Millstream Chichester NP to Ningaloo Reef

Since the last blog there have been several highlights on our journey south along the west coast of Australia.

From Karratha we took a one-day trip into Millstream-Chichester NP where I walked the “camel trail”. This was a trail set up by cameleers in the 19^th century to get from one watering hole to another. I walked an 8km section between Mt Herbert and Python pool. It was a walk amongst the Spinifex topped Chichester ranges where often I could see forever. It was a wonderful experience to be out there on my own walking along rugged tracks and imagining what it must have been like for people who didn’t know there was a car park 8km away with someone who had a picnic lunch ready to eat!

While we were in Karratha we spent a considerable time trying to digest the enormity of the North West Shelf Gas Venture. The enormity of the project is mind-boggling.

We are currently in Exmouth home of the Ningaloo reef which is a place I have been waiting to see. I had hoped to see the massive whale sharks but they left at the end of July. The marine life here is so diverse and prolific that one can’t really be disappointed. You can see the Humpback whales frolicking in the ocean with or without binoculars. Tomorrow we are going on a whale watching cruise so I will update this page if I get my very own close up photos.

Yesterday we went on a reef cruise and snorkelling tour. The boat was a glass bottom boat so we were treated to some wonderful viewing of the coral and fish even before we got in the water. Before we had moved away from the beach we saw a ray swimming around in the shallows.

Being under water with the coral and the fish was a remarkable and spiritual experience for me. There were schools of pretty fish just swimming around doing what fish do best. They didn’t bother about the people swimming above them. Everything was so quiet, peaceful and beautiful. I swam away from the boat a little and around some enormous coral “bombies”. These were alive with fish, some as small as a 1-2cm in length.

These photos were taken in parts of the Ningaloo reef by Aleksander Nowak. (alekandgina@hotmail.com)

As we head south towards Perth and my flight to Melbourne on the 8^th September we will be visiting Carnarvon, Monkey Mia and Kalbarri before meeting up with friends not far out of Perth. Blessings to everyone.