western australia: exmouth

On occasions we've encountered parts of the country where we had no prior expectations. When we were heading to Exmouth, though, I was certain I wanted to swim with the whale sharks. However I did not expect to be so blown away by these magnificent creatures and the opportunity to be in the ocean with them.

We chose to swim with Exmouth Diving Centre who ran a tight ship. There were two marine biologists onboard and it did make us want to get in to the water in our SCUBA gear!

J and I decided the best way to enjoy the swim was to alternate over two days so it was decided that J would swim on Saturday and I'd follow him on Sunday. J was lucky that after his swim with the largest fish in the sea that a mother and child blue whale - the largest animal on Earth - swam by.

It's difficult to describe my swim with the whale shark other than to say that on the first swim I hadn't imagined what it would feel like to be up so close to such a beast. I was almost surprised when it swam by. The next three swims were different for me. I didn't take a camera (there was a videographer onboard) and I decided I wanted to be completely "in the moment." I'll treasure these moments in the water forever. Not to be outdone by the appearance of the blue whale we had a humpback whale breach close by to our boat.



Photo credit: Marcus Lorenz

western australia: warroora station, ningaloo

Initially we thought we'd stay three nights at Warroora Station which is situated on the Coral Coast at Ningaloo. 

We'd been forewarned that one end of Fourteen Mile is like a carpark with vans parked closer together than in caravan parks. Many people stay months on Warroora and I can see why. The cost for a night is $15 with a free nights stay if you stay 5. You need to be self-contained and there is no water. 

We were lucky to have a spot at the other end of Fourteen Mile, only metres from the water and for four days the whole family unwound. The kids played in the water, the sand and the dunes creating elaborate games and meeting new friends. 

The wind came up in the night and our superb annexe did its thing by providing shade during the day, a confined space for the baby to play and a mozzie-free spot to eat dinner. 

The view from Telstra Hill.