Quobba Blow Holes

Through various locals, we received a tip to catch crabs in a secluded bay not far from Monkey Mia, located in the national park. We took our crab scoops and some fish heads as bait. We threw them into the water. Many fish swam towards our bait, but no crabs. After waiting and trying for half an hour, we gave up. Not a single crab in sight. We made one last stop in the town center to refuel and buy coffee. The gas station owner told us that we had to wait for low tide, which is either very early or very late in the day. We were too late, so we didn’t catch anything. It was a shame, but we promised to make an extra stop on our way back home. We didn’t have time to stay longer because we had to drop off Linde at the airport in Exmouth on time.

On our way to Carnarvon, we made a stop at Eagle Bluff. We were immediately amazed by the beautiful and large reef. We spotted sharks, rays, and turtles. Further along the road, we stopped at Shell Beach. As the name suggests, the beach consists entirely of shells. We sought some relief from the hot weather and dipped our feet in the water. After a quick lunch in the car and about three hours of driving, we reached Carnarvon. Here, we did some shopping, found an (overpriced) campsite, and cooked a delicious meal. We quickly crawled into our tent because the next morning, we had to get up early.

Seven o’clock in the morning is still way too early for us! We had a whole itinerary planned and wanted to make good use of our time. Fifty kilometers from Carnarvon is ‘The Blowholes’. It was fantastic to see. We still wanted to drive further to some snorkeling spots and find a campsite to stay overnight. However, according to our calculations, they were a bit too far away. There were no fuel stations, so we didn’t risk running out of gas. Additionally, the road was not in the best condition and mostly consisted of gravel and stones. We decided to turn back and find another place to snorkel. This spot was nice for snorkeling, but we didn’t feel like getting in the water. So we quickly called it quits.

We drove back to Carnarvon to see what else this town had to offer. In the town center, everything was closed on Sundays, and it was still low season. There was a good place near local farms to have fresh ice cream. Unfortunately, it was also closed due to the low season. So, no luck for us! We continued to Coral Bay, the place everyone had spoken highly of. Coral Bay itself is not an official village, but it has been developed as one. Right next to the ocean is one road with two campsites, one hotel, and a few restaurants. We encountered a particular road sign warning us that it was still cyclone season.

We arrived in Coral Bay around 6 p.m. and chose a spot at one of the two campsites. The campsites were quite expensive because it’s not a proper village. We were exhausted, didn’t have the energy to cook, and decided to look for a place to eat. We shared a seafood platter and enjoyed a drink. That’s where we met Tom and Mirthe, a Dutch couple who were also looking for work like us. We had a delightful evening!