Snorkel till you drop
Yeps, again snorkeling was the main draw during our 3 nights stay at Exmouth. Just next to the famous Ningaloo Reef. As the fish almost should recognise me I take some attempts to enter the Oyster Stacks Bay. As the tide was high enough there was no risk of rubbing my belly off on the coral laying benaeth me. Brain coral, leafy coral, blood coral, staghorn… you just name or it was there in the clesr turqoise water. For a moment I thought to see the same things again untill that moment! A sea needle curiously swam with me. Massive and elegantly it lost interest in me after just 30 seconds. The coral snake was even worse… that thing just flew into its shelter in the lime green coloured coral (is this a new tongue braker by the way? 🙂 At least I did see one as they’re normally very shy. This bay was safe, shallow, without current or angry waves.
Things were unfotunately different at the droft snorkel place in Turqoise Bay and Lakeside. The currents moved me from the beach in to the deepness. Then I know for sure: Me is not getting in the water. Too bad, but what else can you do? Then you just sit in the dunes overlooking the beatiful ocean. The unbelievable thing then happened. Jumping Humpback whales!
Gorgeous gorges
First prove how anoying English language is… read just only the title. Does it make sense to have different spelling for the same pronunciation? Well, let’s come to the point when I questioned myself what to do if snorkeling doesn’t work out. Then you just go to the hiking trails into the gorges of Cape Range NP. The walk of 3 km in the Mandu Mandu Gorge took only 1 hour with breathtaking views on the gorge and its end at the Ningaloo Reef. However, there’s no single drop to see in the whole gorge. In the past there seemd to be a river that cuts it way through these lime stone soil leaving sheering cliffs behind. In Yardie Creek Gorge you can find the only spot wth water in the freaking huge park. This was one was not breathtaking… I just stopped breathing and than got in an excitement rush when I saw a Black-footed Rock Wallaby hopping on the red sheered cliffs across the creek. Rare, shy, but not for me! How cool is that! The only thing which wasn’t so cool were the temparatures in the gorges. On some moments I thought to get fried in the bright sun. Since it is winter the temperature was ‘only’ 40 degrees.
After such 4 wonderful days in and around a coral reef it’s not hard to imagine I didn’t want to leave the place. There is a time of coming and going. After this reef adventure we will be heading more inland towards Karinjini NP. One of Australia’s top national parks.