We had never been to Exmouth. This part of Western Australia was unfamiliar. But we found that we really liked being here!!!
Let’s start at the beginning:
The town was originally established to support the Communications base located at the Northwest Cape. Now, the base is still in operation, albeit at reduced capacity. The town, however, has reinvented itself as a gateway to the Ningaloo Reef. Today, it is a top tourism destination. Tourism is the major industry of Exmouth’s economy!!! The town is small and easy to walk about on foot. Emus wander through the streets and parks.
We did not spot any.
One can enjoy the beauty of the Ningaloo Reef by scuba diving, sea kayaking, fishing, whale watching, or viewing coral from glass-bottomed boats.
No, we didn’t do any of that either!!!
What we did, was visit the Whalebone Brewery. There’s a story behind that.
The photos will tell the story:
We arrived in Exmouth early in the morning on Valentine’s Day.This is a tender port. The 2500 people who live here see their town double in size due to the temporary workforce that arrives with the 4-month tourist season. And the town thrives with supermarkets, coffee shops, dive shops, and a few boutiques.We took the tender, walked the long pier to the shuttle bus, and set out to enjoy the day!!!We passed the information center…..…..and the Ningaloo Aquarium.but we did not exit the shuttle until we reached the shuttle stop at Whalebone Brewery!!! And there is good reason for this….…..Canadian friends, and fellow-passengers, Tony & Sharon, had contacted the Whalebone Brewery in advance to inquire if they would open early on our day in port. Usual hours begin at 4:00pm; the request was for 11:00 am…..…..the proprietor agreed that 800+passengers were worth the early opening!!! She arranged for the #4 shuttle stop at the Whalebone Brewery!!!We don’t think she was disappointed with the turnout!!! Our fellow passengers continued to arrive all thru the day.The beer is brewed on premises..…..as are a few spirits.The array is impressive.The specials are plentiful.
Roger enjoyed the Hazy Bone IPA.
Tony opted for the Big Bone IPA.
And we’re going home with the spirits!!!
The drinks were accompanied by delicious pizzas.But all too soon, it was time to head back to the ship.The crew was awaiting our return.We departed Exmouth and set out on our way to Fremantle and Perth.We certainly enjoyed our Valentine’s Day in Exmouth, WA. And we hope you, too, had a lovely day!!!
Our next post will be Part III, Fremantle and Perth.
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