What is whale shark

One of the first appearance on big screen of this fish was in documentary about Kon-Tiki expedition from South America to South Pacific. Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. In his book about this expedition whale sharks were mentioned as sea monsters.  I can just imagine what they were thinking when they met this fish similar to shark and which can grow more then 10 meters long.  But despite its size, the whale shark does not pose significant danger to humans, feeding on plankton and small fish. Only thing people should be careful – unintentional blows from the shark’s large tail fin.

Check this video if you are wondering what is that whale shark and should you take a swimming with whale sharks tour.

Are you interested? This video shot in Cenderawasih Bay in Indonesia, but one of the best places to swim with whale sharks is in Western Australia, Ningaloo reef.  It is not a cheap attraction, but is really worth it and you would love to go again and again.

Best places for a swim with whale sharks in Australia

I hope I didn’t scare you and you are ready to jump into water Next question would be: where can you do it? There are couple places in the world you can do it. Occasionally whale sharks can be seen by scuba divers in Thailand, but nobody can promise you will see one. There are whale shark snorkeling tours in some Caribbean countries and also in Mozambique, but probably best place to swim these giants is Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.  At Ningaloo Reef tour operators use whale spotting planes and it makes big advantage comparing with other places in the world as it gives you more chances to see whale shark.

Best time for swimming with whale sharks in Australia

Whale shark season in Ningaloo Reef starts in April and last until July. The time frame can slightly vary each year. Whale sharks can come in late March and stay until August, so it is better to contact operator of your choice to check what is situation.  Thought all tour companies have very high rate of whale sharks spotting, but sometimes weather conditions are not the best to go out to the sea, so it is good to have couple spare days in case tour will be canceled on particular day. Make sure you have some sea sickens medicine to make sure you have good day out in the sea, as otherwise it can ruin your swim with whale sharks experience as it did happen with Jade.

Whale sharks tour prices in Australia

Most tour operators located in small town Exmouth and couple of whale sharks tour operators are in Coral Bay, 150km (100 miles) South of Exmouth.

Here is a list of whale shark tour operators in Exmouth (for tours in Coral Bay go to Coral Bay whale shark tours page) in alphabetic order:

All prices are in Australian dollar. Now most companies offer repeat tour voucher valid for the next three years. Before you could use that voucher only during current season in case you don’t see whale sharks on your first tour.

* there is no published prices for the current season yet.

Swim with whale sharks tour prices are very similar so probably main factor of choosing tour operator will be seat availability on preferred day. Or it depends where you are staying and do you want to do any additional activity. Because these tours are not very cheap read carefully refund sections as all companies have different policies. But most companies start offer voucher for another tour valid for three years in case of no sighting of whale sharks that day.

Also you can check some operators reviews on Tripadvisor. Personally I was on tours with Three Islands Whale Shark Dive (they had best price in Exmouth) and Ningaloo Reef Dive in Coral Bay. I was happy with service I got and can recommend both companies.

All prices are good on time of publishing of this post. I tried to contact each tour company for latest information, but please visit page of each tour operator for up to date prices as it can be changes done at the time you’ll read this post. Let me know if you find any incorrect or outdated information here.

Can you scuba dive with whale sharks

Unfortunately you can’t do it.  Occasionally in Thailand scuba divers can see whale sharks, but these are rare cases. The swimming with whale sharks tours is the best way to see these creatures and Australia is one of best place in the world to go on these tours.  So check tour prices above.

But if you still keen to dive with whale sharks you can do it in Atlanta aquarium which has diving with whale sharks program.

Save

The post Swimming with whale sharks in Australia appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

When I was renting car in Europe, US or Canada, I never did think or care how much fuel I can fill into car tank. Usually was no problem to find gas station near by. But it didn’t work in this case. Thought I was renting smallest campervan it still was using about 15 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers and with 55 liters tank I could drive maximum 370 kilometers (230 miles). It meant I needed to stop at every road house for refueling and I had carefully to check any side trips I wanted to take. Did I have enough fuel to get back on road.

When you know your tank capacity and how much fuel your car uses per 100 kilometers or miles it is easy to calculate an distance you can drive. But I created this calculator to make it even more easier.

Rental companies provides all data you need to calculate it and it is important to know how far you can go with your car in such remote places. It makes you to look to your road trip planning with different approach. Can you reach every place with your car without auxiliary fuel tank. I hope this calculator will help you with your next road trip planning in Australia.

Save

The post Gas mileage calculator for travelers appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

A lot of animals are killed by road trucks in Australian outback. Especially during early morning or late night. It is the time of the day when it is better don’t drive in outback.

The post Weekly Travel Photo. Not everybody survive in Australian outback appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

Usually Uluru or Ayers Rock is often called as world’s largest rock. But in fact Uluru is more then 2 times smaller size comparing with Mount Augustus.

I am sure somebody will start argue it is different type of rock. One is monocline and another is monolith.  I am not planning be involved in such discussion, but you can check this talk on wikipedia if you are interested.

How big is Mount Augustus

Mt. Augustus, or Burringurrah as local aboriginals call it,  raises 1106 meters ( 3629 feet) above sea level. It is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and 3 kilometers (1.5 miles) wide.

Circumference of Mt August is about 30 kilometers (~16 miles). For comparison Uluru circumference is slightly more then 9 kilometers (~6 miles). There is no base walk, but you can take 49-kilometer drive around the rock with access to some creek gorges and Aboriginal rock engravings.

Where is Mount Augustus located

Getting there is one of the exciting parts of the trip to Mount Augustus. It is very remote place. Nearest city, Carnarvon, is located 430 kilometers (~270 miles) West from the mountain and 360 kilometers (~225 miles) East there is small town – Meekatharra.

I was driving from Meekatharra to Mount Augustus and then to Carnarvon and most of the road was unsealed, but it was good enough to drive my small 2WD camper van.

Of course it is better to check latest information about roads condition on Main Roads Western Australia website, as some roads can be closed or in bad condition and not suitable for campervans or 2wd cars.

As you understand it is remote place so you must carry plentiful of fuel, water and supplies. There is fuel at Mount Augustus Outback Tourist Park and in Cobra, but gas prices are almost 50% higher what you would pay in Perth or Carnarvon. In Cobra I found probably most expensive fuel in Australia.

There is one  interesting thing I found during preparation for this trip. Google Maps couldn’t show you direct route to Mt Augustus from Meekatharra. It is already couple years passed since my trip, but Google Maps still shows you wrong route.

Here is Google Maps:

and here is Bing maps suggestion:

I wouldn’t mind if it would be couple km difference, but in this case it is additional 200km (125 miles) and 5 hours more driving. So it is better to use Bing Maps for online route planning.
Duration of the trip is another important thing to note. All online route planners and GPS applications take average speed 30km/h (20miles/h) if route goes on unpaved road. That is why it shows almost 11 hours driving. In reality it took 5.5 hours for me to get from Meekatharra to boundaries of Mt Augustus National Park. So actually it was ~60km/h (38miles/h) average speed.

I did get up early in Meekatharra and at midday was near the mountain.

Climbing Mount Augustus

There are two trails to the Mt Augustus  summit: one is called Summit trail (class 4) and another is Gully Trail (class 4/5). Both trails are 12 km  (7.5 miles) return. After first 3 km (2 miles) Gully trail links into Summit trail, so only first part of Gully trail is more challenging trail and park’s guide recommends additional hour each way if somebody choose Gully trail (marked in green colour in map bellow).

According DEC brochure it takes average 6 hours return on Summit trail and 7 hours return on Gully trail.

It is easy to calculate how much time you will need on the trail if you did any trekking on other national parks. I usually recommended time divide by 2, so expected to spend ~3 hours on Summit Trail and that was very accurate assumption.

In my opinion it is quite easy trail except one part. Here is trail’s elevation profile:

The total vertical elevation of the trail is 650 meters (2133ft). Trail stars at very gentle gradient. After 1.5km (1 mile) the steepest climb starts. In next 1.5 km(1 mile) trail goes up 350 meters (1150ft) and then again it will gentle gradient with short steeper part just before the summit. It will take only 1.5 hours and you will be on the top

And enjoy view of endless plains from the summit:

It was no other people on the top and I could enjoy the view just by myself.  I was happy I did this climb and didn’t climb Uluru rock.  Really why should I climb most pretty rock (Uluru) then I still can climb largest rock in the world instead?

P.S. In winter temperature is not such high at Mount Augustus National Park, but it still reach average 25C (77F) and with clear skies it can be really hot. So it is better to climb in the early morning. I started my climb at dawn and may be that helped to reach summit faster.

The post Climbing Mount Augustus, the largest rock in the world appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

The Big Pineapple

New York may be called “The Big Apple” but Nambour, Queensland is home to “The Big Pineapple.” At 16 meters tall, this giant structure is the largest pineapple-shaped building in the world. Built in 1971, The Big Pineapple stands in front of a massive pineapple plantation. It attracts tourists to the plantation where visitors can enjoy rides and look at animals and botanical displays. Inside the building is a guide to the delicious tropical fruit which will entertain your kids and dazzle them with pineapple fact and information.

Big Bull

Wauchope in New South Wales is home to the Big Bull, a massive structure that stands in commemoration of all things dairy-related. The building was home to a milking display, a nursery for animals, and a place for kids to watch a day in the life of cows. It has been an education destination for years, but the building — located just a few kilometers outside of the town — has officially closed.

The Australian Farmer

This eight-meters-tall statue was unveiled in 2008 after 17 years of developing, designing and carving it out of solid granite.

Located in Wudinna, South Australia, this statue is a commemoration of the farmers that lived in the region long ago. It took 70 tonnes of local granite to make the Australian Farmer, but it was worth it to produce the monument.

Charlie Quartpot Statue or Anmatjere Man

Located just behind the Aileron Roadhouse, this 17-meter-high statue has been dominating the landscape of the Northern Territory since 2005.

The town, where the Anmatjere people have lived for centuries, is just 130 kilometers to the north of Alice Springs. The people have named the statue Charlie Quartpot, in honour of a rainmaker that called the area home long ago.

The Big Thing

In Western Australia, Denmark is home to The Big Thing — a massive barometer that stands nearly 4 meters high. It officially holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of “The Largest Barometer in the World”. It was actually built in the Netherlands, but was donated to the Western Australian town in 2007. The barometer is engraved with the name of its original owner, Bert Bolle. Even more impressive than the size is that the barometer actually works!

The Big Easel

Imagine painting on a canvas seven meters wide and 10 meters tall — that would take a lot of paint! The Big Easel was erected in November of 1999 as part of the Van Gogh Project, which is a series of Van Gogh paintings done on enormous canvases and on even bigger easels. Seven sites were chosen to display these huge pieces of art including Emerald Australia. The canvas depicts some of Van Gogh’s very famous sunflowers and rests on an easel 25 meters high.

The Big Orange

Australians like their fruit, but who knew they liked them this much? The massive orange stands 15 meters tall, 12 meters wide and weighs upwards of 85 tonnes. The building is divided into four floors: the first floor is an event room, the second floor a café and gift shop, the third floor is covered by a mural of the surrounding area, and the fourth floor serves as a lookout point. This massive building is absolutely fascinating, and your kids will love it!

Big Golden Guitar

The 12 meter-tall guitar is located in Tamworth, New South Wales, and it stands at the entrance to the Country Music Gallery of Stars Wax Museum. It weighs over 1.5 metric tonnes, and it has been around since 1988. Smaller replicas of the massive statue are handed out as awards at the Country Music Awards every January!

Many people searching for comfortable accommodations in Australia will look for rooms with a view of these massive structures, or will at least make it a point to visit them at one point or another.

The post Think Big: Australia’s Unique Sculpture Landmarks appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

This group of dolphins I saw during my whale shark tour I took in Exmouth. But I sure you can see them in Coral Bay too, because it is usual thing to see them at the reef. Though I would be prefer more swimming time with whale shark instead of watching dolphins as there are better places to see dolphins in Western Australia. I will write about that place later.

The post Dolphins in Exmouth (video) appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

Exmouth was my first choice when I looked for swimming with whale sharks tours on my first trip to Western Australia. Only later I discovered there is another small community located just meters from Ningaloo Reef. It is Coral Bay. I don’t know why Exmouth is called gateway to Ningaloo Reef. Maybe because there is airport in Exmouth and it much easier access it? Or maybe because there are more swimming with whale sharks tour operators in Exmouth?

Coral Bay and Exmouth are incredibly different. Coral Bay is very small village where everything is in walkable distance. You can see whole settlement on this map:

View Swimming with whale sharks in Australia in a larger map

There are two whale sharks tour operators in Coral Bay:

Somebody could think s(he) could have more choice with seven tour operators in Exmouth. I am not sure about it. Tour prices are very similar in Exmouth and Coral Bay. I think Coral Bay is undeservedly overshadowed by Exmouth.
Exmouth is ~40 kilometers (~ 26 miles) from the reef. From the beaches of Coral Bay, the reef starts 40 meters out. Where would you prefer to stay overnight? On the beach or in the town?

Here are two other thing to consider.

Firstly, for whale shark tours in Exmouth there’s a 45 minute bus ride just to get to the vessel (which is moored nearer the reef), and then back again afterwards, whereas it’s a leisurely 5 minute ride in Coral Bay from any tour company office to the vessel. This means Exmouth tourists need to rise almost an hour earlier, and get back to their rooms at least an hour later or have much shorter tours!

Secondly, 10 vessels operating from Exmouth, whereas there’s only 3 in Coral Bay, so if there is only one or two whale sharks, as is common, your chances of quality swimming opportunities are much more limited from Exmouth vessels as each vessel has a maximum time allowed on the animal, and when that swim is done they have to go to the back of the line and await their turn before they can have another one.

And if you are lucky as a bonus in Coral Bay you also able to include swimming with manta rays when possible, which is almost never possible on any whale shark tour from Exmouth.

I went for whale shark tour in Exmouth, but I was swimming with Manta rays in Coral Bay. I it is up to you which place to choose, but want to note – Coral Bay Ecotours is the only tour company on the Ningaloo Reef to be fully carbon audited and 100% carbon neutral. If you are real wild life lover you should choose wisely.

The post Swimming with whale sharks in Coral Bay appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

This photo was take during my flight over Lake Argyle from Kununurra to famous Bungle Bungle. There are a lot of islands in the lake, but this heart shaped island was most beautiful from above and Valentine’s Day I think the best day to post it. Happy Valentine’s Day!

The post Weekly Travel Photo. With love from Kimberley appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.

I am in love with these colours out there – blue sky, red land and yellow bushes. This picture was taken on the way to my climb to Mount Augustus in the middle of Western Australia. Which literally means it is in the middle of nowhere. Mt. Augustus is less known rock in Australia and is overshadow by famous Uluru rock, thought Mt. Augustus is twice the size of Uluru and is much older.

The post Weekly Travel Photo. Outback road in Western Australia appeared first on Vi Travel Tips.