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Wed 02/07/14 Packed and said our goodbyes to kids new buddies and the Pook family before setting out for Exmouth. Short trip today, only 150kms or so. Perfect sunny 27oc with slight breeze. Termite mounds scattered across the flat, grassy landscape; stopped for a look-see and some photos. Passed the RAAF base at Learmonth, had to be watchful for straying sheep along this stretch, and arrived into Exmouth around 1pmish. Early arrival meant that after setup we had time for some maths, which was met with a chorus of "boos" from the homeschoolers! Lasagna cooked in the webber for dinner - delish!
Thur 03/07/14 Finished off maths sections this morning, then headed out for a day of touristing. Snapped pics with street models of "the whale shark" and "the big prawn". Drove up the peninsula and saw the "Harold.E.Holt USN Communications Base" - Points of interest: is the only US Naval installation to be named after a non-american, is one of three such bases in the world used to communicate with submarines world wide, has 13 comms towers, 417kms of copper used in these towers and "Tower Zero" stands 389mt tall, making it higher than the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. Visited the heritage Vlaming Head Lighthouse, fantastic views off the point of the peninsula, then headed into Cape Range National Park to Turquiose Bay for an afternoon of beaching / swimming. Beautiful beach, steep drop off and corals 20-30 mts offshore, but strong currents due to waves breaking over outer reef into the bay then flooding back out through a channel. Kids had a great time being washed up the sand and dragged back in by a small, deceptively strong shore break. At least ten kangaroos skipping over the road on the way out of the park. Dropped into the Jurabi Turtle Centre - green turtles and loggerheads nest on this beach (seasonal). Home for steaks and showers.
Fri 04/07/14 Took a look around the town and shops today. Girls got new thongs - life's good when you are wearing out pairs of thongs! Supplies shopping then back to the van for lunch and a swim in the pool. Gave Nanna a call and skyped Dahlstrom family dinner. Early night for all, cos early start for our boat trip tomorrow.
Sat 05/07/14 Spent a fantastic day with the team from Ningaloo Whale Shark 'n' Dive on a "Swim with Whalesharks" tour. Crew were: Wes - bus guide / snorkel guide / spotter, Janine - bus driver / spotter / photographer, Red - snorkel guide / spotter, Frankie - deck manager / spotter and Todd, our skipper. Great group of super friendly, funny and qualified people who made all feel welcome, comfortable and safe. Day begins at 6am, brekky and Kwells (motion sickness tablets)....7.15am bus pickup, Wes tells us some fun facts about Exmouth, then asks kids their names, Brodie decides to share that the girls call Lukas "baci" ...... Wes takes this to be "budgie" and it sticks for the day. Arrive at Tantabiddi Boat Ramp and a little tender boat ride takes us out to our lovely 20mt cruiser "Allikai" by 8.30am. Thirty minute cruise out to the Ningaloo Reef and stop at an inner reef mooring for a morning snorkel. Water temp 25oC so no need for wetsuits....saw big coral structures, loads of fish, a white tip reef shark and a turtle. Back to the boat for a yummy morning tea and then we motor out through The North Passage to the deep blue behind the outer reef. Briefings given on how/what to do when, people assigned to Group 1 or 2 (max 10 to a group), we all in Group 1. Kids (LB&A the only ones aboard) and less confident swimmers are given pool noodles for the open ocean and are paired with an adult - Alexis with Michael, Brodie with Kaaren and Lukas with Wes, our snorkel guide. Soon enough the call comes from the spotter plane of a whale shark sighting and Allikai powers to the coordinates given. The wind is building, as is the swell and people have to hold on as they move around the cruiser; adds to the air of growing tension and excitement. Masks and flippers on, Group 1 lines up on the marlin board as it rocks and rolls......then Frankie gives the shout "GO GO GO!" so we leap off into the considerably large swell, get a firm grip on your allocated child and hope others do the same.... Wes shouts "move back, move back, faces down! " Out of the gloom to our right glides an enormous 8meter whaleshark .... 1mt equates to approx 1 tonne, thus the required safety distance of 3-4mts ... we watch amazed....now the work begins....our task is to swim alongside the shark and keep up for as long as we can.... no easy feat, let alone when dragging a child with a pool noodle through ocean swell ..... lungs and leg muscles burn .... manage to snap one photo before he gets too far away from us. The boat has gone ahead to drop group 2 for their swim, we bunch together to wait for it to collect us.....high fives and cheers goes up for Group 1's first swim with a whale shark! Hooray! Allikai returns....fight through the swell to get yourself and child over to the boat and back on board .... we're told the the shark is still at the surface .... we scramble to the ready .... Allikai positions 30mts ahead of him .... "GO GO GO!" .... we jump in and do it all again. Once both groups have had two swims it is time to leave this shark and go in search of another. On the way we are treated to a show of "rounding, spy hopping and breaching" by some humpback whales; Fabulous! The spotter plane radios that a group of Orcas are ahead of us, but moving fast northwards ... we can't catch up with them. Eventually another whale shark is spotted. Brodie and Alexis are cold, exhausted and maybe a little overwhelmed by their two plunges in the big seas with the huge spotty fish; they decide to stay on deck, so Michael stays with them. Lukas shivering, but fascinated, is determined to go again if K does, so grips onto Mum ....."GO GO GO! ..... we jump, we're in, we're looking into the blue, where is it?.....suddenly realise that whaleshark #2 is coming straight at us..... cavernous mouth open..... we swim hard to manouver sideways out of it's path and watch him slide on by .... and so the chase begins again.....the shark gliding effortlessly and the crazy humans flippering like mad trying to keep up.....he's gone ..... we bob jubilantly in the ocean waiting for the boat and then repeat the awkward moves to clamber aboard again. Searching again ... another humpback displays; awesome! The spotter plane finds a third whaleshark ..... the process is repeated for a fourth time. This is our shortest swim as the shark dives after someone gets too close ..... disappointing but interesting to watch. Back on the boat all are tired and hungry ..... we make the return trip to the inner reef to get out of the ever growing swell. We enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and chat about 'our' whalesharks. Afterwards we have an hour to snorkel the reef ... Lukas & Kaaren are straight back in. With a bit of coaxing Michael manages to persuade Brodie & Alexis to get back in for one last look at Ningaloo Reef ...... amazing marine life everywhere .... can only name a few: corals, sea cucumbers, anaenomes, neons, angel fish, humbugs, parrot fish, stingray, shovel ray, a lion fish hiding in a cave... Best day ever - WHALE-SHARK-MADNESS-WOOHOO!!.
- comments
Mummar wow! what can one say?? Sounds "absolutely fabulous" What an experience for everyone! Any budding marine biologists?
Dee What an awesome day!!! Kids must've been thrilled to bits! Uncle Yub will be trying to talk them into scuba diving with him when you get back!!
Liza David and Sydney went with that company as well and enjoyed it!
Cathy Smith We did. It was absolutely mind blowing. Something you never forget. xx
Debbie Very Jealous guys! Great to see you are enjoying yourselves!