Tom Price to Exmouth

Biggest day yet - 540 km. But it was easy driving. The travel directory cautioned us to “be prepared to be blown away by the vastness and uniformity  of the ancient landscape”!  Yes we were !!  

But there was a diversity of scenery which made the long day bearable. Dramatic changes as we moved from the high country Pilbara  dominated by majestic white gums and rugged “mountain” ranges, down through blazing red soils dotted with yellow spinifex grass, and then across rolling sand dunes to Bullara Station.  A warm welcome there with camp host producing a huge damper bread cooked in his camp oven, followed by gourmet bush burgers accompanied by a country singer. A bush burger is very similar to a regular burger, but served in the bush!  Their station of 110,000 hectares now relies on tourism for their main income.

Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

VLF towers at Harold Holt Naval Communications Station



Ningaloo Reef

From Bullara Station we travelled to Exmouth and down the western side of the Exmouth Peninsula to Yardie Creek where we had a cruise up the interesting Yardie Creek Gorge. Exmouth was originally a military town built to accomodate Australian and US forces when the US built a base for refuelling submarines and ships during WW2.  In the early 1960s US and Australia built a huge communication facility here to enable communication with the widely spread US militaryshipping.  Thirteen huge towers were built for the antennas and are still in use today. They are taller than the Empire State Building, and 100m taller than the Sydney Tower. Only in the last few years has Exmouth been transformed into a vibrant tourist town. This has come about because Exmouth is at the northern end of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo reef and the Cape Ranges National Park.  We tried snorkeling on the inside of the reef but the wind and currents were too strong. So we’re hanging our hopes on better weather at Coral Bay tomorrow.

We have a Glass bottom boat cruise tomorrow afternoon with snorkeling opportunities. Fingers crossed.