Ningaloo Reef - Cape Range National Park

We arrived in Exmouth on Friday the 11^th September and stayed in the Big 4.

Who should pull in behind us but Judy and Greg (see previous posts). No great surprise as we knew they were coming to Exmouth to go to Cape Range National Park (Ningaloo) as well but we did not synchronize van parks. We had driven past them on the way, at 9.10am when they were at their free camp which was the next one beyond us after Paraburdoo. We joined them for happy hour, of course. They are so much fun. This is a hectic life, it’s not easy. I am sure you all think this is easy living. We have never had a more social existence in our lives than doing this stuff. I don’t think I have made you feel sorry for us have I?

They didn’t have drive through sites which was disappointing as we were getting an early start to get into Mesa campground at Cape Range National Park (Ningaloo Reef). The setup is rather bizarre. There are two campgrounds, Mesa and Ned’s that you cannot book for. The other campgrounds cannot be booked inside 48 hours. You can, however, be queued up at the pay station when they open at 8am and if there are sites available at that time you can get one of them as long as you are not so far back in the que that there are not enough sites and you miss out. Friends had told us of their experience of getting there at 4am and finding some people already queued. So we arrived at the pay station at 4.30am on Saturday the 12th and were first in the que. It turned out to be a bit of overkill as it was not until two and a half hours later before the second person arrived to que. The drive out was stressful as there were so many roos, a couple who narrowly missed the van.

Anyway we got our chosen spot. We knew spots might be available there as our friends Lyn & Wal (whom we had just been with at Barn Hill), Margery and John (whom we had been with a bit earlier at Broome) were there and they said that five people were due to leave Mesa as long as they don’t extend.

There is no power and untreated bore water and drop toilets which are very clean and $10 a night per person, less for seniors. We are set up for solar etc so no problem and you will see from the photos it is better to be on site at Ningaloo Reef. There is a tap with untreated bore water near Mesa and there is a lot of grit in the water. It is good though for showering. We use a 12 volt camp shower which I plug into our jump pack so we can still have a shower in our shower recess in the van.

Views from our camp site.

Views at our beach, a short walk up the sand dune from our site.

It is so funny because the two couples did not know one another but were both friends of ours that we had me two years ago on our NT trip. Two years earlier we had met Lyn and Wal at Katherine, day before Margery and John left (who we had met earlier on the road). After Katherine we were at Edith Falls with John & Margery. They left after a time and the day after they left Lyn & Wal then pulled into Edith Falls.

So at a happy hour at Mesa they got to talking. Lyn and Wal mentioned to them that their friends, Linda & Peter had stayed with them at Barn Hill and were arriving any day at Mesa. Margery who knew we were also coming to Ningaloo inquired about if Linda & Peter were us and then it all fell into place. Both joked about how they both on different days celebrated my birthday with us two years earlier.

They then worked out that they had seen each other’s posts on Facebook. So two sets of friends who we met two years ago were at the same campground at the same time, small world eh!

Ningaloo reef is so beautiful. We will be here for a while. Plenty of photos coming. There is no phone and internet in the National Park so when we have to make a trip to town we can make some phone calls and get some blog/facebook done. We can also go a shorter distance to the Lighthouse and get reception if we don’t need to shop.

View from the Lighthouse.

 

 

After setting up camp we went out to the Oyster Stacks at 10am which was high tide. The high tide has to be at least 1.2metres to snorkel there as the coral tends to get broken off by people if it is shallower. We only had one full set of snorkel gear so Linda opted out for the day. The next day we bought a second lot of snorkel gear at the local Mylering Visitor Centre. I was expecting some price gouging as we were a fair way from town but the price was reasonable. We went back to the Oyster Stacks a few days later so Linda did not miss out there. The fish were colourful and beautiful but the coral colour were pretty dull. The coral had died off a lot from storms washing mud into the reef etc. Hopefully it will grow back. But the snorkeling was great. The photos are from both days snorkeling at the Oyster Stacks.

On Monday the 14^th we took a drive to Lakeside. Let the photos tell that story.

 

 

 

Then went on to Yardy Creek for the cruise. It is an inlet from the beach at Yardy which goes on for a kilometer or so and is fairly deep in spots.

There are about 100 rock wallabies that inhabit the rocks around there.

 

As we headed back we ducked into Osprey Beach for a snorkel. I swam with a turtle there. He wasn’t trying to get away from me. It is great because the turles and the fish stay close enough to you so you can almost touch them. They don’t mind being close because they know they can get a

way from you easily if they need to.

Continuing on the way back to Mesa we dropped in to North Kurrajong and visited Greg and Judy who were staying there. We had a nice time, again, with them purched on top of their sand dune and enjoyed the sunset. Then headed home before it was to late to avoid many roos.

We picked up some water on the way back. Linda got this photo of a doe and her joey. That was the end of another great day in this earthly paradise.

 

 

 

On Wednesday the 16^th John and Margery, Linda and I met Jude and Greg at Turquoise Bay for a snorkel and picnic lunch. Normally I hate the beach, the sandy part that is, and to picnic on the beach is not my idea of fun but this was a really good time. It may have been this beautiful setting we are in at Ningaloo Reef.

 

The morning before the picnic I went fishing with Lyn & Wal and finally caught a big fish which had been a long time between drinks, not that I have been fishing much over all these years. That night we turned that into a big fish dinner. The Spangle Emporer I caught more than fed, five of us, John & Margery, Linda and our neighbor Daniel and myself with a fair bit left over. Lyn & Wal cooked up their own fish. Cooked it just right and it was a great night.

We actually had a feast because for an entre Margery brought over some mud crab and Daniel  (a chef) brought over some tuna sushi.

Friday the 18^th we had gone on our second snorkel to the Oyster Stacks. On the way back we stopped in at Treala Beach (I think that is the name) as Margery had mentioned about an Osprey nest there. It was amazing watching the Osprey parents, one on guard and the other feeding the three big chicks.

 

 

 

That afternoon back at camp we went fishing with Lyn & Wal. Now it was Linda’s turn to catch a nice fish and so she did. She caught this nice Queeny on her little rod and it was beautiful eating the day after.

 

 

There was just a little cloud around that evening which was fortunate as we had decided to go to the beach and watch the sunset. Just another great day, it doesn’t get any better than this. Finally some more sunset photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time of writing this part of this post I am three and a half weeks behind. The reason being that I had spilt a glass of red wine into our laptop and stuffed it. So now that I have been able to get a new laptop (ouch) and have bought stemless wine glasses (so that I don't knock over another glass of red into the laptop) I can recommence the blog.

On Monday the 21st September (before spilling red wine into the computer the next day) we went and had a look at the wreck of the SS Mildura. Photos and story below.

Around the cape on the Exmouth side had a look at the boat ramp area and jetty. The water is beautiful there as well with coral. I did not realise the coral and tropical fish were right along the coast and not just restricted to Ningaloo Reef. There was a huge school of bait fish under the jetty.

That afternoon went for a fish at our campground, Mesa, and Wal caught a huge 90cm Golden Trevally. It was a great tussle for Wal to get the fish in. Out of respect for the fish and the tussle that was had Wal revived him and then released him. I know if it was me I would have been filling my freezer with the fillets but I am no where near the fisherman that Wal is so I take what I can get. Great respect to you Wal. Good stuff.

Saturday the 24th Linda and I went into Exmouth and were lucky enough to catch a great defence force display. The military had been having exercises in the area for the week. Our neighbour, Daniel, his daughter is in logistics and supply and was there so it was good to see them being able to catch up with one another.

Sunday the 25th Linda and I went for another snorkel at Tourquoise Bay. The water is so clear and the fish just move around you hoping for a feed I suppose.

 

I have pinched the following photos from Margery as we don't have an underwater camera but these things are the sort of things we have been seeing when snorkeling.

After the Tourquoise Bay snorkel we went down to Osprey Beach for another snorkel. Then went to Sandy Bay. And so the following photos of this beautiful water ends this very long 'Post'. The length of this post may be an indication of what we thought of this place. To me (Peter) Ningaloo Reef has been the best part of our trip. An amazing place.