Ningaloo Reef - the start of our adventure
Introduction
Since I moved to Australia I have always wanted to visit Ningaloo Reef as I have heard such great reports about how beautiful and unspoiled it is. So when I heard about this seven day trip which combines my passions of kayaking, snorkeling with camping and hiking how could I resist such an opportunity ? I booked immediately and waited excitedly for the 19th of May to come around. And in no time the day came around and it was time to take my flight from Sydney to Perth for the start of this amazing trip.
Meeting the kayaking group
We meet at Perth airport, a group of 11 ( 10 women and 1 man ) including our tour coordinator Cathy. We head for the departure gate to board our flight to Learmouth for the start of our Ningaloo Reef adventure. Learmouth is a small airport so it’s easy to meet up with our guide Neri from Exmouth Adventure Company who will be our host for the next 7 days.
The Team
We load our bags onto the bus and Neri drives us to their HQ in Exmouth to collect our kayaks. This is where we meet Neri’s assistant Noemie a young French Canadian who is travelling around Australia. Noemie has a love of everything to do with water, is an experienced kayaker and has fallen in love with Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef. Our “token male “ Sanjay is now well and truly out numbered 12 to 1 but he doesn’t seem at all phased.
Equipping Ourselves For our Adventure
Exmouth Adventure provides all of the equipment necessary for our trip. These guys think of everything from wetsuits, snorkels, masks, fins, dry bags, paddle gloves, sunhats, rashies and life jackets no detail is missed. Some of us have our own equipment but if you don’t have any or can’t be bothered to bring it with you don’t worry as you’ll be well catered for.
After we have selected our equipment, put them into our allocated bags and labelled them with our names these are loaded into the back of the bus. The kayak trailer is hooked up to the bus and we board again for the final part of our journey making one last stop at the bottle shop to buy booze for our stay as there are no shops in the national park. Then finally all gear and booze loaded we head to Bungelup camp which will become our home base for the week. It’s a good group and from the start we can tell we are all going to get along.
The Camp
Bungelup is a private camping ground around 45 minutes from Exmouth and only about 300 metres from the ocean. Our tents have been set up ready for us and the camp has everything we will need for the next week, a bush toilet, solar showers and a well stocked bush kitchen. It’s certainly not luxurious but it has everything to make it a great stay and Neri’s delicious cooking and an abundance of snacks mean we will never go hungry !! There’s even a large Eskie ( Cool box for my English friends ) which is used solely for keeping our alcohol cold - see what I mean by being well equipped !
As it’s beginning to get dark we find our tents, unpack and head across to the kitchen area to pour our pre dinner drinks. Bungelup is certainly not a place where you need to dress for dinner but one fashion accessory is a must - a head torch! Remember we are in the middle of the bush, there is no electricity and the only light is from the moon and a few solar powered lamps so a trip to the bush toilet from our tents would be impossible without these handy must have accessories.
Our first night in camp
Then it’s time for dinner and a chance for the group to get better acquainted over a few drinks (for medicinal purposes of course). This is our first chance to experience Neri’s delicious cooking which gives us a taste of what we can expect for the next week - Yum !! After dinner has finished we all help to clear up and Neri briefs us on the following day’s kayaking plan. Then its off to our tents to get some much needed rest after a long day travelling. I lie awake for a while looking up at the stars through the tent panel excited for what the next day will bring then fall into a deep peaceful sleep.
