I needed to make a decision, Exmouth or Coral Bay?
Exmouth is a bigger town, where as Coral Bay was described as a little sea side village with little more than a shop.
One of the things I was keen to see was the VLF Antenna (yep boring I know). But, working as an Electronic Communications Engineer for the Australia Defence Force in my younger years, and the transmitter and antenna at Belconnen in Canberra, this was like an Artist looking at the Mona Lisa.
You see, my little UHF radio in the car is a mere 5 Watts, the ones at Belconnen ranged from 10,000 Watts to 250,000 watts, but this baby can transmit 1,000,000 watts! Yes, that is one million watts!! With as "little" as 100,000 watts (or less even) you can hold a flouro light in your hand as a torch while not connected to anything (they didn't have OH&S back in the 90's). Ok, ok, the missus is hurrying me up and can't believe I rattled on about this in my blog too. Well, yes, MY BLOG so if I want to be boring, I'll be boring.
One of the things I was keen to see was the VLF Antenna (yep boring I know). But, working as an Electronic Communications Engineer for the Australia Defence Force in my younger years, and the transmitter and antenna at Belconnen in Canberra, this was like an Artist looking at the Mona Lisa.
You see, my little UHF radio in the car is a mere 5 Watts, the ones at Belconnen ranged from 10,000 Watts to 250,000 watts, but this baby can transmit 1,000,000 watts! Yes, that is one million watts!! With as "little" as 100,000 watts (or less even) you can hold a flouro light in your hand as a torch while not connected to anything (they didn't have OH&S back in the 90's). Ok, ok, the missus is hurrying me up and can't believe I rattled on about this in my blog too. Well, yes, MY BLOG so if I want to be boring, I'll be boring.
So yep, our first stop was Exmouth.
Well, what a mistake that was really. We pulled in to Exmouth Cape Holiday Park and was allocated the only dirt site in the park. It was cramped and packed in one small area. Oddly more than half the park was vacant though. I thought no way, and moved to a nice grassy site.
Well, what a mistake that was really. We pulled in to Exmouth Cape Holiday Park and was allocated the only dirt site in the park. It was cramped and packed in one small area. Oddly more than half the park was vacant though. I thought no way, and moved to a nice grassy site.
By the time I had unpacked and about to head back up to reception, we had the assistant manager come down to see us. For maybe 5 minutes he whinged about us moving from our allocated space. I let him complain a little longer, until he felt tough, but agreed we wouldn't move.
The next day we took a trip into the Canyon's. One drive was along the ridge, the other though the dry river bed. I swear some parts of Australia feels like another country and this was no different.
While away, the park manager called my phone four times to whinge a little more like a kid. Apparently my trailer was over the imaginary line! Thankfully I had no signal so didn't have to actually hear his miserable whining voice. Maybe he should get a job in the mines rather than deal with people in a caravan park! Wondering if this place is for-real we decided to leave and head to Coral Bay.
The next day we took a trip into the Canyon's. One drive was along the ridge, the other though the dry river bed. I swear some parts of Australia feels like another country and this was no different.
While away, the park manager called my phone four times to whinge a little more like a kid. Apparently my trailer was over the imaginary line! Thankfully I had no signal so didn't have to actually hear his miserable whining voice. Maybe he should get a job in the mines rather than deal with people in a caravan park! Wondering if this place is for-real we decided to leave and head to Coral Bay.
Coral Bay, it's an oasis on the west coast. A truly magic place. You literally walk off the pristine soft sand beach, and can snorkel over the top of Ningaloo Reef (a Fringing Reef). It's no more than a half a metre from the waters edge in places.
It's worth noting that the Coral Bay Caravan Park uses Bore Water. This is very high in calcium and a little salty. The taps and hoses are white and brittle from the calcium. Because of this, the locals suggest rubbing a little baby oil on your skin after a shower. Ok, I'll give that a go.
Now, I either applied too much or didn't rub it in enough, because my shirt was slipping off faster than a stripper being handed a fifty. I had problems with my shorts staying up too, so went looking for some suspenders. No good, apparently they went out of fashion in the seventies. I thought about sneaking into a Grey Nomads van but I'm not really the sneaking type, not to mention caravan windows are quite small and I didn't want to get stuck half way in. So with no suspenders my only option was to eat a few extra jam donuts to "tighten" up my shorts.
With my shorts a little tighter, it was time for another swim.
Coral Bay is home to Whale Sharks and Giant Manta's. We missed the Whale Sharks (they come earlier in the year) but the Manta's were here.
This is an amazing animal. Gliding peacefully through the water without a care in the world. It wasn't worried about having twenty snorkelers oh'ing and ah'ing through their snorkels, while holding onto their swimmers with one hand, and leaving a baby oil slick behind them.
Looking like a prune, almost fitting in with the Grey Nomads, it was really time for us to spend more time above the water rather than in it.
I know, the next part is going to freak you all out.
I rode a Seadoo!
Ok, well, not exactly a Seadoo, but still something made by BRP.
At least it couldn't sink right?
WRONG.
Who would have thought that with my fat ass on it, and flogging it up a massive sand dune, I could get it sinking into the soft sand. Like quick sand, while pegged full throttle, the "Seadoo" was sinking faster than an overloaded people smuggler boat on it's way to Australia.
SNATCH STRAP ANYONE!
That was it for Coral Bay, I wish I could have stayed longer.
Everyone should come here at least once in their lifetime. Amazing.
Next stop Monkey Mia and further south.
Coral Bay is home to Whale Sharks and Giant Manta's. We missed the Whale Sharks (they come earlier in the year) but the Manta's were here.
This is an amazing animal. Gliding peacefully through the water without a care in the world. It wasn't worried about having twenty snorkelers oh'ing and ah'ing through their snorkels, while holding onto their swimmers with one hand, and leaving a baby oil slick behind them.
Looking like a prune, almost fitting in with the Grey Nomads, it was really time for us to spend more time above the water rather than in it.
I know, the next part is going to freak you all out.
I rode a Seadoo!
Ok, well, not exactly a Seadoo, but still something made by BRP.
At least it couldn't sink right?
WRONG.
Who would have thought that with my fat ass on it, and flogging it up a massive sand dune, I could get it sinking into the soft sand. Like quick sand, while pegged full throttle, the "Seadoo" was sinking faster than an overloaded people smuggler boat on it's way to Australia.
SNATCH STRAP ANYONE!
That was it for Coral Bay, I wish I could have stayed longer.
Everyone should come here at least once in their lifetime. Amazing.
Next stop Monkey Mia and further south.
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