WA Coral Bay, Monkey Mia,Hamelin Pool

Coral Bay is a family and backpacker destination offering a good caravan park, coral viewing in glass-bottomed boat, quad bike tours over the dunes, swimming and snorkelling from beach or boat.  Having done all of these in 2008, we chose the Manta Ray all day tour.  13 people were on board, plus skipper, diver, snorkel supervisor (and generally in charge), underwater photographer Jessie, bus driver/spotter plane pilot Nick.  3 people dived, 9 snorkelled and we saved $100 by declaring me an Observer.  I had snorkelled on the previous trip but not well enough to justify this expense. Took 30 minutes to outfit everyone with wet suits, flippers, goggles and snorkels (or dive gear).
From the boat, I had excellent views of the coral and of manta rays barrel-rolling as they fed.

Snorkelling area

Returning to boat - some used the Jesus line

David underwater

Black on top,over 2m across, a snorkeller's view

 It is 556km from Coral Bay to Shark Bay.  En route, we stayed in Carnarvon for 2 nights for some R & R, shopping, cleaning car ... The caravan park was full of old bowlers from southerly climes, who have been coming here for years.  It has its own bowling green.  The Gascoyne River flows under sand, providing water for the orchards but no scenic value.

Drive to Denham was boring – no water for 423 km, often no grass.  Saw many goats.
 Denham Caravan Park is opposite the beach and we enjoyed several walks along the foreshore, watching the big birds (shearwaters) who were watching the fish cleaning station.

Wedge-tailed shearwater

Up early on 28 August to get to Monkey Mia for 7:45am dolphin feeding.  Very interesting. No one including the rangers is allowed to touch a dolphin.  Rangers select people to hold out a fish.

 Hurried walk then before joining our Aristocat2 cruise on Shark Bay.  Walk was great – emu with 5 chicks; several sightings of thick-billed grasswren and chiming wedgebill.  We avoided Monkey Mia on our last trip because you have to pay NP fees just to drive there, but it was well worthwhile and would be a great place to camp.

Monkey Mia walk

Chiming wedgebill

Dad with chicks

Singing honeyeater

Thick-billed grasswren

White-browed babbler

The Aristocrat cruise was fun, especially for the younger generations who loved boom-netting.  We saw several dugongs and many dolphins, all hard to photograph.  The crew had an infectious enthusiasm for all wildlife, people, other mammals and birds.

Part of the trip was a visit to a floating pearl farm,of little interest to us.  Much time was wasted while one person decided to buy some jewellery.However, the sight of an emu (possibly the mother of the chicks seen earlier) bathing in the bay was very interesting.  She went underwater several times, I guess to rid herself of irritating mites.

Next day we drove to nearby Little Lagoon, hoping for a swim.  We walked around it and waded in, but too shallow for swimming.  Noticed a nearby creek flowing into the lagoon and walked beside it for quite some time, enjoying the birds and vegetation.

 Packed up next day and revisited Hamelin Pool before driving a further 272 km to Kalbarri.  The old caravan park is somewhat improved and the boardwalk area is tarted up.  In 2008 it had few visitors but there were many cars in a new parking lot.  We seemed to be the only people looking at the wonderful birdlife.  Chiming wedgebills were calling and easily seen. Also saw beautiful crimson chats and a lovely red-capped plover in breeding state among the stromatolites.

 

Lambswool Lachnostachys eriobotrya

Kalbarri National Park surrounds the lower reaches of the Murchison River, which has cut a magnificent 80 kilometre gorge through the red and white banded sandstone to create formations such as Nature’s Window/The Loop, Z-Bend and Hawks Head, with scenic gorge views at the Ross Graham Lookout and views of the town and river mouth at Meanarra Hill.

Soaring sea cliffs

Along the coast, wind and wave erosion has exposed the sedimentary layers in the sandstone cliffs that plunge more than 100 metres to the ocean. Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock, Rainbow Valley, Eagle Gorge, Island Rock and the Natural Bridge are among the best-known features of this rugged coast.

- See more at: http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/kalbarri#sthash.9ubSGGFw.dpuf

Kalbarri National Park surrounds the lower reaches of the Murchison River, which has cut a magnificent 80 kilometre gorge through the red and white banded sandstone to create formations such as Nature’s Window/The Loop, Z-Bend and Hawks Head, with scenic gorge views at the Ross Graham Lookout and views of the town and river mouth at Meanarra Hill.

Soaring sea cliffs

Along the coast, wind and wave erosion has exposed the sedimentary layers in the sandstone cliffs that plunge more than 100 metres to the ocean. Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock, Rainbow Valley, Eagle Gorge, Island Rock and the Natural Bridge are among the best-known features of this rugged coast.

- See more at: http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/kalbarri#sthash.9ubSGGFw.dpufKalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park surrounds the lower reaches of the Murchison River, which has cut a magnificent 80 kilometre gorge through the red and white banded sandstone to create formations such as Nature’s Window/The Loop, Z-Bend and Hawks Head, with scenic gorge views at the Ross Graham Lookout and views of the town and river mouth at Meanarra Hill.

Soaring sea cliffs

Along the coast, wind and wave erosion has exposed the sedimentary layers in the sandstone cliffs that plunge more than 100 metres to the ocean. Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock, Rainbow Valley, Eagle Gorge, Island Rock and the Natural Bridge are among the best-known features of this rugged coast.

- See more at: http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/kalbarri#sthash.9ubSGGFw.dpuf