Melbourne & The Great Ocean Road

Melbourne Rocks!! Just thought I'd get that out there first off. What a great city!! It's buzzing with life and culture. Both Nathan and I agree that this has been the best city in Australia we've yet to visit!! We had only 8 days here in Melbourne but are hoping to make it back one more time before we go home. It's pretty cold here though, being winter and all. I think the average temperature all week has been +18 or so. Seems reasonable right?? Add on the rain and winds and that makes for a cold city!!

Well you can't come to Melbourne and not visit The Great Ocean Road... so that's exactly what we did with a tour company called Otway Discovery. We were picked up at our hostel early morning because we had one full (and long) day ahead of us. We had about an hour's driving to do before we reached our first stop... Bell's Beach. This is one of Australia's most famous surfing beaches. I mean I'm no surfing expert but the waves would come in and break so perfectly and peacefully. There were tons of surfers out there and they just made their sport look so simple that even I thought I would be able to master the art in no time. Ya right... Nathan probably could but I doubt I'd be able to. This beach was also featured in the final scene of the movie "Point Break"... how cool is that??

The remainder of the day consisted of short stops and look-outs points all along this scenic coastal drive. We made a stop at Kennet River to see the wild koalas roaming about and feed the lorikeets. It didn't take long before we were on the road again heading towards the Twelve Apostles - probably the main attraction for this drive. Once we finally arrived here we had the option of either going to the look-out point or taking a helicopter flight over them. There was absolutely no hesitation for Nathan and I as we instantly decided on viewing these from the air. I've never been in a helicopter before and I must say this was way cooler than flying in any plane!! I got front seat beside the pilot and it's really trippy because the front windshield (?? is it called that ??) comes right down to about your feet so it feels like you're just being propelled through the air in nothing!! Our flight was approximately 10 minutes and it was pretty spectacular!! Hard to describe so I'll let the pictures do the talking. Make sure you all check them out!!

After we were back on the ground our bus headed towards our final look-out... Loch Ard Gorge. We spent approximately half an hour here before heading home. It was going to take us approximately 3 hours to return to Melbourne via the inland highway. Sunset had come and gone and I believe we didn't return to the city until 8:30 pm or so. It was a great day that just kept getting better!!

So on Saturday night Nathan and I went to our first AFL (Australian Football League) game held at The Melbourne Cricket Grounds. It was a different experience... cool because of the energy from the crowd and seeing how much Australians love this sport. Not cool though because both Nate and I think it's a stupid sport. Rugby is much better.... AFL is basically a bunch of 'pretty boys' running around all over the field kicking the ball to each other and then trying to kick it between a couple goal posts. There is absolutely no skill or logic to the game!! It's surprising to us that this sport is so popular over here.

Anyway... our time in Melbourne is up. We fly to Cairns tomorrow morning but I can say we're both excited to get there. We'll once again be in hot weather and have no need for the 2 layers of clothing we've been sporting all week. If we see everything we need to see before this trip is finished I think we'll be visiting Melbourne again.

That's about it for now... until next time...

E&N

Coral Bay, WhaleShark and Manta Rays

Hey Everyone, so this post is going to be in two sections. We've been pretty busy these past few weeks and just couldn't fit everything into one post, so don't forget to read the post just after this too!
Where do we start?? So after our 6 day tour up to Exmouth we went back to Coral bay so that we were nice and close to the beach and the reef and we could snorkel and swim whenever we wanted. The Ningaloo Reef is only a few meters off the shore here so its nice and easy to access. We spent 4 days there, and on Monday the 7th we were supposed to do our Whaleshark swim... Unfortunately we couldn't get out on the water because of high winds and large swells. The next day they would be able to get us on the boat wasn't until Wednesday!! We were very nervous because we had to get on a bus on Thursday, so if we didn't spot a shark that day, we wouldn't have been able to do it again. Not much we could do about that situation. So we spent the day at the beach snorkeling, pretty sad hey?
Tuesday we hopped on a Manta Ray tour with Ningaloo Reef Dive. By 9am we were on the water and in search of Manta's. It wasn't long before the spotter plane found one for us! Before we knew it we zoomed off to its location and we were in the water. The water was a bit milky from the large swells the day before and it was hard to see at first. Then suddenly right below us a huge Manta appeared and was doing back flips right underneath us!!! This ray was 4 meters from wing tip to wing tip and only a few feet below us. Luckily I had the camera ready and I snapped away as fast as I could, not even really aiming the camera. After a few seconds he dove and we couldn't see him anymore. Since this Manta was a bit timid we went off in search of another one to swim with. A short while later we had found another one!! This one was right on the surface and we could see its wings flapping above the water. Even though it dove down we were still able to swim with it for awhile since the water was only a few meters deep. There were 10 of us shoulder to shoulder in the water and we were the same width as the Manta as we followed it along the bottom for about 100 meters. After that amazing swim we went to another dive site where we could snorkel and the divers could dive on the reef. We got back to shore just after 2pm and had a quick lunch before heading back to the beach to do some more snorkeling!
Early Wednesday morning we went to Coral Bay Adventures to see if we would be going out on the water that day. The whalesharks are very rare and they don't always see them every time the boat goes out. The skipper told us that today would be a go, and before long we were on the boat and off to our first dive site. This was supposed to only be a 'test' dive to make sure everyones equipment was working because we would be going a long way out and wanted to fix any problems early. So since this was just a test dive I decided to leave my camera on the boat... Typical, cause this had to be one of the most beautiful spots we have dived at yet! We saw amazing coral, tons of fish, and a huge Loggerhead turtle!! Luckily there was a photographer on board and she got some great shots for us. After that taste test the spotter plane was in the air and we headed north out to sea and we played the patience game. The skipper said that it can take 20mins to find one or all day... I guess the day before they didn't see one until 1pm!
For the first few hours of the day we all just sat around and chatted with each other - well most of us did... We discovered Erynn will never be a sailor. She was sea sick the whole time, sitting with her head in her hands off in the corner. As we made our way north we came across a huge pod of dolphins!! They jumped at the bow of the boat for at least 30 mins. The skipper said that there were at least 100 of them in the water! There was also a bunch of flying fish with them too!! At first I thought it was birds skimming the water, until I noticed that they were coming out of the water!! It was amazing!! It really lifted everyones spirits, even Erynn found her way to the edge to watch them for a while. We also saw a huge marlin jump out of the water just beside the boat!! By now it was after 1pm and still no shark. The skipper said that we may not get a chance to see one today, but they were trying their best, even sending a second plane out searching the sea. Again we waited and waited. Finally we spotted one!! The problem was that it was very far north. The crew said that it was much farther than they had ever gone before and that if the shark dove down we wouldn't be able to wait for it to surface and have to turn back for home. We went full speed ahead for at least 30mins as everyone got all their gear on and ready for action. Soon we spotted the shark and group 1 was in the water. Erynn and I lined up with group 2 ready for the signal to jump in. Suddenly we were told to 'slide' into the water... it was more like a mad scramble and sprint to the front towards the shark. We reached the swimmer (crew member with eyes on the shark) and kept our faces in the water scanning for anything. Suddenly there it was! This huge shark appeared and was coming right at us! I can't really describe the feeling after that moment. This huge gentle giant was just slowly cruising past oblivious to us swimming along with it. I could see it open and close its mouth and move its massive body as it swallowed the plankton and krill in the water. It seemed like we were following it for ages, because the first group was only in the water for what seemed like seconds! I checked the camera and we had been following it for over 6mins. Soon we were told to stop and go back to our boat so that the next boat could get its swimmers in the water. We got back to the boat and everyone had huge grins on their faces, I could feel my heart still pounding and I thought it was going to come right out of my chest! I grabbed Erynns hand so she could feel when I saw her turn green. She caught a whiff of the diesel fumes and suddenly ran to the end of the boat... all I could see was Erynn hanging over the edge... I guess the sea sickness finally got the best of her. Unfortunately she missed the second swim because she was occupied with other matters. She wasn't alone though, two others had gotten sick as well and couldn't do the second swim. I looked back at Erynn as I lined up to go again as she was still hanging over the edge, we caught each others eye and she signaled that she was alright and for me to go back in the water.
The second swim I was only with 5 other people and we had the shark all to ourselves for another 5mins, I got a really good idea of the size of it when I saw Amber the photographer just on the other side of it. She looked so small in comparison and was no bigger that its dorsal fin. Soon everyone was back in the boat and we made our way back to Coral Bay. We were 70kms north and a 3 hour ride back to shore. Erynn found a comfy spot on the mats in the middle and slept the whole way back along with 6 others exhausted from the day.
Once back to shore we all gathered at the shop and looked at the photo's from the day over a nice cold beer.... Erynn chose a water instead. What a great day we had... and that night we both slept great!
Thursday was our last day in Coral Bay, so we decided to do something different and go snorkeling at the beach. It was another magical day... as soon as we stepped into the water to put our gear on a dolphin and its calf came by to say hello and jumped right out of the water only a few meters away. We swam out a few meters and saw a small eagle ray hunting fish around us. Then further out over the reef we came across another turtle and swam with him for 10mins before he found a spot and nestled in for a snooze on the reef. We finished the day watching the sun go down on the beach and waited for our bus to take us back to Perth.
So here we are back in Perth for one day... Tomorrow we fly to Melbourne for more adventure, then a week after that we fly to the other reef... the one they keep in Cairns, called the Great Barrier Reef. Stay tuned for more....

Nate & Erynn

Red Earth Safari to Exmouth

Hey Everyone we finally made it to Exmouth!! It took us 6 days but the journey was amazing!! We took a tour called Red Earth Safaris with 17 other people. We made some great friends, saw some amazing things, and had the best tour guide in Australia!! What more could you ask for?? Here is a rundown of what we did each day:
Day 1 - Monday, April 30.
Our first quick stop was at Yanchep National Park where we saw some Koala's and wild Kangaroo's in the rain. Then it was off to Lancelin for some sandboarding down some huge dunes!! I tried standing and riding it down... not as easy as snowboarding. May - a 75yr old woman on the tour even gave it a go!! The next stop after that was to see the Pinnacles Desert at sunset, where 170487 limestone pillars line the desert. It poured on us again, but after the rain we saw a huge colorful rainbow. Dinner was next at our hostel in Cervantes, Trevor our guide prepared an awesome lasagna and greek salad for us!! Oh man was that good... not as good as moms though. It also happened to be Djoeke's 24th B-day and her parents bought enough wine and cake for everyone!! Most of us stayed up late finishing off the wine and getting to know each other.
Day 2 - Tuesday, May 1.
After breakfast we were on the road again and stopped at a wildlife rescue park. Trevor knew the owner so we got to feed all the animals, including a dozen little orphan Joey's. Then everyone got to hold some snakes!! At one point we had 4 of them on us at one time!! I swear one tried to strangle me!! After that we actually left the country and entered the Hutt River Province, its a long story so just follow the link. It is run by Prince Leonard and Princess Shirley. It started to rain so he took us in and stamped our passports; he even let me sit in his royal throne!! Next stop was Kalbarri National park, we checked out the coastal gorges before settling into our hostel. We had a true blue aussie BBQ with chicken, kangaroo snags, salad, and more drinking with the gang. mmm mmm good.
Day 3 - Wednesday, May 2.
This morning we hiked into Z bend gorge in Kalbarri where we were able to try out abseiling!! Basically its throwing yourself off a cliff while hanging onto a rope. They even let us do it twice each!! The second go I tried doing it forwards, running down the face!! That was a ton of fun and really got our adrenalin going. Did I mention it rained while we were doing this too?? From there some more hiking to "Natures Window". We had a long drive ahead of us today, and finished in Shark Bay at the Nanga Bay Resort. Erynn was one of the assistant Chef's tonight; Trevor was cooking up a super secret pasta dish that very few know the recipe of. The pasta was excellent and topped off with some fresh garlic bread, and washed down with a little cider too. Our rooms had an ocean view of the sunset and moonlight.
Day 4 - Thursday, May 3.
Up at the crack of dawn to drive further north to Monkey Mia to catch the dolphins coming to shore for breakfast. We got there just as the first feeding finished and got to see the dolphins for about 10 seconds. Everyone was pretty disappointed at first, but about 5 mins later they came back for more!! This time there were about 10 of them including a little calf!! We all stood (in the rain of course) in knee deep water as the dolphins swam just a few feet away. After everyone had 500 photo's of the dolphins we headed off to Shell Beach. Guess how it gets its name?? This beach is entirely made up of sea shells!! Its a few kms long and 2 meters deep of shells, no sand at all!! Then it was off to the Stromatolites. These black blobs in the water are actually living bacteria. Apparently they started life on earth 300 million years ago by producing oxygen. Thanks guys! After that we drove to our accommodation for the night. It was a Outback Sheep Station in the middle of nowhere!! Words cannot describe, the pictures help though. The facilities were 'minimal', and not really up to Erynn and the 9 other girls standards. Us guys heard about it all night. As we were collecting firewood for the night (and to heat the showers) all us guys could hear were shreeks, "OH MY GAWD" and giggles. After the initial shock everyone settled down for an awesome outback meal and then we all sat around the fire singing songs, dancing and drinking the night away. We must have been drinking plenty, because everyone decided to pull our beds out and sleep under the stars!! (Hey no rain??)
Day 5 - Friday, May 4.
This morning we woke up soaking wet from the morning dew. I guess thats what happens when you sleep outside. In no time we were on the road again heading to Coral Bay. Today was ours to do as we please, so 8 of us went on a turtle eco tour. We spotted some dolphins and turtles before we were dropped off to our first snorkel site. Here we had a chance to swim with reef sharks at a cleaning station. Erynn and a couple of the others stayed back while the rest of us swam about 150 meters away from the boat and suddenly a few meters below us we could see about 6 reef sharks at the cleaning station... sounds like a good idea huh? The funny thing was that I wasn't even scared at all!?! I figured that I would have been scared swimming with sharks and that far away from the nearest boat... must have been shock, or too much drinking the night before. It was amazing and really got my heart pumping!! After everyone got back from their different tours we departed Coral bay and headed off to Exmouth only a 'short' 2hr drive away. Once we got to Exmouth everyone was given a few hours to clean up and explore before a fancy poolside dinner at our resort. That night we all sat around drinking and laughing the night away.
Day 6 - Saturday, May 5th.
Today Trevor took us on a free tour around the Northwest Cape. We saw a huge radio station with 8 towers that were over 300 meters tall! Then up to a lighthouse where we had an amazing view of the area. Then to Turquoise bay where we had lunch on the beach and spent the afternoon snorkeling. The Ningaloo reef was just a few meters off shore and the snorkeling was great!! We saw 4 sting rays - 3 were hiding in the sand, a huge potato cod, a turtle, and hundreds of colorful reef fish. After this we made our way back to the resort and departed our bus for the last time... so sad. Tonight was mexican food night!! Most people in our group had never had mexican and didnt even know how to make taco's!! Erynn and I had to give some quick lessons. A couple of speeches and toasts were made as everyone reminisced about the last 6 days. We were amazed at how much we had done, and how quickly you can make great friends with 17 people. After dinner we had a few more drinks and then made our way to the Whaleshark Festival. Here we watched a great live act as we danced and drank our last night together with everyone away.

As you can tell we had a great time on the Red Earth Safari tour, and are already missing everyone we met on the tour. Hopefully we will be able to meet up with some of them again as we count down our days in Australia.

Nate & Erynn.