Sharks Turtles, Rays and superb beaches.

We followed Lee and Karen Jackson and their three lovely kids down the west of the peninsula into Ningaloo Reef Park, to Neds campground. With just twelve pitches, no showers and indeed no water on site, it is a true bush site, overseen by two volunteer camp hosts. We have a secluded pitch, trees either side of us, and a dune to the rear, but our nearest neighbour is not too far away.We had met the family at Millstream, and had camped next to them at Exmouth.

The beach is just 30 yards away, sandy and well sloped so the tide doesn’t go out very far, and each evening we see turtles playing in the surf.

All around us are kangaroos of all sizes and colours, red and grey and all in between. Large Goannas pass in front and behind regularly, and on the day we arrived a green whip snake meandered through the host’s awning while she was sat reading. She says she didn’t know who was the most shocked- it is rather venomous if cornered.

At 5-30 each evening the campers congregate at the top of the beach on tables for happy hour. That's when we get to know the other campers on site, and a lovely lot they are too. A couple our age, Arthur and Hazel, are just great- both are keen fishermen and go out each evening at high tide to fish from the beach. We went down to watch at 9pm, just as Arthur hooked something very large, and was playing him for all he was worth. Unfortunately he lost him despite the fact that Arthur was using fifty pound line, so he must have been very big!

Just then his neighbour, a younger man, hooked another biggy on an eighty pound line, and played it for half an hour while we watched before he could get it into the surf for Arthur and another guy to grab and beach it. It was a six foot shovel nosed shark, harmless to us,and it gave birth as we watched. (Look closely and you can see the little one, which swam away immediately. As quickly as possible the shark was cut free and released back into the surf, where it went quickly away..
Arthur and Hazel, who were also staying on the site, took these photos as usual I hadn't brought the camera!





Last night we had a convivial evening with Lee and Karen, and Lee cooked some Cumberland Sausage he had got for us in Exmouth. Along with the salad that Karen had prepared it was quite delicious, now Anne wants a BBQ like Lee has, no chance, nowhere to put it!

The following morning we hired snorkel gear from the visitor centre, and took off to Turquoise bay, where we swam among the coral. It comes in many colours and types here, and is fascinating to see, along with the brightly coloured fish that weave in and out of it. Much of it is just over a metre below us, so we can see great detail, there are literally dozens of spectacular beaches along here that are just great for snorkeling.

As we drive between them we see emu and roos all about us, but our most spectacular find was when we went to collect water at a bore water tap some way away. It was an emu with a chick, and we couldn’t get near the tap as she was looking for water. These are very big birds, standing over five foot high at the beak, and at least three foot at the shoulder, and they have very long legs with sharp talons. Not good to tangle with, especially with chicks in tow. After a while we managed to move her on a little way by waving a towel and making a noise, but as soon as we started to fill our water bottle she came back in a rush. We got out of the way as she and her chick drank the small amount of water that we had spilled, and we had to give up with our bottle only half full.

We snorkelled again today at Oyster Stacks, only accessible for an hour each side of high tide as the coral is close to the surface, and again we saw an extremely diverse array of fish, from 3 inches to two foot long, of many and all colours. Marvellous.

Walking along Sandy Bay we saw Manta Rays swimming in the surf, and I followed a very large fish of some sort,( could have been a turtle) out towards the reef but it out swam me. (Are you surprised?)

I know I have said so many times before how beautiful this country is, and have visited many wonderful places. Cape Leveque stand out, but this area is just as good, and well worth a visit by anyone in Australia, visitor or resident. Just don’t spoil it!