One of the best places we've been to on our trip has been Ningaloo Reef. Snorkelling over the reef, which sits a few metres off the shore at places like this at Turquoise Bay, was very memorable. Later on the day of this photo, the whole scene was topped off with a pod of dolphins idling through the bay, close to the shore, snacking on the abundant fish life. All the people on the beach started paddling out to get closer to the dolphins but they soon hurried out ...

Exmouth (and the nearby Ningaloo Reef) was a real highlight. Exmouth was just a caravan park in the 60s until Australia and the Americans built a naval communications base there. The Americans didn't hold the horses in trying to make it like home for their staff building a bowling alley, pool (replete with diving tower), gymnasium and the baseball diamond in this photo (yep.....those emus are deep in centerfield). There is still a naval communications' base but...