Most Australians know Ningaloo as the place where tourists swim with mighty Whale Sharks and graceful Manta Rays. But Ningaloo is far more than that. It consists of three intertwined ecosystems: Ningaloo Reef, the Cape Range and Exmouth Gulf – each relying on the other to remain in balance.

Ningaloo Reef stretches 260 km, making it the longest fringing coral reef in the world. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2011. Along the shore, the Cape Range rises — once an ancient seabed, lifted into land when two continental plates collided. Many species here are found nowhere else on earth. Exmouth Gulf, however, was excluded from the World Heritage Listing, despite being a crucial nursery for endangered species such as dugongs, sawfish, sea snakes and shorebirds. Its turbid corals are especially remarkable, able to withstand temperatures that would kill most others.

Tim Winton tells the story of this extraordinary place with clarity and passion, introducing young readers to its key habitats and the life they support. Did you know that Lake Macleod is home to the largest inland mangrove community in the world? Winton makes plain the global significance of Ningaloo’s wild beauty.

Cindy Lane’s realistic illustrations perfectly complement the text, bringing it to life.

This book matters. Everyone should read it to understand Ningaloo’s uniqueness and fragility. Winton closes with a powerful reminder: each of us has a role in protecting it.

Reviewed by Rowena Morcom

Age Guide 5+

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

As well as being a four-time winner of the Miles Franklin Award and bestselling author, Tim Winton is well known for his environmental activism – particularly for his efforts to preserve the biodiversity of Western Australia’s remarkable Ningaloo region. Tim said, ‘Ningaloo has been a big part of my life. I’ve spent over 30 years learning about this remarkable and unrepeatable place, and I’m so pleased to be able to share it in this way with young people all over the world.’

Cindy Lane is a Perth-based artist, illustrator and children’s book creator whose first picture book, Great White Shark (written by Claire Saxby), won the Royal Zoological Society of NSW Whitely Award for Best Children’s Book.