#27 Coral Bay

We drive across the Tropic of Capricorn so it's getting hotter now and a beach is very welcoming.  

Again it's out (and back) to the end of a peninsula  - again to a beautiful beach - and this time the big carrot is a coral reef that you can snorkel on/in right off the beach.  The town is just two caravan parks, a (small) resort and a few houses (mostly for the workers) and it's busy (school holidays!!) - but we have a nice enough spot for overnight with nice facilities (ablutions) and an easy walk (an even easier bike ride - so lazy!!) to the beach. 

Joseph can't wait so we are off to the beach right away.  There's hardly anybody on the beach (dinner time for most people) and he's in snorkelling before I can take off my thongs!  The water is warm and I enjoy my "swim" (lying/floating in the shallow water) and he seems to be going further out so I figure it must be enjoyable.  Darkness approaches and finally he appears out of the water (not looking at all like Bo Derek! ) to tell me how amazing it was and how he really should wear his flippers (it was just a quick dip) because he found it really tough swimming back into shore!  It's very sad to think that I am his "life line" ! 

Getting ready - that rashie is tricky to deal with!

So next morning he is fully dressed and I'm the lookout on shore (with binocs) and at least this time there are other people around.  He goes out - way out.  His huge plastic sleeve is useful to hold up and warn the tour boat that he is there.  I lose sight of him a few times and just as I'm about to panic I spot him again but I'm happy on the beach in some shade so he can stay out as long as he likes - he has his flippers on this time!!  Back he comes to tell me that of course -  this time it's even better than last night and he can't believe the coral and how close to shore it is and he describes all of the fish and now I'm moderately jealous but have nobody else to blame except me.

Off he goes ... you can see how the boat was able to spot him

So I/we decide that I probably can survive a one-hour glass bottom boat cruise. I took note of the one that nearly ran over him - it wasn't far off shore and it didn't seem to be bobbing too much.  Unlike the poster announcing tours almost every hour -  the next tour today is 2.30 and that's too late for us (we thought they were busy!) so we decide to try again on Monday in Exmouth.  Pretty sure I can guarantee that the weather will change and there will be huge swells and … well... if there are no more postings you'll know how it ended.