It was time to leave Warroora Station for Coral Bay…. Packing up like a well-oiled machine, Dave even got time in to give the Pearl a bit of baby-wipe love before we hit the dirt….

Matt made sure he was in pole position for the take-off….

As we drove north, termite mounds started to appear more frequently, and the landscape was the characteristic red dirt interspersed with some scrubby greenery as there had been some rain here over the last few weeks which had greened things up a bit…

We turned off the highway toward Coral Bay which is part of the Ningaloo Coast area…. Everyone keen to get some snorkelling in as the reef is amazing!

As we were slightly early for checking in, we stopped in at the Coral Bay Bakery for a coffee….

We checked in to Coral Bay People’s Park…. With swipe card access no less… (Joe Rao-Davies eat your heart out 😊)

The park was well landscaped, and we all set up….

then walked across the road to the beach for a swim and snorkel – the water was amazingly warm, and we saw quite a large variety of fish….

Back at camp there was a Branch moment unfolding with Klaus unable to start his Landcruiser…. Dave was out to assist, and the jumper leads were on their way as it appeared to be a flat battery (??how??) …. Until MacGyver and Branch appeared and asked Klaus for the keys…. Which were discovered back in the caravan…. Funny how you need keys to start a car!!!!

All was well – not a flat battery and the car started once the keys were present 😊

As some of us were booked in to do the Manta Ray swim the following day we had an early night in anticipation of the early start and full-on day ahead….