Cape Range National Park has a rugged limestone range and arid coastal plain adjoining pristine waters of Ningaloo Marine Park.

Our first botanical find of the day – Banksia ashbyii growing on red sand dunes near the lighthouse. This is the northern most banksia in WA and the only species found here.

Green birdflower growing near the banksias.

Jurabi Turtle Centre

The beach here is a turtle rookery in summer.

Feral cats have no fear …until a clown suddenly walked into the visitor centre. Coulrophobia is no laughing matter.

Cape Range Kurrajong – endemic to the Cape Range and a prominent tree where the range is closer to the coast.

Mangrove Bay

Australian kestrel

View from the bird hide. Grey and red mangroves (Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa) grow here.

Eastern reef egret (dark form)

Turquoise Bay was voted this year from world wide travel writers as one of the 30 best beaches in the world. The waves are breaking on Ningaloo Reef in the background.

Mandu Mandu gorge walk – a trail meanders along a rocky creek bed and deep into the gorge.

Beads were found in Mandu Mandu Gorge dating back to at least 30,000 years.

White marker poles show the track position. 33 degrees in the gorge on the reflective boulders made the going difficult.

Flannel Bush (Solanum lasiophyllum)

Yardie Creek Trail

Yardie Creek

Black-flanked rock wallabies live on the cliffs in the gorge. Abundant figs (Ficus brachypoda) support a variety of animals and birds.

The brush

The black flank

Black headed flying fox in the mangroves beside Yardie Creek

The trail leads up the top of the escarpment.

Osprey on the lookout for afternoon tea

The trail leads further up the limestone ridge with views into the Yardie Creek Gorge.

Western bowerbird resplendent in the afternoon light.

Brahminy kite sharing airspace with the osprey over Yardie Creek

Little corella eating spinifex at Sandy Bay

Termite mounds glowing red in the late afternoon light….

…and other red things becoming active. We encountered three Red kangaroos on the roadside as we headed north out of the park. Here are two of them.

Sunset from the turtle rookery beach at Cape Range