Oz Circumnavigation: Onslow to Monkey Mia

Before starting this episode it is necessary to explain the reason why we chose this coastal route down to Perth from Port Headland rather than the faster inland road. Our intention was to sample the coastal delights for a future Perth winter retreat in the future and to this end it was a case of sampling areas were we could have extended stays in the future.
Therefore we covered Onslow, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon, Denham and Monkey Mia.
This blog has very few images from these places since in our view the brochures more than over state the virtues and delights of each location.
In fact in most cases the brochures test reality to it's extreme, therefore why should we bother other than to say:-
Onslow - a small sleepy resort that we might revisit if passing on roue to somewhere else.
Exmouth - Just a place to visit the National Park, worth a visit if you could find a place to stop in the Park and the swimming could be good, unfortunately the wind was not kind during our visit.
Coral Bay - Would not stop there but keep on driving unless you like lying on the beach with 100's of others and don't object to extortionate parking fees.
Carnarvon - Nice town would call in for provisions when passing.
Denham - Same as Carnarvon except smaller
Monkey Mia - Uncertain about this "Beach", the Dolphin reputation is gross advertising exaggeration. The weather and charge of $6 each to basically walk on the beach and endure shops that have no reality to $ values. The beach chalets were perhaps a redeeming feature.
Then we have a delight that is not yet advertised - Quobba, this is a beach north of Carnarvon that is on the southern end of Ningaloo reef and is currently unspoiled. However progress is planning fir it to be another Coral Bay, visit before it enters the 21st century.
This is the sign that greeted us at Quobba

Just to prove that the wet suit did get wet on Ningaloo reef, it was not the best part of the reef but the coloured coral and tropical fish were good viewing.
Again the wind was a constraint.

The sea at Quobba was impressive, at this location was the sign that stated a person had been swept to his death from the rocks and"was the fish worth a life" the fish shop in Carnarvon sounded better to us!!

This is a Quobba blow hole, note the colour of the sky.

Unfortunately the camera was set to take night photographs and was reset for this image.

The landscape did have some Fauna, this fellow stayed long enough to be captured by the camera, all of the other wildlife we have seen, except Crocodiles have disappeared into the bush before camera were ready.

The travel down the coastline did have some very good roadside flowers and these images only give the individual groups, the carpeted large groups did not look has good has reality.

Even on coral rocks can colour be obtained.

This was the Quobba shoreline with a lone Katherine fossicking.

This is an image of the dieing Quobba - Shacks( or is it Aussie icons!!) that have been holiday homes for years and due to be demolished.

They certainly do not look good -but they must have been good times during yesteryear.

We cannot leave this coastline without a Sunset, the rain did follow the red sky!!

But one of the very special sights on the whole trip was the moonrise over the water at Exmouth.

The quality of our photography did not do this event justice, suffice it to say it was a magical moment on a beach that we shared with no one but ourselves.