Last Friday afternoon I rolled into Exmouth in search of the best possible place to settle my saddle weary body. I had left my cow camp early in the morning with plans of finding a place to stay in the park. Everything was filled to overflowing – I was put in the far corner of the town recreational field next to the cricket oval. My neighbours were a few lads in their early twenties who had been evicted from their home earlier in the day. They had scrounged a wagon from the bush and had all their belongings – surf boards – loaded on. Drinking was their past-time. In the morning I discovered what they awful noises were during the night. Littering the ground near my car were moist little mounds of regurgitated alcohol mixed with whatever they’d been eating.
Saturday morning came and it was time to vacate the overflow camping area. There was rumor that there were still no campsites available in the park but I decided to investigate.
I wasn’t staying in overflow another night!
Arriving at the entrance gate I was excited to find there was one site available at North Mandu. The ranger said, “Go straight there – don’t stop”. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover the campground only had four campsites – there was a couple Germany, two people from Switzerland who had hired a Britz 4x4 and driven from Sydney in eight weeks and a couple from Victoria somewhere who never got out of their car – even cooked dinner in the back. Later in the evening another person showed up and spent the night – again never getting out of the vehicle.
After snorkeling at Turquoise Bay late in the afternoon I headed back to the campsite for sunset. Being less than 50 metres from the shore I wandered out to sit on the rounded pebbles. A few minutes later Yvonne came out. Apparently there are challenges when you hire a vehicle with somebody you didn’t know before.
In the morning I again went snorkeling – this time a Lakeside Beach. Arriving, I saw the people form Switzerland’s vehicle – but only the guy was there – sitting in the back reading. He waved as I arrived. I meandered towards the snorkeling area and found Yvonne laying on the beach reading. – her mask and snorkel next to her. I stopped and visited. She was worried about snorkeling on her own and nobody else was there. My friend won’t snorkel and won’t go for walks either – “I’ve already seen enough gorges and don’t need to walk another one,” he told her earlier in the morning. That prevented her from spending much time at Mandu Mandu Gorge. Apparently their nine weeks together had been much this way – although somewhat improved – for the first week he wouldn’t even talk. After chasing turtles and spooking sharks, looking at rays, teasing clown fish and listening to the coral being eaten Yvonne was cold and I needed to leave for my 12:30 boat trip in Yardie Canyon.
Yardie Canyon was well worth the time. It is the only canyon in the park with water. It is salt water but the canyon itself is separated from the ocean by a sand bar. The last time it was open to the ocean was 2005 and previously 1999 but it is still very much alive. The water level has been lowering during my visit. The low spring tides are allowing the water to seep out more rapidly then it is able to replenish. Wildlife along the way included the eastern reef egret. Corellas, galahs, pied and little black cormorants, darter, Australian hobby, welcome swallow woodswallow, honey eaters and butcherbirds.
Later in the afternoon I was going to go snorkeling again but the tide was low that I would have been rubbing my belly over the coral. Rumor has it that some of the corals sting. I wasn’t ready to discover this for myself.
Monday morning I ventured into Mandu Mandu Canyon. The trail – perhaps route – follows up the gorge. Hobbies and Corellas carried on from the cliffs. Like sentinels the rock wallabies clung to the canyon walls watching me struggle across the water rounded rocks. The trail worked its way up the gorge making the return loop a wonderful way to see the entire gorge and the plains beyond and waves crashing onto Ningaloo Reef at the horizon.
