Archive for the ‘Special Events’ Category


Easter Accommodation for 2013

This year we were full in all our homes about 4-5 months in advance of the Easter 2012 dates. Not everyone is a forward planner, but this morning I got my first 2013 Easter enquiry, that is 13 months in advance!

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.


Slim Jim and the Phats Band

Little known fact that I booked Jamie Mercanti and his band Slim Jim and the Phats Band over 20 plus years ago now for one of their very first gigs at the Iona Presentation College year 10 dance. That was an awesome night back in 1983!!

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.


Cyclone Iggy in Exmouth

Much preparation goes into getting the holiday homes we have in Exmouth in readiness for a pending cyclone, this one being Iggy. Who calls a cyclone Iggy by the way?!

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.


IGFA and Stanford University – Great Marlin Race

There is very exciting news this week for the Exmouth Game Fishing Club.
The annual Gamex tournament at Exmouth will this coming March 2012 be part of the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) Great Marlin Race. The Great Marlin Race is a partnership between IGFA and the USA’s Stanford University that pairs recreational anglers with cutting-edge science to learn more about the basic biology of marlin and how they utilise the open ocean habitat.   The goal of the program is to deploy 50 pop-up archival tags (PAT) in marlin at billfish tournaments around the world each year, and a limited number of these tags will be available to Gamex anglers, with the tournament running from March 9-17.   Gamex and Exmouth is the ONLY Australian Tournament and location that has been chosen for 2012. (We feel very privileged!!)  This effort will increase understanding of distribution, population structure and biology of marlin and engage anglers and the general public in the research process.

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 – Learmonth – Paraburdoo Service

News just in.

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.


Accommodation for GAMEX and AIBT 2012

The Exmouth Game Fishing Club is getting itself organised for the 2012 season of GAMEX and AIBT. Last year we saw record numbers of boats and fishermen come into the town for this ever popular event. With accommodation at a premium I would like to urge you to book your holiday homes now. I still have some vacancy in some of our most popular homes.

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.

 


Cyclone Vance 1999 Recovery Research

I thought this may be of interest to some of you who ‘were there’ during the cyclone in 1999.

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 26-28th September – so if you are available, please contact Helen Smith: helenwilsonsmith@gmail.com or 045 146 1202.

 


Dive Companies in Exmouth

Have been getting some rave reviews from guests lately who have been diving with the Whalesharks on the Ningaloo Reef.

Three Island Marine Charters www.whalesharkdive.com have been commented on as the most helpful, especially for novice swimmers or those who are a bit nervy getting into the water.

Ningaloo Whaleshark and Dive www.ningaloowhalesharkndive have also had some amazing reviews commenting on their professional organisation and ease of booking with the crew on the boats as apparently some of the ‘cutest’ around!

Ningaloo Blue always are consistently good operators and I am sure all the other dive companies are just as good, but all the talk from my guests is on the two mentioned at the moment.

Looks like there is only about another week of whaleshark dives to be had, but apparently the humpbacks are in abundance on the west side of the Cape, so still plenty to see.


Qantas cheap airfares to Exmouth

You only have a few more days to access the cheap airfares to Exmouth. The special deals finish March 30th, but they may extend that special offer time frame.

Tickets are $129 each way. For flights between 4th May – 22nd June, and 26th July – 14th September.

All other flights are either $149 or $179 each way on the current introductory cheaper flights. So book now.

We are very grateful for the second airline, it really opens up the availability of flights into Exmouth and gives our guests more opportunity to enjoy the wonders of the Ningaloo Reef.


Australian International Billfish Tournament in Exmouth

Records were broken before any boats hit the water for the Australian International Billfish Tournament last week.  There were 67 boats entered: the largest on record.  This also resulted in the largest number of competitors.  The Exmouth Game Fishing Club are checking to see if they have also had more billfish tagged than any other AIBT event, with 114 tagged billfish.  The billfishing was quiet for Exmouth standards, but only a handful of boats did not catch a fish over the three days.  It was perfect weather conditions with the Exmouth gulf glassing off every day to make a great view for patrons at the Exmouth Game Fishing Club house.
It all began on the Tuesday morning with the Bertram Champagne Breakfast and sailpast flare start at the marina.  All the boats lined up in front of the clubhouse and took off at once, while wives, sponsors and interested locals watched from ashore.  Photographer Sascha Unger got some spectacular photographs from the Birds Eye View Ultralight and all the boats safely proceeded to start the days’ fishing.
The results were:
Champion Team Tag and Release Billfish: Aqua Runner-up Champion Team Tag and Release Billfish: Mahi Mahi II Champion Angler Tag and Release Billfish: Kurt Williamson Champion Team Tag and Release Billfish on Fly: Weapon Champion Junior Tag and Release Billfish: Michael Wunhym. Champion Team Tag and Release Marlin: Aqua Champion Team Tag and Release Sailfish: Catweasel The prizes were custom built rods from Matt Gates at

Bluewater Tackle World Exmouth with engraved Shimano Tiagra Reels for the main sections and engraved Tibor Reels for the fly-fishing section.  The juniors were supported by Exmouth Tackle and Camping, while Aspen Parks picked up the fly section.  Chevron representatives came to support the event, as did Simrad with a display of electronic units for anglers to see and ask questions.  Kailis provided the seafood for the presentation dinner, while the event also attracted support from Exmouth Marina Village, Apache,
Sea Surface Temperature, Maui Jim, and Richter Lures.  The whole community was invited to come down after the event to chat with the anglers on the Friday night at the clubhouse when the band Slim Jim and the Phatts played.
It was a great social night and the town is a buzz with fishing talk at the moment.

Pic is the flare start with the boats taking off for the start of the AIBT

AIBT cruise past

AIBT cruise past


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