Exmouth/Ningaloo 11-14 October 2013

After an overnighter in a free camp which had more red dust blowing around than we had seen through the entire Kimberley and Pilbra (well at least if felt that way at the time), we arrived in Exmouth with no idea where should stay. East side, West side, caravan park or Cape Range National Park? There were too many choices! Finally decided on a compromise solution by staying at Yardie Homestead park which is just outside the National Park on the west side of the cape. For all the right reasons - close to the snorkeling; hot showers to wash off the salt and sand; flushing toilets; not too far from town; power; sheltered, grassed shady sites; reasonable rates.
Fail.
We would have been much closer to the snorkeling had we stayed at one of the sites within the Cape Range NP. The good shower block has a busted water heater, so the only hot showers were in the skungy, ex-portaloo type ablution block, and the water was very salty. It was a long way from town. There was power, but not enough to heat an electric jug or toaster; No grass, little shade, and no protection from the very strong winds which ripped through all night long. And, to top it off, it wasn't that much cheaper than the premium parks right in Exmouth.
Anyway, we survived the night and set off for the National Park and Ningaloo Reef. The beaches, and fantastic turquoise water just go on for ever and ever. Stunning. Went to Turquoise Bay for a snorkel and saw more fish in twenty minutes than we had ever seen outside a fishmounger's before, and right in close to shore. Fantastic. Even better, my mask sealed just fine over the beard, so no need to shave it off :-) No pics of the fishies though - we were just too excited to be finally here and seeing the reef, and forgot to take the go-pro out. Oh well we will be in Coral Bay soon and that is supposed to be even better, with a chance that we can swim with manta rays! Can hardly wait.

Sorry about the smudges - I cleaned the lens, honest :(

Gave kite surfing a go - not bad for a first effort ;-)

Bewdifool

We drove as far down as Yardie Creek which is at the southern end of the park (not to be confused with Yardie Homestead Caravan Park which is just outside the northern end), and saw proof positive that hire vehicles cannot go everywhere and anywhere, for what did we spy but a Britz motorhome about 50 metres past the sign informing all who cared to take notice that the track beyond was four wheel drive ONLY! The Britz was up to the door sills in sand and going nowhere fast, and from the smell of burnt clutch in the air, it wasn't going far even after they were towed back out. Two suitably embarrassed and apologetic french tourists were only too happy to be on their way with tails firmly between their legs. She drove out, but it was odds on that he drove in. Hilarious!!!!!!
Once again, no camera was to hand to capture this, but I'm sure you get the picture. The other kodak moment we failed to capture was a kangaroo in the public phone box outside the park visitor center. It was looking at the phone as if it was trying to work out if it had enough change in it's pouch to phone home, but alas, by the time we had the camera out and turned on, the roo had skipped town (boom, boom).
Next day we decided to move to the town side of the cape and in the way stopped off at the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. This was also the site of a WW2 radar station. The support tower for the rotating antenna is still there, along with some of the sandbag wall which protected it. The sandbags look to be well on the way to petrification. There are also views of the Very Low Frequency radio communications towers which were installed by the US Navy in the sixties and are now managed by the RAN. Thirteen towers almost 400 metres high, with foundations up to 17 metres deep. These things were an engineering and technological masterpiece when built, and they are still in use today.

WW2 Radar Tower

If you look closely you can see the VLF towers on the horizon

Stopped off to see the remains of the SS Mildura which ran aground in 1907. The captain appears to have taken one shortcut too many...

And, last but not least, a kodak moment we did manage to capture - the emu who came to lunch!