Leaving behind the comforts of Exmouth, we embarked on a short journey to the breathtaking Cape Range National Park, where we had booked a five-night stay at Mesa campground. This park, renowned for its majestic limestone ranges and deep canyons, is encircled by 50 kilometres of untouched beaches.

Once our van was set up, our first desire was to dive into the inviting waters. Eagerly, we donned our snorkelling gear to explore the marine life. Although Mesa isn’t famed for its reefs, rumours of turtles and reef sharks piqued our interest. Despite not spotting any, the children were quickly captivated by the lagoon nestled behind the beach. During our visit, a couple of guys were filleting their catch of 9 fish, which intrigued Oliver who eagerly asked for a photograph holding his favourite. Following this, we visited the visitor centre to plan the remainder of our stay before returning to camp for dinner. Mesa is celebrated for its spectacular sunsets, so we wandered over the dunes to witness the amazing view, and it did not disappoint.

The next morning, we ventured to Turquoise Bay for a snorkel in the hope to swim with turtles. We began with a drift snorkel, which revealed stunning fish and coral, and we were fortunate enough to spot a turtle nestled among the rocks. Filled with excitement, we followed him for a delightful ten-minute swim around the reef, where he feasted on sea grass before returning to his original perch. It was as if he was guiding us on a tour of his reef, an unforgettable experience. We then strolled to the main beach, recently voted the best in Australia and among the finest worldwide, boasting pristine white sands and, as its name suggests, strikingly blue waters. In the afternoon, we explored Oyster Stacks, another renowned snorkelling site. It was a visual spectacle, with the most vibrant coral and a dazzling variety of fish species we had yet encountered. We ended the day really happy with what we had seen. That evening, we once again enjoyed a glorious sunset, although the reduction in wind allowed sandflies to emerge, resulting in an unfortunate excess of bites that somewhat which put a damper on the beautiful views.

Our third day kicked off with a snorkel at Lakeside, reminiscent of Turquoise Bay with its coral and fish, but this time we were graced by the presence of four turtles! In the afternoon, we returned to Oyster Stacks to explore more of the reef, rewarded by the sighting of yet another turtle, bringing our tally to five for the day! After a slow start with our snorkelling endeavours, we were thrilled by our newfound luck.

The following morning, we journeyed to the southern end of the park, where Yardie Creek acts as a natural barrier. Despite a dry season, the creek retained ample water. We began with a walk along the gorge rim, spotting rock wallabies, resident inhabitants of the creek walls. Afterwards, we prepped our paddle board for an upstream adventure. Given the paddle board’s weight limit, the kids initially set off on boogie boards. Following some trial and error to determine the optimum configuration, we paddled up the gorge, rewarded with more sightings of rock wallabies, bats hanging from neighbouring mangroves, and ospreys soaring through the gorge to their nests. At one point, an osprey headed directly towards me on the paddle board before altering its course, avoiding any need for evasive manoeuvres. After an exhausting morning, we returned to the camp for a leisurely afternoon.

Our final day was met with anticipation for our whale shark swimming expedition. We convened with our tour group at the jetty before boarding the tender to the catamaran that would be our base for the day. The morning began with a snorkel to familiarize ourselves with the gear, during which we spotted an enormous stingray nestled beneath a rock at a depth of five meters. Post-briefing on whale shark swimming protocol, we relaxed aboard the boat while the spotter plane searched overhead. Within just 20 minutes, we were instructed to prepare as a whale shark was sighted. Positioned 50 meters ahead of its path, we submerged, awaiting its majestic presence. The experience was indescribable and breathtaking as we swam alongside this gentle giant. We had been told to just keep swimming and after a few minutes of gazing at the spectacle we fell far enough behind that our guide told us to stop and wait for our boat to pick us up. We couldn’t contain our excitement and were all nothing but smiles while we waiting bobbing around in the open water.

Typically, tours involve around three swims with whale sharks, but we were incredibly lucky to experience five! The second swim offered an overhead view of the whale shark 10 meters below, while the remaining swims mirrored the first. We never tired of witnessing these majestic creatures in their natural habitat and eagerly embraced each opportunity. During one dive, a whale shark unexpectedly surfaced directly in front of us, necessitating swift movement aside. The extended exposure to the open waves, however, eventually overcame Robyn and me, resulting in bouts of seasickness. Out of 22 passengers, we were the sole casualties, but after feeling queasy, we recovered slightly to enjoy a light lunch.

Our final snorkel of the day was a leisurely drift, a perfect ending to our adventure. Over the course of a 45-minute swim back to the boat, we were extremely fortunate to observe a critically endangered wedge fish, several rays, a lemon shark, and a hawksbill turtle. The entire tour, particularly the whale shark swim, emerged as an unparalleled highlight of our trip, setting an incredibly high benchmark for future experiences.

On our last evening, we opted for a simple dinner of spaghetti bolognese. Despite a prepared sauce from the freezer, the outdoor kitchen’s challenges in windy conditions made it unexpectedly time-consuming, taking nearly an hour to boil water for the pasta. Nonetheless, we savoured our final afternoon at Mesa, cherishing an extraordinary five-day escapade.

A shout out to @tashgraceallen / @oashyphoto from Ningaloo Discovery for the amazing photos of our whale shark tour.