Kunming, China – 11-13 May 2014

The flight from Lijiang to Kunming was an easy 50 minutes - once we were off the plane it was a LONG walk to baggage claim/arrival. And in my typical history the guide was nowhere to be seen. Not a good start! I managed to find a phone that had free local calls (very impressive!); Elane was surprised to hear from me....hopefully telling her I'm at exit 3 is enough. Only time will tell.

Elane arrives and is very apologetic, Lily (guide from Lijiang) didn't send a message advising I'm on an earlier flight so she wasn't expecting me until 10.30pm. Very glad I got on an earlier flight!! Because I was delayed the driver had gone home so we head upstairs to the departures area to try to get a taxi. Not easy when you have 'traffic police' telling the drivers they can't pick us up. At last one agrees, suitcase is in the boot then the 'traffic police' bounce. They take photos of the license plate and get documents from the driver.....all the while shouting who knows what. The driver told us to wait, he will be 3-4 minutes but after a while Elane heads over to work out what's going on. While they're both away I notice at least 3 groups of people getting into taxis that had just dropped people off, clearly because the 'traffic police' are tied up with us they get away with it. Bit of excitement for my arrival.

Finally we are on our way, Elena tells me both she and the driver got told off and the driver had to pay RMB 100....eeks. She told me not to worry about it, so ok I won't but I do feel bad he had to pay a fine.

We arrive at the hotel (Crown Plaza), major luxury compared with the last two nights and any other time still very nice!! Elena gets me all checked in then I'm on my own, which suits me. Walking into my room I could be anywhere in the world - huge plus is the comfortable bed.

Monday (May 12, 2014) I have a wee sleep in, no crying babies woke me in the night which was great!! After washing my hair (a huge luxury....) I head down to breakfast. A few communications problems I finally get my poached eggs. I'm now set for the day.

We leave the hotel at 9am and drive about an hour and a half to The Stone Forest or Shilin. I find the drive interesting - always something new to see.

On arrival at The Stone Forrest the first stop is the bathroom, these are super plush (and very clean) compared with the others I’ve been in this trip, and have small TV's in each stall. It helped me to realise which way to stand which is handy!

We have to get in a golf cart to take us to the entrance, seems a bit strange to me but hey ho.

We have about an hour and a half wandering around Stone Forrest; definitely an impressive site. Thankfully in places it was cool. A nice break from the heat of the sun.



After exiting the Stone Forrest site there are numerous restaurants touting for our business, I'm open to where we go and given both Elena and the driver (Mr Wong) want to eat I know it will be good and fingers crossed not tourist prices.

I'm half way through my fried rice when I pluck up the courage to ask Elena what something is - part of me doesn't want to know! Thankfully its potato, a little strange having potatoes in fried rice but hey ho.

From here we drive about 30 minutes to Jiuxiang Caves; I'm surprised how warm it is after being in cold Lijiang. We get on a canoe type boat (sits around 10) for a small trip up and down the river. Very touristy but looking at the rocks is nice, and at least it’s col.

It's now time to get out of the sun :) and head indoors to visit the Caves.

Walking through the caves it reminds me of my time in Guilin (doing exactly the same thing). Wouldn’t say they are anything to write home about; other than the Twin Waterfalls. Twins being special in my family.




After watching a small show, with 6 locals dancing, we begin the long hike up - 336 stairs! Definitely got the heart rate up; thinking I deserve a beer later.

At the top of the stairs there is a ski lift to take everyone up the mountain to the exit - haven't been on one of these for ages. The last time I believe was when I was in Switzerland a few years ago.  Good views of the countryside.

We arrive back into Kunming at 4.45pm; thankfully the majority of the one and a half hour journey was traffic free.

I chill in my room for a bit before going out for a brief walk - had wanted to find somewhere to sit and have a drink (to be my first since arriving in China) but had no luck so returned to the hotel bar instead. Definitely not cheap but cheaper than Singapore prices!

For dinner I ate in the hotel, feeling quite tired and just couldn't face going out again.

Tuesday (May 13, 2014) is a nice relaxed start time of 10am so I take my time. For the second morning in a row I have other people sharing the same table as me at breakfast - this time they had already set down their food so they remained. I made the mistake of saying hello in Mandarin and they starting to talk to me.....whoops, sorry but I can’t reply and actually have no idea what you are saying.

Elena is late because she was unable to get a taxi, then an accident on the highway - I'm happy just relaxing in the lobby.

We drive around 30 minutes to Western Hill (which is also known as Sleeping Buddha Hills); it's a very hot day so I'm a little worried about the 6 + km hike up and the fact you can’t stop along the way to buy water. Elena asks a lady how long it takes to walk up.....3 hours is the reply. Surely not??!

We begin the walk up, which is all on asphalt; passing numerous people. It’s going to be a quick trip! Our destination is Dragon Gate which built on a cliff is literally at the top of the mountain. The views of Dianchi Lake and Kunming city are spectacle – you can see for miles and miles.



After coming down from Dragon Gate we stop for lunch, Elena gets chatting to two Chinese guys who want to join us for the walk down. As long as they can keep up with us that’s aok with me.

I've lost count of the number of people who have made a comment about how well I use chopsticks - those 5 years of boarding school really paid off!!! From memory it was every Monday night we had to eat with chop sticks; we also had to eat fruit with a knife and fork. Anyway I digress.

It's a quick one hour trip downhill. I keep zig zagging to stay out of the hot sun. Mr Wong (driver) is very surprised how quickly we walked up and that we walked down again. We did have the option to take a chair lift down (which the majority of people do) but I declined, much preferring to walk.

I can't believe my time in China has come to an end (next stop the airport); I've been so fortunate to see and do so much in my 4 days here. I've realised again how difficult it is to get around if you don't speak Chinese.

I had a lady immigration officer checking my documents; all was going well until a man came over (perhaps her supervisor) and started to look at my passport. I got the awful feeling he thought it was a fake....thankfully after a few minutes he returned it to the lady and off I went. How I would have got myself out of this is anyone's guess!

Will I come again (to China) - no plans at this stage but you never know. One thing is for sure I am keen to know what China will be like in 10-20 years.

Lijiang, China – 9-11 May 2014

Yes it's true I'm off to the airport yet again (on Friday, May 9, 2014) - no time for the grass to grow with me, far too many places in the world still to be explored!!

This time I'm off to Lijiang, via Kunming, for two nights then return to Kunming for two nights. Both of these places have been on my "to visit" list for awhile now so I'm excited to be finally going!

For the first time in a very long time I'm not flying a One World airline which means no lounge access for me, instead I have to wander around the airport filling in time, not an experience I’m keen to repeat too soon.

On arrival into Kunming I'm off the plane fairly quickly and straight through customs; now the fun begins as I need to go and check-in for a domestic flight. Hmmm I really should have been practicing my Mandarin. In the end I'm sorted, now to find somewhere to eat. One of the first places I see is McDonalds, yeah no. Then I see a sign saying Chinese restaurant, perfect. It's a lot of miming but in the end I manage to get a table and order :) My waitress shows me my order on her screen but all I see is numbers....I have absolutely no idea if what I've ordered is there but I suppose that's half the fun. Dinner is super delicious - stir fry beef with vegetables!

I hadn't realised how big Kunming was until I needed to walk to the gate, wow this airport is huge! I'm one of only a small handful of foreigners (that I can see) so am stared at constantly.

After a 40 minute flight we land into Lijiang, like Kunming it's definitely bigger than I expected.....I need to keep reminding myself this is China so everything is big!! After a few small issues locating my guide, Lily, we are off. Would have been helpful if she had my name written on a sign....

It's about a 30 minute drive from the airport to Lijiang; on arrival I'm told cars aren't allowed in most places of the Old Town and that there are at least 70 entrances. So now the fun begins working out which is the one for the guest house.

I'm staying at Carnation Inn, a small 5 room guest house. I've been told no one speaks English - fingers crossed all will be ok once Lily leaves me.

The room is very cute (and surprisingly not that small); however then I notice there is no way to lock the room. What the. Lily gets one of the staff up to advice I'm to put a piece of wood in the door. Yeah like that is going to hold if someone wants to try to get in. So after doing my best to close the door I move the only chair in front to add a tiny bit more weight.

I'm feeling quite tired now so get into bed - my king size bed is actually a pile of rocks, this will make for some interesting sleeping!

Saturday (May 10, 2014) I wake before my alarm, it's been a fairly restless night - not only with the rocks but the temperature (cold). Thankfully the shower is decent with lots of hot water!! Lily is collecting me at 8.10am so a cup of tea is needed to get me ready for the day.  Lily had prepared me a breakfast as the guest house doesn't have a restaurant - I manage eat a banana and have one slice of "bread"; very sweet of her but unfortunately I’m not big on the majority of things.

I remember awhile ago telling someone I was going to Lijang and they advised as it’s high altitude some things may break once I’m there…..so I’m busy getting dressed after the shower and my deodorant ball decides to take a wee trip, whoops!

First stop is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain / Yulong Snow Mountain; after getting tickets then standing in a long line for a public bus we then join a line for the cable car to take us up to the top of the Mountain (well as far as you can go before having to walk to the top). The cable car takes around 15 minutes and for the majority of the trip you can’t see more than 50 metres. In some ways I’m very pleased as its crazy steep! One arrive it’s a freezing 5.1 degrees and is snowing…..we are 4,506 m high and very quickly I realise I should have purchased oxygen like the majority of the other tourists had.

I manage to step outside for no more than 3 minutes – just far too cold for me!! Watching the snow fall is pretty but thanks very much I’ll do that from inside; no need for me to go for a walk around.



After returning to the ticket place at the bottom (cable car, then bus down) we take another bus to White Water River, which is formed by the runoff from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I’m feeling absolutely terrible after being up the mountain (due to the altitude) so elect to slowly walk around. No need to be joining the very long line to take a golf cart – I have legs for a reason! The reflections in the river from the mountains surrounding are amazing; on a clear day you get the reflection from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Not today unfortunately.



We head back to the ticket place and after a wee break go to the Lijiang Impressions show which is a culture show demonstrating the traditions of the local minority culture; the backdrop of the mountains make it easy to get distracted when the actors speak (in Chinese).

From here we head to Yushui Village, to see the Three Layers of Water. Like White Water River, Three Layers of Water get there water from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain runoff.

While the scenery so far has been absolutely stunning, it is time to visit a local village - Bai Sha Village. It’s a quaint little place with a river running through it; if your shop or house is on the other side you just build a small bridge and bobs your uncle you are set. It was great to see it wasn’t overrun with tourists, nor had shops geared to the tourist. I visited the Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, which is free for locals (and tourists) to come in and learn. They do this to preserve the traditional Naxi craft.



Our last stop for the day is Shuhe Old Town; John (owner of the travel company I used for my trip) had told me to come here at night as it’s very pretty. As I still don’t feel that great I decide we will visit now. It’s a beautiful, quaint Old Town that like Bai Sha Village has a river / canals running through it. The water is crystal clear. It’s lovely just to wander around. There are a number of fruit/vege ‘stalls’ setup along with snack food. Lily and I munch on a corn cobb while wandering. Can definitely understand why John said to come here at night time, it would be extra special.



I have a brief stop at the hotel before we head out to wander around the Lijang (Dayan) Old Town, it's still light (the sun doesn't go down until about 7.30pm at the moment) which is a nice change for me.



Finally just before 7.30pm we sit down for dinner - I'm thirsty, starving and tired!! And still feeling a bit funny from my altitude sickness. It's only been one day but this trip is definitely not a holiday!!!

After dinner we wander around the Old Town, definitely more picturesque in the evening. One "street" we wander down is called Pub Street, think super loud, super super loud and each bar has its own entertainment. Each place is basically packed with either couples or groups of family (with children). Not my cup tea tonight nor if I was on my own.

Sunday morning (May 11, 2014) I'm up early which is annoying after being woken in the night by two incredibly loud screaming children, thank goodness for earplugs.

This morning we are heading to Black Dragon Pool then onto Tiger Leaping Gorge where we are going to hike for a couple of hours. I'm very excited!!

Thankfully the driver meets Lily and I shortly after we leave the guest house to help carry my suitcase up the hill.

Black Dragon Pool was built in 1887; on a beautiful day (which it isn't today) you can see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the reflection. It's peaceful wandering around - there are locals dancing, doing tai chi, playing badminton, running and walking. Lily shows me a majiang (mahjong) tree which if you touch three times when you next play majiang you have good luck. I could spend hours here but unfortunately we only have 40 minutes. On leaving I notice a handful of older looking men carrying their bird cages into the park. I remember seeing this in HK so am not at all surprised, after all it's good for the birds to get out and "chat" with their friends too.



We have a brief look at the 'Dongba Mytha' Naxi Dongba Culture Exhibition, which showcases the local Dongba scripture.

I'm on the road again - driving now to Tiger Leaping Gorge; thankfully the driver is happy to go on the newly built motorway otherwise I’ve been told it's a windy journey through the mountains. The scenery is out of this world!!! I know New Zealand has amazing scenery as well but boy this is spectacular.

I had mentioned to Lily yesterday about the strawberries at the small fruit and vege stalls we saw, she had told me we would get some today so after driving for a bit we stop at some stalls to buy - yum yum! And nice and cheap, RMB 10 (basically SGD 2).

Before we start our hike I make the mistake of going to the bathroom.....all I'll say / ask is why ooh why do Chinese woman (older ones) like to go to the bathroom with the door open....

It's so nice and peaceful on the hike, with mountains and rock to our immediate right and the river and mountains to the left. We walk for about an hour, stopping along the way for photos, before we reach the "tiger" about to leap onto a huge stone to cross to the other side (tiger leaping stone); this is the end of the hike so we turnaround and walk back to where we started.



After getting away from what seems like hundreds of tourist buses we head to the first bend of Yangtze River then onto Shigu Village - a Naxi local village. Nice to wander around and see daily life.

Time to get into the car again, this time we are heading back to Lijiang for a late lunch and wander around the Old Town again. Then it will be time to head to the airport.

I enjoy a chicken fried rice for lunch, it was tasty although I was so hungry I nearly would have eaten anything and it would have been ok. We then wandered around the Old Town, at one point tasting yak milk, which is very sweet. Reminded me a bit of the milk bottle lollies I had as a child. The Old Town is quite different during the day, still lots of people around but a different buzz.


Thankfully Lily insisted she gets me checked in before leaving me as there is an issue with my flight - the lady told Lily it's good we arrived early as my original flight has been badly delayed and is likely to be cancelled. Luckily I was put on a slightly earlier flight.

Hard to believe my 2 nights in Lijiang has come to an end - in some ways it's gone very fast and it other ways I feel like I've been here for awhile. I've had a great time and am very pleased I came; time now to explore another part of China. Kunming here I come.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia - Easter 2014 (17-22 April 2014)

Yes it's that time again - I'm heading to the airport (on Thursday, April 17, 2014). This time I'm heading to Ningaloo Reef, via Perth, to celebrate Susan's 40th birthday.

This is a trip that's been in the planning (Susan not me) for months so I'm super excited!! Not that I really have any idea on the actual location and what we can do, other than swimming with the whale sharks!

My taxi driver is telling me no drinking at the airport (as I'm coughing my lungs out).....but.....surely one won't matter.....

After a super easy check in I'm set and ready for the lounge - I'm a good girl and listen to my taxi driver....only non alcoholic drinks for me :)

Even though the flight is 4.45 hours it feels like it's much longer, I'm ready to get off after 2!!

On landing it's a quick exit, stop at duty free - yes thanks with 20% off!! Now the fun begins waiting for my transfer. It's a chilly 16 degrees here; a major shock to the system to me.

Finally at 12.25am I crawl into bed....now for some serious shut eye as we are on the 4.30am shuttle back to the airport for our flight up to Exmouth. The things you do for your friends!

At the lovely hour of 4.10am (on Good Friday, April 18, 2014) I get a knock on my door to say we are leaving in 15 minutes (to the airport), I feel like I've been hit by a very big truck!!!!

We have a 5.30am flight to Exmouth; on arriving at the airport I'm amazed at how busy it is! There are at least 20 flights all before 6am, wholly molley this is one busy airport.

My eyes are literally closed the whole 2 hour journey - finally I sleep!  We are met at the airport by someone from the hotel and after about thirty minutes arrive in the "town" of Exmouth. First stop is collecting the 2 rental cars. There will be 8 of us in total so it makes sense having two cars.

It's now around 8.30am and I feel like I've been up for hours and hours. A very strong coffee is needed! Following shortly behind breakfast. We decide to collect some supplies from the supermarket and head to our hotel.

Sharon very kindly cooked us breakfast :) I'm now ready to face the day.

Driving between the "town" and our hotel I'm amazed at how many dead kangaroos there are - so sad. Means we need to be bloody careful when driving, especially at night time as there isn't many lights around.

On leaving the hotel we are greeted with two mean looking emu's....thankfully we have the car to protect us.

Now time to go exploring, this time in the opposite direction from where we have come from. The heat is already out and kicking in full force. A major amount of sun screen will be needed.

We head off to Sandy Bay, about an hour’s drive away. Along the way spotted a kangaroo waiting to cross the road.  Thankfully it waits until we pass before deciding to head back in the direction it came from.

Sandy Bay is absolutely picturesque - white sandy beaches with crystal blue warmish water. Heaven!!! We have a couple of hours here relaxing, I move from sea to sand sea to sand. What a way to spend a day.



We head up to the lighthouse to watch the sunset - an amazing site! As soon as the sun is down it's time to head down. We are all pretty had it (it’s hard work being on holiday!) so decide to head in for dinner earlier than originally planned. We were able to be seated straight away thank goodness as I was starving!!! It's really nice sitting outside and not sweating, I could easily get use to this dry heat.



After a delicious Italian dinner it's back to the hotel and basically straight to bed - lights out minutes after 9pm :) it's expected after being up since the lovely hour of 4am!!

Saturday (April 19) we wake early, not surprising given the early night. After a leisurely breakfast we head into the "town" to get some lunch things then head off to Turquoise Bay.

On arrival I'm amazed how busy it is - not a car park spare.....buggar. We end up following the other cars and park in a bus only section - perfect.

Turquoise Bay is a snorkel beach; we were told yesterday that the currents can be quite strong, by just looking at the sea it's very obvious. I decide not to snorkel and instead just hang out on the beach.
Colleen and I go into the sea and within seconds are washed down by a very large and super strong wave. Wow wee. Me be-hind got a good exfoliation!! Time to walk down the beach a bit too where it's calmer before getting in.

This beach is a lot busier than Sandy Bay where we were yesterday - not really my cup of tea.

We have a few hours relaxing, before the sand blowing everywhere gets to us, then it’s time to head back to home base.

I'm desperate to wash the salt off me so jump into the cold pool.....nice to be drinking chlorine rather than salt water.

Early evening we head into "town" for dinner, like last night we are earlier than our reservation and after a short wait we are in.

Another delicious meal (so nice being back in Australia!!) we head back to the hotel....having to stop as a kangaroo wanted to cross the road. A tad scary in the dark.

Easter Sunday (April 20, 2014) we are up early - today we are going swimming with the whale sharks, the reason we are all here!! I'm a tad nervous and this increases as the time goes on.

After getting onto a small speed boat (which makes a few trips between the land and the boat) we are all set and ready for our day. There are 20 of us in total on the boat, and are split into two groups.

The water is absolutely beautiful, crystal clear. So exciting to be going out for the day on a boat. I've remembered this time to take some motion sickness tablets before getting on the boat, better to be safe than sorry.

Our first stop is to snorkel around/through a reef, good practice for me before we head off to meet the main event for the day – the whale sharks.

The time has come to get back onto the boat, always an interesting experience, before we motor off towards the horizon, through the reef. Ooh dear it's a tad rough now.....time to focus my eyes on the land.
10am signals the start of whale shark spotting. Our boat is in a group with 4 other boats and they all share the same spotter plane. The wait begins.

After what seems like a short wait the race is on - we are the first boat to arrive. Group one (which all 8 of us are part of) are the first ones in the water, eeks alive the heart rate is racing.

We basically get in the water, someone from the boat yells to put our head down and the whale shark swims by us. Wow wow wow!!! What an amazing experience - and within seconds it's all over. The whale shark is just too fast for us and after heading down is off swimming.

We are fortunate to have 6 swims with the whale sharks - each one a different experience. One was slow enough that I could swim next to it, WOW.

After an amazing lunch (Ningerloo Blue Charters really looks after us!) it's time for another snorkel.

We are just about to start heading back to shore when another whale shark boat radios in to say they have come across approximately 100 false killer whales; the staff ask us if we want to go see. I'm beside myself with excitement and am thankfully everyone on the boat is more than happy to head off in that direction. This day just keeps getting better!!

We finally arrive in the spot (after spotting dolphins along the way) and the looking begins. I just can't explain how awesome this is when we spot the first false killer whale. I feel so very fortunate being here.

We cruise around the area following a few whales then spot a flying Spanish mackerel escape a mouth and start flying over the water, making 3 "dips" before disappearing. Wow!

What a way to end the day!!!






Throughout the day we saw dolphins, whale sharks (including a young 2-3 year old), octopus, flying Spanish mackerel, hundreds of different types of fish (including Nemo's cousins), Minky whale, stingray, turtles, and false killer whales.

I cannot say enough about the staff; all four are extremely passionate about what they do and not once weren’t helpful. Every time we saw a whale shark, or anything else for that matter, they were just as excited and happy as we were.

Can’t believe the day is over; would be awesome to do this day after day….only problem would be the decreasing bank balance!! After a semi quick turnaround at the hotel we head out for dinner.

Easter Monday (April 21, 2014) we are up early again. A quick breakfast, with coffee, is consumed before four of us hit the road for the 1.5 hour trip to Coral Bay to swim with the Manta Rays.

It immediately becomes apparent that the crew today are definitely nowhere near as good as yesterday; we really were spoilt yesterday!

Similar to yesterday after a briefing we head off for a snorkel first; it's a bit choppy which isn't too pleasant but I've now got the hang of snorkelling with a swell so head off.

The coral is amazing! It's just so peaceful cursing around under water taking is all in. The highlight was definitely watching a turtle swim down from the surface and park itself half under what looked like a rock. Brilliant.

After we are all back on-board it's off to the area where the Manta Ray's have been spotted previously. Like yesterday we have a plane spotting for us so it's not long before one is located. The 4 of us are in the second group today so have a wee bit longer to get ready before having to slide into the water. The first thing I notice is how murky the water is - definitely not the best for watching the Manta Ray's.

Within a few minutes one appears - wow. Even though it's big we are able to keep up with it and are fortunate enough to see it rolling over and over and over again.  An amazing site. Then off it goes, as the visibility is poor it's not the easiest at times to spot it. A real shame but can't be helped.

The second time we get in the visibility seems better and we are able to swim with it for awhile. I have a mild panic when it starts to come up and straight towards me - eeks alive reversing with flippers on, and people around, is not easy!! Thankfully it moves away and we keep swimming with it.

After getting out of the water we spot a tiger shark so follow that for awhile. One of the crew informs me it was swimming quite near to us when we were in with the Manta Ray's.....glad I know that now and not when we were in the water.

After lunch we stop again to snorkel, the current is very strong so a decision is made to drift snorkel; meaning we just go along with the current. That didn't work out so well as after a few minutes when I come up for air I hear the captain telling us to swim away from the boat into the shallower water which means straight into the current. Here comes the workout! It did cross my mind that we may be doing this as there is a tiger shark close by.....I pick up the pace!! Unfortunately the coral and fish in the shallower waters aren't that great (and the visibility isn't that great either) they were so much better in the deep water. Time for me to get out.

I elect not to get in the water for the last snorkel, instead enjoy the views of the water from the top deck. The captain points out a Sea Cow (Dugong) in the water; we really have been so fortunate to see so many different animals / mammals throughout the past two days.

We get back to shore an hour later than planned, no problem with me as it meant we got to see a lot more. After filling up the car with petrol we have a quick look see around the town of Coral Bay. I'm very glad we aren't staying here - the caravan park seems over flowing and it doesn't look like there are many options for eating.

Throughout the day we saw Sheep, Cows, Dead kangaroos, Crows (eating the above dead animal), Sea Cows (Dugong), Turtles, Manta Rays, Sting Rays, Eagle Rays, Dolphins, Tiger Shark, Assorted reef fish and Emu's.

While it's been another good day this company definitely has nothing on the one from yesterday - shame we didn't do this first as the expectations wouldn't have been so high.

We get back to the hotel around 5.45pm, a very long but enjoyable day. Time to wash the salt off my body!!

For dinner we head into the town; service isn't the best but thankfully the food is tasty.

Tuesday morning after a wee sleep in and packing up I enjoy a leisurely breakfast. It's so nice not to be rushing off. After dropping off the rental car the hotel then drives us to the airport. I'm really not ready to leave - another couple of days here would have been perfect!

Ningerloo Reef was never a place I knew about until Susan suggested we come here for her birthday, now it's a place I'll never forget!