Adventure in a van.: Week 30- Monday 10th- Sunday 16th October

South Lefroy Bay, Ningaloo Reef, WA

Star Rating:★★★★☆

★=Full Star ☆=Half a Star

On the day we got to South Lefroy Bay we arrived after lunch. As soon as we got the caravan into our spot we got inside because the wind was blowing sand everywhere. The sand was so fine that we got huge clumps of it in our eyes. For the rest of the day we played games, read and watched movies inside the caravan.

Even though it was windy on our second day at South Lefroy Bay there was still some things we could do. Mum and I walked along the beach to meet up with Dad and Jackson, who were fishing. That afternoon we all went down onto the beach and played with the vortex (a type of nerf). I tried to do cartwheels in the wind, but the wind was so strong that it pushed me over!

On our third day at South Lefroy Bay it was still windy so Dad, Jackson and I went exploring. We went to the hidden beach (it was hard to find), the ruins of the old whaling station (where people used to capture and kill humpback whales) and we also went and drove through some sand dunes. At one point Dad even let me and Jackson drive! That night we set up some mouse traps to try to catch all the mice that were running rampant around the campsite.

Finally on our fourth day the wind subsided a lot, so we had a great day in and out of the water. In the morning we went and threw the dead mice (that we caught in the trap we set up the night before) into the sea for the seagulls. Afterwards Dad and Jackson went down to North Lefroy Bay where they hoped to get some fish from a coral bombe the found last time we were there. Whilst they were at North Lefroy Bay, Mum and I went for a snorkel, one of our three that day. We saw a pregnant mother reef shark with one of its other babies, it was NOT happy to see us! It started to circle us so Mum and I huddled together, hoping to look bigger. It worked because the mum swam away. Lesson learnt: Never (and I mean NEVER) disturb a pregnant mother with her baby! On mine and Mum’s other snorkels we saw some turtles, reef sharks and stingrays. That night we set up the mouse traps again.

On our fifth day at South Lefroy Bay I went for a long paddle board in the morning (after we emptied out the mouse traps, some of the mice were still alive and they tried to run away, but the seagulls finished them off). I saw a massive turtle. It was so big and beautiful, and it didn’t care that I was there. After my paddle board Mum and I went for a snorkel around some big coral bombes and we saw a massive sting ray! When we had warmed back up we went for another snorkel and saw some big beautiful fish. After that we all went back to the hidden beach. At the hidden beach Mum and I went for a long snorkel and we saw some beautiful coral and heaps of turtles (5+). On our way back in we saw Dad and Jackson, they had been hunting for a crayfish and they had found one! That night we ate the cray and it was delicious (we also set up the mouse traps again)!

On our last full day at South Lefroy Bay we cleared out the mice that had fallen into our traps in the morning then Mum and I swam out far to go for a snorkel. When we finally got out there the tide was very low and you could touch the coral if you put your had straight down, so Mum and I snorkelled on the edge of the outer reef where it was deeper. We saw a turtle out there and it did not care that we were close to it. That afternoon Mum and I went for another snorkel but we didn’t stay out there for long as there were crazy currents and white capped waves. That night we had a fire on the beach (we also set up the mouse traps again).

On the day we left South Lefroy Bay we went for a snorkel at the Hidden Beach (after we had cleaned out the traps), we saw lots of beautiful coral and I saw two turtles, a large reef shark and lots of fish.

We had heaps of fun at South Lefroy, we could have stayed longer because it was so beautiful and I hope we can come back.

Our view from inside the caravan.👆

The beautiful beach in front of our camp!👇

There was heaps of old equipment at the old whaling station.

I went paddle boarding and saw a massive turtle, it was so beautiful!

Walking up from the beach.

Me driving.👆

When we went exploring with Dad we found an old seabird's nest, it was massive!

Getting ready to snorkel on Hidden Beach.

I know it looks weird but I have my head in a tub of water because when I was having a quick shower with the water pump (to work it you have to stand in the tub, put the small water pump next to you in the fresh water at the bottom of the tub and straighten out the tube that connects the pump and a shower head together, then turn the the pump on so water will come out of the shower head) the battery on the pump ran out. I had just put a bit of conditioner in (because the saltwater had made my hair super dry and crunchy) and I had to wash it out, so I had to put my head in the bucket and try to get the conditioner to come out! Not the greatest shower I've ever had!!