Northwest Trip days 5-6

Tenting it at Coral Bay
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It took us another full day of driving to arrive at Coral Bay by 9pm.  The landscape had changed drastically from the outback.  No more majestic gum trees, but more low growing vegetation, dry grasses and of course sand!  The sheep farm that we stayed at Coral Bay was a deluxe hotel compared to the outback.  We had showers, a real kitchen and electricity!  It was just so refreshing being on the coast.

The next morning we awoke to the most amazing sunrise over the fields, littered with sheep, horses and kangaroos.  A drive into the town of Coral Bay brought us to an expansive white sand beach with the most beautiful aqua blue water.  Coral Bay is the location of the Ningaloo Reef, a coral reef that many say is just as nice or even more impressive than the Great Barrier.  To see the coral reefs in all their glory we went on a 2 hour glass bottom boat tour and snorkeling trip.  The reefs in their vibrant greens, blues and purples were fascinating and the marine life was even more amazing!!! By far the best snorkeling I have ever done.  All the different shapes, sizes and colors of the fish.  There are sea stars larger than my head in the most deep cobalt blue.  Schools of fish that are so silver they look like slivers of light in the water.  Snappers that were a little too big and too close for my comfort, but still impressive.  And fish with the most amazing neon colors that you cannot believe they are within arms length of you because you have only seen such exotic creatures on television before.

all our quad bikes lined up
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After the amazing snorkeling off the glass bottom boat we had lunch and then got suited up for quad biking!!! Quad bikes are like four wheel ATV motor bikes.  I was a little hesitate to ride one, but it was the best decision I ever made!  We rode with two to a bike, and loaded up all our beach and snorkel gear. We left the main road of the beach and went riding into the sand dunes and zoomed down beautiful secluded beaches.  We stopped at one of these private beaches and went snorkeling on an off shore reefs, it was beautiful.  Got out of the water and then got back on the bikes to  ride to Turtle Cove where you can see the sea turtles in the waves eating the sea grass.  Then an awesome ride back through the sand dunes.

Hayley, Kate and I hanging out at the beach at the end of the day
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Needless to say we were all a little tired at that point and just laid on the beach until evening and then drove back to camp.  We showered and bundled up by the fire with all our sunkissed faces and watched the stars and played cards.  We awoke earlier the next morning to depart for Monkey Mia!