Bloop Bloop

It really does get lighter much later here compared to the Kimberleys.  Thought we'd woken up really early as it was about the same dawn light which had meant just before 6am in Kununurra but in Exmouth it means it's just after 7am!  Larry didn't seem quite as keen to jump out of bed and make Jenny a coffee this morning (might have had something to do with those 'few beers' last night!) so Jenny had to make the coffees and has the fun of giving Larry a ticking off for not having his coaster out in time (which Larry regularly does to Jenny with the catch cry 'You had one job!'.  After breakfast and a spot of caravan blind repair work, we hopped in the car and headed off the west coast of the peninsula to check out all the pretty swimming, surfing and snorkelling beaches. 

The sun was shining but there was a stiff breeze and when we pulled into Turquoise Bay it looked a bit choppy for snorkelling and there were warning signs about strong tidal movement due to the waves crashing over the Ningaloo Reef and flooding the snorkelling area and then rushing back out to sea.   It was also a bit early in the day and hence not that warm so we just stood and looked at the view but weren't inclined to dabble our toes, let alone immerse our bodies in the swell.  We decided to head down to Oysters Stacks hoping that might be a bit more sheltered.

 

When we got there, there were at least a few other people braving the water and Jenny had a 'Bugger it, we're here, we've got bathers and snorkels, we're going in!' moment of madness and before we could change our minds we were in the water.  Although it was breezy and the water was choppy, it wasn't that cold and the visibility was very good (once we had adjusted our new masks and stopped the leaks and fogging) and boy, were we glad we had taken the plunge as there were just so many beautiful fish to look at.  There was a strong current pulling us south along the shore so once we got tired of swimming against it, we just floated down the shore line through schools of brilliantly coloured fish, coral and various sea stars and slugs until we hit the beach and then walked back up the sand/rocks to our towels.   Did a bit more adjusting of masks/snorkels and then Larry remembered the GoPro sitting in the car and went and retrieved it and then we redid the same snorkel route this time capturing all the fish on camera.

Once we felt a bit tired (and possibly a bit seasick) from fighting through the waves and current we headed back to the car and then drove a bit further down the coast to check out some of the DPaW campsites.  We decided the one at Osprey Bay looks pretty good and has sites with fabulous ocean views so we'll keep that in mind for future trips.

 

We then headed north, dropping into the Visitor Centre, the Turtle Information Centre (actually just a gazebo with some plaques) and the boat ramp.  We saw a turtle there so could have given the Turtle Information Centre a miss!  Headed on up to the Ningaloo Lighthouse which gives you great views of the whole of North West Cape.  We didn't see any whales swimming past but were in time to watch a hanglider throw himself off the edge right next to us and fly down to the beach.  Quite cute when a bird saw him and joined in!

A final stop to check out the wreck of the SS Mildura at North West Cape and then headed back into town for a few groceries and then back to the van for some washing, a cuppa and a vanilla slice and then to tidy ourselves up for dinner at Whaler's Restaurant with Deb, Clayton and Michelle.