We are up before dawn this morning, and at the ranger’s office by 7.30 am in order to be second in the queue for a camping pitch in the national park. It’s cloudy and much cooler, the first dull day of our trip. Has this anything to do with the fact that we’ve just bought snorkeling gear on the assumption that the good weather was going to continue? There is a well defined booking procedure for obtaining a pitch which involves paying a park entry fee to the ranger. While we wait for to pay the ranger is radioing all the camp grounds to find out how many pitches are available today and we can then choose which one we want to take. The ranger then radios ahead to secure our pitch for us. But when we arrive there is some confusion as a French woman has arrived 10 minutes before us and been directed to our pitch. Each campground has volunteer hosts who manage the site and on this occasion they hadn’t checked this woman’s reservation slip, simply assuming that she was the booking that had been radioed through. The confusion is soon resolved, and French lady is dispatched to another site. It later turns out that said French lady had been here yesterday without a booking and the whole process had been explained to her and she had been turned away to come back today. Obviously she hadn’t fully grasped the niceties of the process even so!
There are about 16 campsites in the park with only a handful of pitches on each. We are at
Lakeside where there are seven pitches and no facilities apart from a long-drop toilet. The campsite is tucked into the dunes with a little shade provided by some pines, a lovely white sand beach and turquoise blue water. This is one of the three main snorkeling areas along the coast, so we have done well to get a place here. Our neighbours are mainly families who have taken their children out of school to travel. Judging by the number of families in the area this seems to be nothing out of the ordinary. Although attempts at home schooling seem to be giving rise to some strife on one side of us and it is only 9am. It’s easy to see why as neither parent seems to have either the temperament or inclination for it!
The Ningaloo Marine Park stretches along the west coast of North West Cape Peninsular. It protects the Ningaloo Reef which stretches from Red Bluff in the south to Exmouth in the north. Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing reef in the world, covering 5000 sq km. In parts the reef is only a 100 metres off shore and it is possible distinguish it by the huge waves breaking over it. The existence of the reef creates shallow lagoons which are home to a huge range of fish species. It’s too windy and choppy to snorkel today though.
There are a huge numbers of bays and beaches to explore along the coast and but today we drive Yardie Creek at the southern end of the sealed coastal road. Beyond this point a 4wd drive is needed to cross the treacherous river mouth and continue the 95kms along the sandy road to Coral Bay. There is an excellent one-and-half hour walk up the Yardie Creek Gorge. It’s classed as a moderately difficult trail which takes us high above the creek with fabulous views over Ningaloo Reef and the silted river mouth. Yardie Creek is the only all year round creek on the peninsular and meanders through a perpendicular red limestone gorge which is home to rock wallabies and several species of bird.
The day is rounded off with a communal ‘sausage sizzle’ back at the campsite. This is a farewell bbq for some long-stayers on the site (stays are limited to a maximum of 28 days) at which sausages in bread and a little freshly caught fish and BYO drinks are on the menu. Surprisingly, you might think, we only have one beer and a little lime and soda so it’s a rather dry night for us! This impromptu bbq replaced the daily ‘happy hour’ held on the site each evening as the sun goes down. Campers pull up a chair overlooking the beach and come together for a get-to-know-you chat.
We have extended our Wicked van hire for another 10 days, so that we now don’t have to return it until 10th June, three days before our flight to Bali. The plan is to get to Perth about a week before we leave Australia in order to sort out our Indian visa and explore Perth and surroundings whilst it is being processed..