Next year the April School Holidays fall late in the month commencing April 20 – May 5.

Easter is very early commencing Good Friday March 29 – April 1.  Only one or two of our holiday homes will accept a 3 night booking so if you are planning on coming to Exmouth in 2013 for an Easter break, you will need to be well organised to book.

We lose a house or two next year, but we also gain a few new ones as well. So exciting times ahead.

Manta is a three bedroom older style Dravo with one King Bed, one Double bed and one fold out double on a sofa bed. There is one bathroom. Rates range from $700 – $900 a week depending on length of stay. (negotiable)

Seabird is  a new three bedroom one bathroom home with one Queen bed and a set of bunks in each of the other two rooms. Very new and modern.  This home is perfect for a family who may be in town on a short term contract. Rates range from $800 – $1000 a week depending on length of stay. (negotiable)

It is very difficult to find accommodation at these prices for short stays in Exmouth, and already I have some months filled. Please contact me for more information if you are interested in either a long holiday in town or accommodation for your workers.

ph: Helen mob – 0400 933 338 or email info@ningaloo.net

Today I got an email at 7am from a Bunbury couple and their wee highland terrier, looking for 4 nights accommodation. Driftwood was available which is also pet friendly. They swung by the office at 13 Griffiths Way, I took their full payment, they followed me over to the house, and they are now out fishing from Bundegi Boat Ramp. Very simple process.

So whilst I dont recommend that you try this during school holidays or peak times, you can sometimes jag a last minute holiday house in Exmouth…with ease through Ningaloo Reef Holidays.

Now the band is back to play tomorrow night march 9th 2012 with their second last gig ever at the opening night of GAMEX Fishing Competition in Exmouth. Tickets can still be purchased from Bluewater Tackle in Exmouth or from the Exmouth Game Fishing Club. I believe it is nearly sold out.

With tomorrow being a steamy 38deg and humid, it will surely be a night to remember. I am personally looking forward to catching up with my old friend Jamie.

Once we know that evacuation is required, I do the ring around to our guests to inform them of the bad news that it would be wise to leave town. Not always that easy as our recent evacuees have discovered. Fires have cut of the North West Highway, so it has been a difficult decision. Stay or go?  Our Karratha guests held out as long as possible, thinking that a cyclone in Exmouth on holiday would be a hell of alot better than a cyclone in Karratha whilst working. But even they in the end couldn’t  take the risk of flooding.

Our caretakers then go around to all the houses, taking down shade sails, bringing in all the furniture, fastening the cyclone shutters and battening down the hatches.

We sincerely hope that Iggy is all POP and not too much BANG. Will keep you posted.

By increasing the understanding of where these animals go and how they use the pelagic ecosystem, it will provide valuable information to the resource managers and policy makers responsible for ensuring their long-term conservation.  One hundred and twenty days after each tag is deployed, it automatically releases itself from the fish and transmits information such as the fish’s path, depth profiles, and sea temperatures to earth-orbiting ARGOS satellites.  Tag sponsors, anglers and the general public will be able to view the migration routes of tagged marlin through Google Earth-enabled maps on the Great Marlin Race website where pop-up tag locations and animal tracks are displayed.

The subsidised cost of each tag is $4000.   The marlin, and sponsor, whose tag travels the farthest of all 50 tags will be recognised at the annual IGFA International Auction and Banquet in January 2013, while the angler who tags the winning fish in the Exmouth leg of the 2011/12 Great Marlin Race will receive a free five-year membership to EGFC and free entry to Gamex 2013.

The Exmouth Game Fishing Club believes it is fantastic opportunity to place Exmouth firmly on the international game fishing map and to support scientific research and marlin conservation.   To sponsor a tag email Exmouth Game Fishing Club at secretary@egfc.com.au, with tags sold on a first come, first served basis. For more information visit go to http://igmr.igfa.org .

Skywest Airlines will launch a new weekly service Learmonth – Paraburdoo commencing Monday 28th November 2011. This schedule will be extended to include additional Tuesday flights, effective 13 December 2011

Looks like they are departing Learmonth 8.35 am arriving Paraburdoo 9.35am and then returning Paraburdoo 10.15am arriving in Learmonth 11.15am.

Pricing starts from $159 one way. Bookings can be made on www.skywest.com.au or via phone 1300 66 00 88.

Great news for all our Paraburdoo holiday home guests wishing to get to Exmouth for a quick long weekend away. We would love to see you. We have holiday homes that accept 3,4 and 5 night stays, some even allow pets.

A nice marlin caught off Exmouth

GAMEX dates- 10 March – 17 March

AIBT dates – 19 March – 25 March

Coral – sleeps 4 singles in two queen beds and two single beds. Tariff – $170 a night

Turtle – sleeps 2 singles in two queen beds. Tariff – $180 a night

Oyster – Sleeps 6 singles in two queen beds and 2×2 sets of bunks. Tariff – $180 a night

Tusk – only available from March 18 – 25. Sleeps up to 9 singles in one King bed, two queen beds, one single bed and 2×2 sets of bunks. Tariff – $230 – $320 a night

Mandu – ON THE CANALS and the closest holiday house to the Marina and the Exmouth Game Fishing Club. Why is this not booked!!?? Sleeps 6 singles in 3 King beds which unzip to make 6 King Singles. Tariff – $300 a night.

(Ningaloo Reef Holidays is a sponsor of GAMEX) See you all at the competition, make sure you introduce yourselves if I haven’t met you yet.

In your accommodation you will find cyclone information, please read this booklet, be alerted to the radio broadcasts on the ABC North West, be mindful of the ‘alerts’ as colour coded at the Police Station on Maidstone Cres. Make yourself familiar with what is happening around you, and talk to the neighbours if in doubt. Or ring me.

Note that we do refund your accommodation funds should there be a cyclone and you are unable to drive or fly into Exmouth due to tropical storms. Should you just change your mind because the weather is a little stormy or the waters not a blue as usual, then unfortunately we dont deem that as a refundable cause. If the weather is dangerous, then we will refund. Please read your booking terms and conditions, it is fully explained.

Christmas in Exmouth is a warm time of year, we recommend that you are fully prepared for the above 40deg temperatures. It’s not a holiday when you are locked in your airconditioned accommodation.

UWA Long-term Recovery Research – Cyclone Vance 1999

We are team of researchers from the University of Western Australia that are conducting research into the various drivers, organisations and the total time it took regional Western Australian communities to recover from various natural disasters. The road to recovery after Cyclone Vance in March 1999 is of great interest to us. We are looking to interview any interested community members who are still in town and who were resident in Exmouth at the time of Cyclone Vance. We will be in town from the 26-28^th September – so if you are available, please contact Helen Smith: helenwilsonsmith@gmail.com or 045 146 1202.