Esperance
12th - 14th May 2017
The foreshore in town was perfect for a picnic lunch and stroll along the jetty.
First stop, the Pink Lake. Not very pink anymore, but magnificent on this incredibly calm morning.
So many spectacular, magnificent, stunning, beautiful bays. Crystal clear sparkling water.
The superlatives go on and on. I'll let the pictures tell the story.
Simply taking it all in.
A scramble down the stairs and over the rock pools.
Loving this drive.
This was my favourite bay. And it was probably warm enough for a swim, but I left my togs back at the van. Damn! So we had a picnic lunch instead.
Looking towards West Beach from the Rotary Lookout.
Looking towards Esperance Port, Town Beach and the jetty.
These "pom pom" bushes were everywhere. I just liked them.
Perfect end to the drive. Coffee and cake at a very nice pub overlooking the marina.
This staffy kept us amused at one of the bays. He was determined to get at the "stick", more like a log. Very cleverly dug the buried end up so he could drag it away. Well, he tried to, anyway!
Skylab...I remember that. It was very exciting at the time. Space junk falling to earth in Australia!!!
Getting ready to set up in our cosy, protected corner.
Mother's Day brekky. Dezzi stood in proxy for the boys! Yum scrum!
The only place to get phone reception - at the top of the hill overlooking the beach and camp/ Spent a bit of time trudging up and down here. Hard to take this view while on the phone!!!
You can just see the roof to the amenities block behind the trees. We were camped on the other side of the building.
Up and down these stairs many times.
A daily walk along the beach. This is looking back towards "phone hill".
Stunning, stormy sunsets every evening. Sunset drinks gatherings on the beach are part of the fun!
Time to head out for the day round to the infamous Lucky Bay. Oh! Hello old friend corrugations!
How we have missed you.....not!
Thistle Bay, with the whistling rocks.
Bit nippy! But it meant the wind was whistling through the whistling rocks ha!
Next stop Hellfire Bay. Beautiful. And these people were actually catching some salmon. And wearing shorts - aaarrrggghhh!
Then Lucky Bay. The water is amazing.
But that flamin' weed! Not quite the same as the brochure. Spectacular none the less.
Augusta to Cape Le Grand has been a wonderful experience. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1,100 klm, not including day trips and exploring.
Time to take a left turn and head north towards our next adventure....The Nullabor!
Salmon Gums
18th - 19th May 2017
Quick stop in Esperance to top up the fridge and cellar, then off up the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway for a leisurely drive to our overnight camp at the little town of Salmon Gums.
Great overnight stop-over for $10.00. The caretaker, Peter and his wife, have done an amazing job with this patch of dirt. He is extremely proud of his gardens. And they do look great.
Flower pots everywhere. Even a herb garden to help yourself to. Which I did. Fresh basil and parsley in the spaghetti bol. Yumm!
Time to replace the brake pads. Kept Dezzi busy for the afternoon.
Jack of all trades.
So while Dez was busy with bush mechanics I took my trusty camera for a walk around the town.
We were going to have dinner at the old pub, which looked to have plenty of character. Sadly, like many of these outback little towns, it was shut. "Unable to get staff" sign on the door.
Most buildings now derelict.
The railway runs through the town, and once upon a time they must have had a thriving livestock stop.
So it was a pretty short, but interesting walk.
Drink o'clock and time for Peter to stoke up the communal fire pit. A very jovial evening.
Watching a sensational bush sunset.
Norseman
19th May 2017
Stock up on firewood first.
About the only thing looking at in Norseman. A tribute to the camels of the outback. Pretty neat sculptures.
The view from the look-out across the countryside, and beyond to the Nullabor.
Bring it on!!!
12th - 14th May 2017
The weather is starting to get chillier, which is a shame. The ocean is so blue, crystal clear and begging to floated in!
A couple of days in Esperance to get the washing done, stock up on groceries and revel in this magnificent coastline before heading out to Cape Le Grand National Park.
Great, quiet caravan park. Loving the cooler weather for camp fires.
A couple of days in Esperance to get the washing done, stock up on groceries and revel in this magnificent coastline before heading out to Cape Le Grand National Park.
Great, quiet caravan park. Loving the cooler weather for camp fires.
The foreshore in town was perfect for a picnic lunch and stroll along the jetty.
Day two and off to explore the coastline. There is a tourist drive/loop called Great Ocean Drive. And it was great!
First stop, the Pink Lake. Not very pink anymore, but magnificent on this incredibly calm morning.
So many spectacular, magnificent, stunning, beautiful bays. Crystal clear sparkling water.
The superlatives go on and on. I'll let the pictures tell the story.
Simply taking it all in.
A scramble down the stairs and over the rock pools.
Loving this drive.
This was my favourite bay. And it was probably warm enough for a swim, but I left my togs back at the van. Damn! So we had a picnic lunch instead.
Looking towards West Beach from the Rotary Lookout.
Looking towards Esperance Port, Town Beach and the jetty.
These "pom pom" bushes were everywhere. I just liked them.
Perfect end to the drive. Coffee and cake at a very nice pub overlooking the marina.
This staffy kept us amused at one of the bays. He was determined to get at the "stick", more like a log. Very cleverly dug the buried end up so he could drag it away. Well, he tried to, anyway!
In town there is a heritage area where a handful of historic buildings have been relocated and now house small businesses.
Skylab...I remember that. It was very exciting at the time. Space junk falling to earth in Australia!!!
Cape Le Grand National Park
14th - 18th May2017
Cape Le Grand is renowned for being home to one of the top beaches in Australia - Lucky bay. Well, unfortunately for us the weather was cold, rainy and windy most of the time, so we didn't see it at its best. However, we still loved exploring this area.
There are two camp grounds. One at Lucky Bay, and the other at Cape Le Grand. We opted for Cape Le Grand as Lucky Bay is quite exposed to the elements. Once again, Western Australia National Parks has excelled with their camp grounds. This one has a proper ablutions block with hot showers and flushing toilets. Now, this may not seem like much, but when you are camping all the time, it is heaven!
Great, cosy camp sites well spaced, so lovely and quiet.
Getting ready to set up in our cosy, protected corner.
Mother's Day brekky. Dezzi stood in proxy for the boys! Yum scrum!
The only place to get phone reception - at the top of the hill overlooking the beach and camp/ Spent a bit of time trudging up and down here. Hard to take this view while on the phone!!!
You can just see the roof to the amenities block behind the trees. We were camped on the other side of the building.
At the top of the hill on the phone when a squall came through. Drenched! Looking towards Frenchman's Peak. I would have loved to do that hike, but it was closed due to the bad weather.
Up and down these stairs many times.
A daily walk along the beach. This is looking back towards "phone hill".
Stunning, stormy sunsets every evening. Sunset drinks gatherings on the beach are part of the fun!
Still trying to catch some salmon. The frustrating part of fishing along the southern coast in winter is all the ocean grasses. There is tonnes of it. Apparently it all gets blown onto shore during autumn and winter. Then in spring and summer it all gets washed away. So as far as fishing goes, its a case of cast out, drag a clump of grass in. Cast out, drag a clump of grass in. Give up!!!
Time to head out for the day round to the infamous Lucky Bay. Oh! Hello old friend corrugations!
How we have missed you.....not!
Thistle Bay, with the whistling rocks.
Bit nippy! But it meant the wind was whistling through the whistling rocks ha!
Next stop Hellfire Bay. Beautiful. And these people were actually catching some salmon. And wearing shorts - aaarrrggghhh!
Then Lucky Bay. The water is amazing.
But that flamin' weed! Not quite the same as the brochure. Spectacular none the less.
Augusta to Cape Le Grand has been a wonderful experience. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1,100 klm, not including day trips and exploring.
Time to take a left turn and head north towards our next adventure....The Nullabor!
Salmon Gums
18th - 19th May 2017
Quick stop in Esperance to top up the fridge and cellar, then off up the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway for a leisurely drive to our overnight camp at the little town of Salmon Gums.
Great overnight stop-over for $10.00. The caretaker, Peter and his wife, have done an amazing job with this patch of dirt. He is extremely proud of his gardens. And they do look great.
Flower pots everywhere. Even a herb garden to help yourself to. Which I did. Fresh basil and parsley in the spaghetti bol. Yumm!
Time to replace the brake pads. Kept Dezzi busy for the afternoon.
Jack of all trades.
So while Dez was busy with bush mechanics I took my trusty camera for a walk around the town.
We were going to have dinner at the old pub, which looked to have plenty of character. Sadly, like many of these outback little towns, it was shut. "Unable to get staff" sign on the door.
Most buildings now derelict.
The railway runs through the town, and once upon a time they must have had a thriving livestock stop.
So it was a pretty short, but interesting walk.
Drink o'clock and time for Peter to stoke up the communal fire pit. A very jovial evening.
Watching a sensational bush sunset.
Norseman
19th May 2017
A quick look around Norseman. Not much to see. It is the Start / Finish line town for the Nullabor drive. So top up with fuel. A picnic lunch at the lookout and we will be ready to tackle one of the iconic drives in Australia. Can't wait!
Stock up on firewood first.
Norseman Gold mine. The discovery of a rich gold reef by Laurie Sinclair in 1894 as a result of his horse 'Norseman' uncovering a piece of gold bearing quartz, caused a town to be established and named in honour of the horse. Since then a rich history of gold mining has developed with numerous mines operating over the years and many ounces of gold being extracted.
The view from the look-out across the countryside, and beyond to the Nullabor.
Bring it on!!!
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