Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Wednesday 30 May 2012

Coral Bay, Western Australia - blue on blue

created from an image I took at Coral Bay

We have just returned from two fabulous weeks at Coral Bay on Western Australia's spectacular Coral Coast. The weather was warm, but not too hot, the water temperature was perfect, the snorkeling was fantastic, there was lots of people about enjoying the sun, we had a wonderful time with our friends who came to stay with us for a week and my husband got to do some fishing and bring home some fish - AND the relaxing relaxing relaxing - morning and evening walks on the beach, stunning sunsets, sitting under an umbrella on the beach reading a book, flopping around in the warm water snorkeling amongst the beautiful fish, taking heaps of photos, trying out my new underwater camera housing, having our meals out on the veranda, not bothering about TV or news or work or computers. A wonderful holiday all round. 
read on for more..........


CORAL BAY

Bikini girls tumble out of painted vans
Sun-kissed laughter and languages merge
In a kaleidoscope of sound
Mazarine ocean sandwiched between yellow sand and sapphire sky
The fringing reef a tumble of white on the horizon.


Bring the picnic baskets and spread out the beach mats
Sunhats and sunscreen and rainbow umbrellas
Buckets and spades
Build sandcastles on the beach
Families and children mingle
Grandmothers under sunhats read from beach chairs
Grandad tips buckets of water into the moat
Boys running send seagulls squawking from their patch of sand
Little girls in frilly bathers
Brown skin baking
Ice-cream dripping over chins and fingers
Kayaks cutting through the sparkling blue.


Pull on goggles and snorkel
Wiggle into flippers
Transport you to another world
Filtered light creating patterns on the rippled sand
Flashes of silver and gold just out of reach
Weave through their underwater garden

Little stripy peers at you through the glass
An open clam waits
A spreadeagled star fish guards his collection of shells
A turtle glides across the coral floor
Following his mate into the approaching shadows.



Time to shake the sand from wet towels
The last glows of light
Turn the sky pink, red and purple
Couples entwined linger
A guitar softly strums its love song
A heron stalks the shallows
Golden ripples whisper on the sand

                                                               by Jill Harrison May 2012 




Blue, so bright and crystal clear it is startling. Its warmth envelopes me, calm and soothing as I float in another world, weightless. Floating with the current, absorbed by the sights around me I can only hear the sound of my own breathing.

Fish swim around me in shoals, parting and reforming, flashes of silver and gold in the sunlight. Tiny fish in a myriad of colours and patterns dart in and out of their underwater garden.  I am close to the shore in only a couple of metres of water but the underwater world of coral and brightly coloured fish around me is amazing.


I am snorkeling on the Ningaloo Reef at Coral Bay.  For someone like me who has never dived and has rarely snorkelled, the underwater experience was amazing, (made even more special by my new underwater housing for my camera!) and goes to show that nearly everyone can experience the reef. 
  
The Ningaloo Reef which stretches 260 kilometres along the North West Cape and covers 5,000 square kilometres, is the jewel of Western Australia's Coral Coast. It is one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world, home to 250 species of coral and 500 species of fish and a prime conservation and sanctuary area as well as one of Australia’s great nature based tourism locations.

It is also one of the few places where you can swim with the world’s biggest fish, the Whale Shark which visits Ningaloo Reef from late March until July each year following the mass spawning of coral. Exmouth celebrates by holding its bi-annual Whale Shark Festival.

The Coral Coast and the Ningaloo Marine Park can be easily explored by staying at Exmouth at the top of North West Cape, or its smaller neighbour Coral Bay, 155 kilometres south. Both towns are geared towards tourism, but Coral Bay exudes a more casual relaxed holiday feel.

Most of Coral Bay’s small population is directly involved in catering for the hundreds of tourists that come here every year to catch the winter sun, experience the reef and relax on the beach that is only a stones throw from the front door of your caravan or holiday cottage.






Any time of day you will find people sitting on the beach, swimming or snorkelling on the reef that starts only metres from the shore. The town beach provides safe swimming for children and fish can be seen swimming in shallow water near the shore line, making it a favourite place for families. It also attracts many “grey nomads” judging by the number of retirees you can see sitting on the beach or in the water talking about their travels around Australia.


Dive tours are conducted daily from Exmouth and Coral Bay, but you can also experience the coral gardens of the reef by taking a tour on the glass bottom or submariner boat. For non divers, the submariner and their informative guides bring you in close contact with the underwater world. It is also great for children, who love seeing the fish through the glass. 








At days end ...... sunset walks along the beach......
Golden ripples whisper on the sand



these few words from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation sum it all up - Marine parks and reserves protect Western Australia's underwater wonders from top to bottom. We need marine parks for the same reasons we already have national parks on the land. Together they protect our precious plants and animals, above and below the water line.  
To learn more please go to Nature Base



Do you like the postcard at the beginning of the post? - I created this from one of my images, manipulated in Photoshop Elements with a technique taught in one of Kim's Beyond Layers e-classes.  To check out Kim's classes please go to her blog by clicking here - kimklassencafe
 
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed these images and excerpts about Coral Bay.  I would love you to leave a comment - I look forward to hearing from you.


I am linking up to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House - please click on the link to see the work of other wonderful contributors. Mosaic Monday at Little Red House
The power has been off all day today, so I am a little late in connecting! and I know I wrote this a week or so ago - but I so wanted to share some of Coral Bay with you!

I look forward to hearing from you.


14 comments:

  1. Oh Jill, your photos are stunning. You have such a good 'eye' (not to mention) technical skill. They really led me into the story - made me feel very relaxed. I haven't been to Coral Bay, but your story has piqued my interest and I want to go (soon!).

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  2. How very interesting and so beautiful

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  3. Incredible photos!The just make me want to jump in the water!

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  4. Absolutely magnificent photos Jill and beautifully described. My dad used to go fishing at Coral Bay sometimes but I have never been. It's now on my "to do list".

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  5. Stunning images, love the collage and words that sum up perfectly a wonderful holiday.

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  6. Wow, what a fantastic post. MY hubby would love to be snorkeling there. Looks like a wonderful and fun time at the beach. Beautiful underwater photos. Have a great day!

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  7. Yep, just a wee little bit jealous! We really do have some of the most spectacular places in the world don't we? We went to Coral Bay many moons ago but never went out into the water unfortunately. Your photos are just brilliant and I love the postcard at the top.

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  8. Your photography is stunning! I♥ the beach....grew up in South Florida. Kim's the sweetest and most generous of folks!

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  9. Hello, Jill

    You have so many incredible photographs here. It's fascinating to see the underwater shots. I also enjoyed the poem you wrote; it painted some vivid pictures.

    -Karen

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  10. Jill, this post is spectacular ! Wow wow wow ! I loved it soooo much ! Your photos are breathtaking, I have never seen some underwater photos on a blog before, and, believe me, I visit a lot of blogs !
    You also write beautifully well. While reading you it felt as if I was there on the beach and underwater. A beautiful post with stunning photos and also with informative content.
    Thank you so much for visiting my blog and leaving a nice comment !

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  11. Your photo are wonderful. I so love the beach. Wish I could spend some time here. Thanks for taking me on this trip with you. Without bloggers like you I would never get to see the world.

    Thanks for your visit this week. It lead me to your delightful post.

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  12. What a wonderful post Jill. Summer is approaching here and I'll really follow your advice. But we donät have so many colourful fishes here.....
    Fantastic mosaic.

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  13. This is such fun to view...all but the sound of great joy shared. The colours, that sea turtle and your mosaic, are all splendid~

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  14. Cruise Ningaloo is a Western Australia’s premier charter sailing company offering the trips all through the core of the Ningaloo Reef. We offer Boat hire, boat charters in exmouth so that you can enjoy the sailing Ningaloo reef.

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