Yours Australia — Issue 97 2017

Australia’s western coast is letting

Markeeta Waddington discovers

Today’s destination is the

one I’ve been waiting for:

Monkey Mia! Ever since

I was a child I’ve dreamed

of feeding the dolphins

at this beachside nirvana.

En route we stop at the

Shark Bay World Heritage

Discovery & Visitor Centre, where

we learn about the area’s fascinating

ecosystem – it’s basically the

Galapagos Islands of Australia. With

plants and animals found nowhere

else in the world, thanks to abundant

seagrass meadows and the clear,

sheltered waters, it’s easy to see why

Shark Bay is World Heritage-listed.

Finally we arrive at

Monkey Mia and stretch our

legs with a walk along the

jetty, where we spot three

dolphins swimming right

below us! As the sun sets,

we head back to Monkey Mia

Dolphin Resort to get ready

for our group dinner and drinks.

Taking the opportunity to get to

know our coach buddies over a glass

of wine and a juicy steak, we chat to

fellow seasoned travellers about past

holidays and future destinations.

Their wish-list destinations span the

globe – from an Antarctic cruise to

campervan jaunts across Australia.

head down to the beach

arly to secure a good

pot for the first dolphin

feeding. Monkey Mia has

changed a little since we

watched the Leyland

Brothers on TV, standing

n the shallows as friendly

olphins nudged their legs.

wadays, the program is

h more sustainable, with

ing times and limited fish

olphins so they’ll catch

their own as nature intended.

Luckily, I was selected to step

into the water and feed one of

the dolphins – and I could barely

contain my excitement at getting

so close to the graceful creatures.

Up next was an optional activity,

a scenic flight across Shark Bay.

We marvel at the sight of the sheer

cliffs dropping into the deep blue

ocean, the sting rays, sharks and

a whale, and even the beauty of

the salt mines (below).

That evening we have a delicious

meal at The Boughshed – seafood

linguine, lamb papardelle and

kangaroo fillet with ragout

Heading back to

room, we’re dazz

by the brightness

the night sky s s

th ragout.

our

led

sof

ars.

ONWARD & UPWARD

We

ea

s

f

i

do

Now

much

set feed

for the do

Wehead down to the beach

DOLPHIN DAYS

AIRS

Markrkeetatta withwiitth

pppottJuliana d

llloowwttrave

SSStephen

MONKEY BUSINESS

Spot a pod of dolphins

from Monkey Mia jetty

FLIPPER!

Snorkel in the

pristine water

FEEDING TIME

Get up close to

the dolphins

MAGIC MOMENTS

Sunset at Monkey Mia