.

 

We pressed on out of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area (WHA), stopping at the Shell Beach lookout for a bite of lunch. Onward to the North West Coast Highway junction, where we enjoyed being held up by some road works just for a break in the scenery, and we were back heading in the direction of Coral Bay.

The Shark Bay WHA is a 300km round trip off the highway with great distances between each of the visitor sites. It feels like we are all on a tourist conveyor belt, each making the predictable designated stops in each of our own modes of transport, one after the other. We keep seeing the same handful of people/vehicles that obviously have the same time schedule as us: we are camped with two of the same from last night. It reminds me when I was backpacking around different places in Europe; ticking things of the list. That’s being a tourist I guess!

We stopped for a cold drink and ice cream at the Wooramel Roadhouse, getting swamped by a senior’s 4WD tour group just as we pulled up. They came and left in about ten minutes, returning the place to its sense of being in the middle of nowhere: hang on; we are in the middle of nowhere. Geraldton is 352km to the south, Carnarvon 120km to the north. The only sign of life are the countless feral goats and mangy sheep grazing on the side of the road. People talk about the Nullarbor, but they don’t say much about the North West Coast Highway. Hmmmm….

 

And so we are camped at another 24 hour roadside rest area, this time at Edaggee (named after a station 34kms east on a 4WD track), and it is our last freedom camp for Mum and I (the only mother/daughter combination travelling together that we have seen over the last two weeks!). It is the last night for me sleeping on the super-model berth (Delvy’s lounge) as I’ll be joining my husband tomorrow night (yes, I do really have one) in Coral Bay.

 

So, we’ll have a drink to our final desert sunset. Cheers, Mum!

Shark Bay

I am writing this on the shoreline of Henri Freycinet Harbour at Fowlers Camp in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The shadows are lengthening, there is just a ripple across the clear water and a lone Caspian tern is relaxing on the sand spit: sunset is not far away.

 

Another big day driving, but then this is big country and one has to drive a long way to see the sights. Once we turned off the North West Coastal Highway, surviving the many road trains that overtook us, and once again waving to fellow travellers (now the caravans are coming thick and fast - oh and by the way, I passed our first vehicle throughout the whole trip!), it was a bit of a drive between the tourist spots. Hamelin Pools boast the best example of stromatolites in the country, with scientists visiting from all over the world to study these ancient living organisms.

 

A loop walk in the area takes you through a shell block quarry. Fragum Cockle shells washed with rain water cement together to form a solid structure (called coquina shell) which can be used for building blocks. They came in handy when there was no timber or stone around. Shell Beach up the road (in WA terms this means at least 50kms) lives up to its name as the cockle shells are up to ten metres thick and stretches for 120kms.

 

The Eagle Bluff boardwalk is a good vantage point to spot marine life in the shallows. We saw a ray of some kind as we were taking in the view of a disused guano island, the stark coastline and the landscape behind us.

 

Off to see the dolphins at Monkey Mia tomorrow, before we drive back out of here to head Carnarvon.

 

Geraldton and Kalbarri

After a full day in Geraldton it was good to get to such a scenic campsite at Figtree Crossing and relax. Table top and pyramid-like hills dotted the green landscape, with the shadows slowly enveloping them as the sun set.

 

The HMAS Sydney memorial overlooking Geraldton and its harbour is a beautifully landscaped and crafted tribute to the 645 sailors that went down with the ship in 1941. It wasn’t found until March 2008, finally solving Australia’s most enduring maritime tragedy.

 

There are other maritime tragedies along the Coral Coast; the most gruesome is that of the Batavia, which struck the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 and turned into murder and mutiny. There are a few memorials and an exhibition in the museum that tell this tale.

 

Kalbarri was the destination the next morning, and we started with a drive through the National Trust classified historic town of Northampton. The Pink Lake was next, a standout amongst the dull brown and green landscape, getting its colour from naturally occurring beta carotene.

 

Kalbarri’s coastal cliffs provide some great walking trails: the 3km Mushroom Rock walk takes you right to the water’s edge, meandering through dramatic rock formations and banded colours of sandstone layers, all weathered over millions of years.

 

A visit to the Australian Parrot Breeding Centre was a delight. A vast array of colourful birds can be viewed within a palm thronged oasis that includes a huge walk through aviary.

 

Views of the Kalbarri township were taken in over lunch, followed by a couple of short walks to view various parts of the Murchison River gorge. This second longest river of WA runs 820kms from Meekathara to the catchment area of Kalbarri. Very impressive so a great place to camp alongside with a near-full moon rising above.