The wind had lost much of it's grunt by the time we left for Coral Bay, just 150km to the south. We checked into one of two caravan parks here, the socialist-sounding 'Peoples Park'. Although 'sociable' would be a more fitting description after we were placed on a site among fellow New South Welshmen. We reacquainted ourselves with Garry & Jeni from the NSW South Coast town of Greenwell Point. They were our neighbours at El Questro & I even spotted them in passing at Broome. Garry is a fellow Manly supporter which gives him automatic 'good bloke' status. To our rear, was Tony & his family from Grafton. He's a Parramatta supporter but surprisingly not a bad fellow as well. We were all staying in the Pioneer section of the park, the cheapest option at $41 a night. A little further back from the $50 beachside sites, we were blessed with grassy, shady sites and didn't feel like we were missing out on too much. Fresh water is a scarce and valued commodity here. I read that we even had to bring our own & in anticipation, had filled 40 PET bottles in addition to our tank. It appears I was misinformed though because we were able to hook the van up to bore water for washing & collect drinking water from several taps scattered throughout the park. In fact, the drinking water was amongst the finest we've tasted, rivalling anything poured out of a bottle of Evian.
Coral Bay is all about Ningaloo. The town owes it's existence to the spectacular reef as there is little else here besides coastal scrub. There are a host of tours available that centre around the reef - swimming with whale sharks and manta rays, dive courses, fishing charters, guided snorkelling groups, kayak hire, glass bottom boat rides etc. Add to the mix, sand dune bashing on quad bikes & you could easily burn through a month's worth of expenses in days. Tomoko had recently been inundated with work projects which kept her busy during the working week, only allowing her the luxury of an afternoon swim or snorkel. Her efforts were giving our bank balance a much needed boost though and the beauty of Coral Bay is that you can still do some cool things without delving too deep into you're funds.
The sheltered turquoise waters of Bill's Bay sits just a stones throw from the caravan park. It's shallow waters house a small patch of reef & is a good introduction to snorkelling in Coral Bay. It's a popular spot that's safe for families & those international tourists unfamiliar with the ocean. I soon got bored here though & walked a little south to Paradise Beach. The reef is more widespread here and I would swim out a fair distance, allowing the gentle current to propel me down to Bill's Bay. The coral is in better shape too, in particular a garden of purple broccoli that would never cease to amaze. I would snorkel here a couple of times a day, each time seeing something new. I was astounded the first time I saw a fish being serviced by a cleaner wrasse. The parrotfish was behaving oddly - motionless, it's body tilted at 45 degrees and a far away look in it's eye that instantly reminded me of one of Shaka's episodes during his final days. My concern for the fish soon turned to fascination however when I spotted the tiny blue striped wrasse weave in and out of it's gills while it looked for a meal of ecoparasites.
For the year or so we spent planning our trip, there weren't many places that I particularly wished to see. Coral Bay was the exception. Many people had told me how special it was and I recall talking to my friend, Jan about it. On Google Earth he showed me a section of reef outside the sanctuary zone where fishing is allowed. The elegantly tapered extensions of Five Fingers Reef were instantly recognisable on a mud map I picked up from reception & I decided to check it out. A series of sandy 4wd tracks winds its way through the dunes to the stunning location. It was still relatively early in the day so I flicked lures for a couple of hours without success. It's a calm day and I figure the crystal clear waters aren't conducive for fishing. Under the surface I imagine my line must resemble a heavy cord of rope, deterring any fish in the area and prompting them to look on idly, discussing the merits of braid over mono. There's more than one way to skin a cat however and the high visibility is a godsend for the spear fisherman. So as the morning began to heat up I went for a snorkel - speargun in hand. Unlike the nearby sanctuary zones where the fish pay you little heed, they're certainly a lot more warier round here. Usually nonchalant, even the parrotfish would anxiously flee on my approach. Resplendent in all the colours of the rainbow, I have always been reluctant to target the aesthetically pleasing parrotfish. However, I've been told they make superb eating and putting sentiment aside, I spear a nice one. I then spot an edible looking fish under a plate of coral and take him with a head shot. It looked to me like some type of sweetlip and it's only when I flick through the species identification guide that I realise it's a widely sought after spangled emperor. I triumphantly return to the van to show Tomoko my catch. Having just consumed the last of our meat, Tomoko was pleased though her unfamiliarity with the species may have curbed her enthusiasm a touch. This soon changed when she sunk her teeth into the emperor - talk about delicious. It was soon to be surpassed by the parrotfish though, which we ate the following day. Never had we tasted flesh to sweet & I'll never look at a parrotfish the same way again.
Saturday brings Tomoko's freedom and I take her to Five Fingers. We laze on the beach & go snorkelling. It's high tide & we enter the water in the interspace between two fingers. We can instantly see a host of colourful fish feeding on the shallow reef and Tomoko thinks it's a good idea to have a closer look. I glance back to see her floundering in the shallows and getting unmercifully bullied by the waves. The swell is small but the waves power is magnified by the almost bare reef and she seems helpless to combat it. I immediately race over, grab her by the noodle and pull her to safety. Thankfully she hasn't been cut up by the abrasive coral. She's a little shaken though and I stick to her pretty close after this, dragging her over the reef to view the wonders of the underwater world, her personal guide as such. I go out later on my own & see a turtle upside down with it's head in some coral. It's preoccupied and I hang back, fearful of surprising it. It sees me and scarpers anyway.
On the Sunday I give Tomoko another guided snorkelling tour of my favourite sites off Paradise Beach. She loves it. Afterwards I convince her to take a walk to the shark nursery at Skeleton Beach. She loves this not so much. It was further than expected and we were battling hunger pangs but we eventually reached the spot & were able to see 25 or so reef sharks cruising the shallow waters. By the time we returned to town it was well into the mid afternoon and we decided to assuage our hunger with a meal at Fin's cafe. Our Coral Bay dining experiences had been mediocre to date. Ten bucks for a Corona at the pub and a couple of pizzas from the Italian joint that were all dough & sauce. So much so that we opted to take the few toppings off one slice & add them to another, just to resemble a regular pizza. However, with groceries running thin & a substantial hole in our stomachs that needed filling, we gave it another chance. It was a pleasant enough serving of burgers and calamari but the true value of the meal didn't present itself till later. I awoke around midnight to the sound of Tomoko having an 'up and under'. While I avoided the need for a 'kerbside quiche', I did come down with a savage case of diarrhoea instead. The following day I was kept busy, urgently running back and forth to the amenities block while Tomoko was seemingly on deaths door. Now...I'm not 100% saying that Fin's Cafe was responsible for our food poisoning but lets look at the facts. Sixteen years of feasting on Tomoko's tasty fare and not even a hint of indigestion. One meal from Fin's and we are violently ill. I'll let you make your own conclusion on this one...I know who's side I'm on.
So it proved to be an unremarkable end to a remarkable week in Coral Bay. Despite the 'cafe' incident, we loved our time here and rate it as one of our favourite destinations in Oz. Until next time...adios amigos.