5th - 8th Jan 2017: Exmouth/Ningaloo Reef

The Ningaloo Reef is the Western counterpart to the Great Barrier Reef and is just as large and diverse. The difference is the significantly lower tourism and the fact that it is located close to the coast. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, you don't need to book a ferry here and you're not bound by ferry times.

The area south of Exmouth is filled with termite mounds. Wherever you look, there are no views without them.

Exmouth itself is a really nice little town. The emus walking around the city were especially cool. I even think one of them looked left and right before crossing the street.

We chose to stay in a backpacker hostel with bungalows. They even had air conditioning, which made the stay very pleasant with temperatures over 42°C. There wasn't much going on there anyway, as the peak holiday season is outside of the Australian summer.

We only went snorkeling at Turquoise Bay on the Ningaloo Reef. Several sources rated it as the most beautiful spot. Next to it is 'The Drift'. This is a coastal current that saves you some swimming. You can simply let yourself drift through the reef. It can be a bit dangerous because the current changes direction at the end and you can easily be carried out to sea. However, as long as you're cautious, nothing usually happens. The way there led along a range of hills in Cape Range National Park, which looked very much like the African savannah. All that was missing were giraffes or rhinos in the background.

Turquoise Bay itself was absolutely outstanding. The water was truly turquoise and the beach was perfect for sunbathing. And, as is usually the case in Western Australia, it was very empty and perfect for relaxing.

The highlight, however, was snorkeling at 'The Drift'. It didn't disappoint and the reef is actually very accessible. We didn't have to swim 100 meters to be in the middle of it. At some spots, we could even stand. Some corals glowed in a dark blue, others in a light yellow, and some in a bright grass green. That alone was a feast for the eyes. The diversity of fish topped that. Their colors were even more vibrant and striking. Unfortunately, we didn't have a GoPro with us and couldn't take any pictures. I'm sure they would have been some of the most beautiful ones of the whole trip. I also had the opportunity to swim with two rays for a few meters and watch a sea turtle eating coral. Basti had an even better experience: he crossed paths with a reef shark. These sharks are relatively small and usually don't attack humans. So everything was fine. But still, it was an awesome experience to see a shark in the wild up close.

Since I had more money left in my travel budget than planned, we treated ourselves to something special in the evenings. Namely, a seafood medley at a slightly fancier restaurant. So there we were, with our quite expensive menu, unable to peel the prawns properly. Apparently, it looked so clumsy that a waiter came to explain the whole process to us. But it still tasted good. And after several days of canned spaghetti, it was a really nice change.

On the last day, we started a wine session with a group. Alcohol here is notoriously expensive, so cheap products are often chosen. Our purchases were in 4-liter plastic bags with a built-in tap. The stuff is dirt cheap but also leads to a terrible hangover. But it still served its purpose and a fun time was had.

In summary:

The Ningaloo Reef is absolutely brilliant and stands out, especially due to its easy accessibility. It's a mystery to me why so many crowds flock to the Great Barrier Reef when they can enjoy something similar for less money and unlimited time.0,0

By the way: