This week focused on the Ningaloo Reef from its tail down at Point Quobba to its tip at Exmouth as well as the Cape Range National Park canyons and escarpments. I’ve broken it down into the three sections we did around Point Quobba, the West coast of Ningaloo and the Cape Range National Park. Watch the video of our Oz Lap Week 8.

Tuesday 1^st June – Thursday 3^rd June: Blasting Blowholes & a natural Aquarium at Point Quobba

After a lovely walk along the “Fascine” from Town Beach to the Yacht Club in Carnarvon, we drove 75km up the road to Pt Quobba for our $44 a night ‘no water, no toilets, no power’ first- come- first- served camp for the next two nights. We drove the entire length of the camp area and found only one viable spot, which wasn’t too bad really as it was on its own tucked in to the sand dunes. .   

Three things to tick on this area are: 1. The Aquarium a safe protected swimming and snorkelling beach which offers the first introduction to the southern tip of Ningaloo reef with colourful little fish and corals 2. Sunset from the sand dunes over the beach and 3. The Blowholes if you manage to catch the 1-5 m spouts otherwise a walk along the craggy red rock shoreline is pretty nice.

Thursday 3^rd – Friday 4^th June: Coral Bay Bliss – turquoise water, turtles giant coral rocks and colourful fish.

It was a fair haul up the road from Point Quobba to Coral Bay with 263 km taking 3hrs and we were super surprised to pull into Coral Bay after driving across empty plains, with only Termite mounds to break the monotony, to find a massive tent and caravan city.  Luckily, we were staying at the quieter end at the tip of the area at Peoples Park which was still expansive but at least not packed in! Coral Bay is a pure tourist destination with the highlight being the stunning curved bay with white sand, turquoise water and the famous Ningaloo reef metres offshore. It is a much quieter (crazy as it seemed busting to us at the time) option to Exmouth/Ningaloo area and for some reason does not get cloudy or rainy when Exmouth does. I rather wish we’d stayed here another night or two rather than go up to Exmouth 220 km up the peninsula!

Three things to tick in Coral Bay are: 1. The Coral Bay Eco Tour 3 hour tour in a glass bottomed boat – phenomenal snorkelling, turtles, great informative skipper and they provide snorkelling gear tool! 2. Drinks at Bills Bar or catch Happy hour and band at the Coral Bay Resort and dinner at low key Fin’s Cafe 3. Sunrise from the lookout and a run along the beach

Friday 4^th – Sunday 6^th June: Tunes at Yardie Homestead, sunshine at Turquoise Bay and Wallabies at Yardie Creek

After driving 3 hours up from Coral Bay to Exmouth through rugged, empty terrain, our first glimpse of the massive caravan parks at Exmouth came as a bit of a shock. Exmouth is so remote but yet so busy/developed/ill-planned? It is a wall of caravans, tents, tourists, and we were worried about what was in store for us down the reef side. Luckily, after a quick re-fuel and food stock up we kept driving around the peninsula and south down the west coast to Yardie Homestead where we pulled in to the old cattle station to yes, maybe a 100 van sites, but very low key and spread out. There was live music both nights we were there, a small café, a basic gas fired camp kitchen (all power and water is self generated) and location wise this was a great base to explore the three things to tick along the west side which are: 1. The beaches along the reef (Turquoise Bay for snorkelling/swimming and Sandy Beach best for swimming) 2.The incredibly informative 1 hour boat tour up Yardie Creek to see rock wallabies, eagles and Ospreys and 3.The 3km Mandu Mandu Gorge loop trail along the dry river bed and up to the escarpment.

Next week: Week 9 Big Oz Lap Monday 7^th – Sunday 13^th June Cape Range Canyons to Broome