Exmouth

                                          Coral viewing from the glass bottom boat

Lighthouse Beach

Nanutarra Roadhouse was our stopover on the way from Port Hedland to Exmouth. We were going to stay in Karratha, but found we were passing through there about midmorning, the weather was cloudy and it was looking like rain. We had a look around Dampier, then decided to move on. The day improved and as we went further towards Exmouth. The landscape became monotonous,  broken on occasion by small mesas in the distance. As we got closer to Nanutarra Roadhouse, part of the Hamersley Range appeared, we were on the outskirts of Karijini NP.  John and I didn’t go into Tom Price, if we had, we would have passed close by Karijini.

We arrived in Exmouth about lunchtime, as usual our first stop was at the Visitors centre. Exmouth is close to the Ningaloo Reef, the largest fringing reef in Australia and World Heritage listed. It boasts 500 species of fish,300 species of coral and is 260 klms long. Just a few hundred metres off shore, the reef is a mecca for divers and snorklers alike. A popular tour is swimming with the whale sharks, out beyond the reef. We went for the lazy option, a one hour tour in a glass bottom boat, leaving from just outside the national park, 40 mins away.

Sturt Desert Pea

                                          Glass bottom boat.
                                           

                                          Regal wedge-tailed eagle.

                                           Yardie Gorge

John on the beach with people snorkling close to the shore behind him.

We had to be at the boat ramp ready for the 9.20 am tour, wading out to the boat at low tide. The morning was dull and had started to rain, the water was lovely and clear, however a sunny day would have made a difference in viewing the reef. We saw lots of coral and pretty fish, A highlight was seeing a green turtle, our guide was very informative, describing the different species of fish and coral. Unfortunately, there was too much reflection to get a good photo, except for a bit of video I took.

There must have been fifteen or so dive buses bringing people out to enjoy the reef. John and I would have been tempted to just snorkel off the beach if the day had been warmer. The visitors centre in the park were hiring out snorkel gear for $10. We noticed at one beach the reef was almost to the shore line, but there snorkeling was only allowed at high tide to protect the coral. I spoke to one man who said he saw lots of beautiful fish and a turtle while he was in the water.

We saw lots of wildlife during our drive through Cape Range NP. Small kangaroos, an echidna, two wedge-tailed eagles, a pair of old wild horses and a couple of emus. Sturt’s Desert Pea can be seen along the drive, plus other little coastal wildflowers.

There is a lighthouse and a lookout that has a great view out to the Exmouth Gulf, whales are often spotted out to sea. The Australian Navy  has a large base in Exmouth,  along with the army and federal police.

It was a long but memorable day, we left our park at 8am and returned at 5pm.