Wide open spaces

After an easy drive down the coast, we arrived at Coral Bay mid afternoon and while we set up the kids headed off on their bikes for an explore. After meeting our neighbours who were a lovely family from Albany up here for their 2 week holiday, we headed off to track down the kids, who had discovered a massive playground. With a huge jumping pillow, a merry-go-round and climbing equipment, they were in heaven. We bumped into some mates we’ve seen a few times along the way so we spent the afternoon enjoying a drink and catching up with them while the kids all played together. After hamburgers for dinner it was time for bed.

The next morning Kat and Em went for an explore on their bikes down to the beach and lookout while Oli and I stayed at camp. Once Kat and Em came back we all wandered over to the shops across the road to check it out. We indulged in a coffee and gave the kids each a dollar to spend at the supermarket on lollies. There were about 20-30 boxes of bulk lollies all with the cost written on the outside, so the kids spent about 5 minutes trying to choose what they might like, and working out which combination would add up to $1 whilst maximising their supply of lollies. Eventually they both walked out with a white paper bag full of lollies and huge grins on their faces. It took us both back to our childhood.  That afternoon after lunch we walked down to the beach for a swim and a snorkel. The beach was gorgeous, although it was a bit cloudy and windy so not ideal beach weather. I took each of the kids out for a snorkel on Em’s Lilo, so they could just stick their heads into the water with their goggles on which seemed to work better than the proper snorkelling we had done in Exmouth. We saw lots of coral and though it wasn’t particularly colourful, there were also lots of fish whose colours were stunning. After a play on the beach we decided it was getting a bit cold so headed back to camp to warm up.

We got up early the next morning as we planned to head out to a place called Oyster Bridge which was supposed to be a lovely and protected swimming beach a bit north of Coral Bay. We set off along the main road before heading along a dirt road for about 20 minutes. After dropping the tyre pressure right down we then drove onto the softer sand which led us to some dunes. There were a couple of other cars at the bottom of the first dune who had failed to get up it on a couple of attempts. They got out of the way so we could give it a go. Having not really had much experience on the soft sand, I wasn’t too confident about getting up, but with a good rev of the engine we made it up first time. We continued along the track with our new found confidence and before long arrived at the beach. We parked by the waters edge and set up the awning for a bit of shade before having some morning tea. The place was stunning, and with the sun shining the water looked so inviting. There was a natural rock formation covered in oysters that ran parallel to the shore, creating a protected pool which was perfect for snorkelling. We had rented snorkelling gear again today, so I took the kids in for a snorkel with all the gear, although they both used their Lilos to keep them afloat so they could concentrate on looking at the coral and fish while trying to breath through their snorkels which was definitely still a challenge for them. They had a quick go before deciding that playing on the beach would be easier and more fun, so I enjoyed a bit of time alone to take a good look around. The rock wall was full of coral and fish, and the natural overhang created a long cave like structure that the fish used for shelter. I even saw an octopus doing its best to hide from me in the rocks, and each time I swam up to him, he pulled in closer to the rocks and changed his colour from a bright white to a deep black colour in an attempt to disappear. I never tire of seeing them change their colours, especially out in the wild. While I was snorkelling, some people who were parked further down the beach came looking for help as they had managed to bog themselves nicely up to their axels. We lent them our Maxtrax (this would be their christening, nice that it wasn’t us needing to use them) and before long they were out of trouble and on their way. While Kat went out for a snorkel, I got the shovel off the roof and had a big kid moment building a big sand castle with the kids which was loads of fun, being able to shift a lot more sand than I usually could just with my hands. Kat spotted a turtle in the water that we had heard was around, so we all grabbed our goggles and jumped in the water for a quick look. They are such gorgeous animals and move so gracefully and effortlessly in the water, we were thrilled to see one. After lunch and a quick kick of the footy, we drove back to camp for a bit before walking down to the beach for the fish feeding. A couple of times a week someone comes down to feed the fish with special pellets, and they swim right around your legs in the shallows. The fish are at least 30cm long and it is an amazing experience to have such large fish swimming right next to you in knee deep water. The kids loved it and were thrilled when the fish actually swam between their legs. Back at camp, the kids found their mates in the park and played for a while until dinner was ready, and then collapsed in bed after a big day.

After a busy day the day before, we spent the next day around camp. We rented a tennis court before lunch and ended up with two empty courts so both enjoyed some one on one tennis with each of the kids before all having a family hit for the last 15 minutes. After lunch we let the kids enjoy watching some TV shows on the laptop while we started to pack a few things up and finish off a few chores. They then went for their daily trip to the park to play with their mates until sunset before we hauled them back for dinner and bed.

On our final morning we packed up the trailer and decided to go and buy coffees and treats from the bakery before wandering down to the beach for one last look. The kids also talked us into buying another stash of lollies “for the road”. The beach was beautiful, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. There was also very little wind which made it even more inviting. We finished our coffees and decided that it would be a crime to head off in a hurry to the next place which was not so inspiring so we decided to spend the morning on the beach instead. After playing with the kids on the beach for a while making islands and channels for their castles while Kat went for a snorkel, I had a quick go before we all enjoyed some morning tea in the sunshine. We eventually packed up, got changed, and headed off to our next stop, very glad to have stayed for our last morning.

Coral Bay

The reef at Coral Bay

Day trip to Oyster Bridge

Fish feeding

Sunset at the lookout