Day 68 - 14th September.
JRD -
Our second day in Coral Bay, suns out, slight breeze, the weather gods have blessed us again! Unsurprisingly Coral Bay is a very popular area this time of year, all the caravan parks are full. The site we had last night was only available for the one night. The only way we are able to stay a couple more nights is to book into a cabin that they have available, which is not a bad thing as we haven't been able to do much washing etc since Tom Price and a bit of room to move would be welcomed by all.
With the van packed up we vacated our site, we had a few hours to spare before we were able to get the keys to the cabin but we needed to have the van off site until the cabin was available. The night before the decision had been made to drive a short distance north to Mauds beach where the lady in the CV park told us there would be a greater probability of catching a fish and was a spectacular beach for swimming and beach activities. Mauds Landing and Mauds Bay/beach is roughly 10kms north of Coral Bay on a reasonably well groomed gravel road. I didn't ever find out the reason behind the Maud name but I'm guessing Mr or Ms Maud landed there at some point.
The lady in the CV office was both right and wrong. She was right about the beach being spectacular but wrong about the fishing. After 3 or so hours of fishing, again using every lure, jig and hook I have, we returned to the van for some lunch. Now even the girls are ribbing me about the lack of fish in their diet. I did point out that none of the other punters we met on the beach had caught anything but it did little to curb their enthusiastic banter.
With the van backed up beside our two bedroom cabin, beds selected, (I've upgraded from the tent to the van but due to Nicole's continued sleep deprivation I offered, as did she, to sleep in the van) Exmouth purchased snorkel kits in hand we wandered down to the beach for more swim time.
The Ningaloo Reef extends down the WA coast starting at the Northwest Cape and continuing 260km south. Its distance off the coast varies but at Coral Bay I guessed it was around 2km. The reef is easily located by the swell from the Indian Ocean breaking over it. Grace and I were keen to check it out so we hired a dual seat kayak and set off to investigate. The lady at the kayak hire place was fairly "laid back" and with bloodshot eyes and a beaming smile gave us the safety briefing, which mainly concerned not putting your mobile phone in the water proof bag in the kayak as it was not really waterproof and to make sure it was returned by 4.30pm because she would be getting pretty hungry by then! Grace and I made sure we had the necessary equipment for the journey, I had my $6 straw sun hat and shorts and Grace had her bikini, face mask and snorkel! What could possibly go wrong! On reflection it was pretty irresponsible on my behalf but luckily our paddle out to the reef was fairly uneventful apart from a few nervous seconds while crossing the boat channel wondering if the oncoming boat had noticed us. It was heading straight for us with the hammer down, turns out they were obviously aware of us but maybe they had had about as much luck fishing as me and were looking for some entertainment. They all waved as they passed, their gaze fixed on Grace and I as we bobbed around over their wake like a cork in the bath. Plenty of Coral and fish observed on the expedition and luckily no sighting of the big fish with the bigger teeth!
Pooped from the paddle, I set my towel up next to Nicole for a lay down and hopefully a few comments from her about how I looked like Iron Man Trevor Hendy on the kayak! Yeah...from a distance, she laughed, from a distance you looked like Trevor sitting in a beanbag paddling a kayak!! Not even slightly amused a settled in to continue writing this never ending and time consuming blog! Hey what's that, I turn to Nicole pointing, expecting a comment about a fat roll she hadn't seen before, I realise she has a semi serious query. On closer inspection we find that what I have managed to pick up between Exmouth and here is a tic who was busy feasting on the flesh of my back near my LH shoulder. Disgusting!! We have had experience with tics recently and apparently getting them to release their mouths with a hot match is not the done thing anymore. Good ole google found me the Coral Bay nurses number, I gave her a call and as she was not overly busy she told me to head straight over. Leaving the rest of the crew I strolled to the nurse contemplating what life would be like with Lymes disease and come to think of it I hadn't been feeling that well, maybe my body was septic?
The nurse was a card and after telling her I was traveling with 4 females in a camper van she asked me if I required some medication. I informed her that I was self medicating and that I normally purchased it in six pack form. Perhaps the biggest laugh shared was when she skilfully removed the tic and showed it to me. Expecting something around the size of a small crab, considering my left arm was becoming semi paralysed and difficult to move now, I was surprised and slightly embarrassed to see (or hardly see) something around the size of a pin head!! Suddenly, miraculously my LH arm was cured and I felt completely well! She sent me away with a bandaid laughing "see you later tough guy" I offered to pay but the nurse said she hadn't laughed so much (at my expense) in quite a bit and she would happily bulk bill!
I was met with a little concern on returning to the beach something I tried to brush off not wanting to bring further attention to the actual size of the carnivorous spec of dust that had made my shoulder it's home.
What was left of the day we spent snorkelling, swimming and generally annoying each other on the beach. After watching the sun setting over the reef we returned to the cabin for a pasta dinner, some TV and as no one could agree on what channel to watch an early night.