This time last year, we we’re camped on the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia, watching whales.

Warroora Station, Ningaloo Reef

Looking back through some old notebooks, I came across a little poem I wrote:

Whale caravan

Following their long journey from the ocean depths
Snow-capped mountains break across the reef
An avalanche of white mist crashes and rolls
Gently towards the shore.

Humpback whales make their way playfully
Amidst this reshaping of their ocean dwelling
Making the annual pilgrimage North
Toward warmer waters.

A pod of caravans and RVs meanders along the coast
Like their fellow travellers from down South
They’ve wandered slowly toward the tropical divide
For warmth and the winter sun.