Esperance & Le Grand National Park

Esperance certainly is a long way from any other major township. Driving back onto the highway from Bremer Bay where I spent the night is really uneventful, virtually no traffic, even on the highway, only the odd Road Train and Caravans in tow of the usual 4-wheel-drives. I am not that impressed with Ravensthorpe along the way, so I keep going on to Esperance. Some scrub by the roadside, but opening up into grasslands which turn greener the closer I get to Esperance.

Getting close to Esperance

Certainly an indication of increased rainfall in this part of the country. Quite a few cattle out in the fields too. I pick up a few groceries, re-fuel and find a campsite by the beach in a camping ground.

The weather is overcast, its very windy, quite cool, so I need to dress more appropriately with long pants again, a woollen sweater and a jacket to keep out the wind. Esperance has a beautiful harbour with many islands dotting the foreshore. There are some ocean-going ships at anchor in the bay, waiting to be loaded. With the sky closed in I am being denied the full splendor that a bright sunny day would bring.

The following morning I decide to drive into Le Grand National Park. The weather is still heavily overcast but I decide I should take the chance to see some of the magnificent places in the park, hopefully the sun may come through if only for a little while. Alas, the sun does stay hidden under deep cloud cover. The sand on all beaches is very white, much like the colour of snow; without the sun lighting the scene, most of the colours are less dazzling. I stop at Lucky Bay which has a beautiful beach as well as a simple campsite. Unfortunately, the sand is covered in brown seagrass, the campsite not particularly inviting either.




Views from Thistle Cove


I drive around to Thistle Cove with great views from shore but no camping facilities. As this is a National Park, 'wild' camping is not allowed and the Park Rangers will kick you out quick smart. I leave the Park back onto the main road, heading further east towards Condingup, then south to Orleans Bay. My GPS is pointing me down Merrivale road which soon turns into gravel, not too bad, though a very dusty affair for about 25km before I get back onto sealed Orleans Bay road. By now the weather has really closed in, the caravan park at Orleans Bay looks deserted except for some 'permanents' - it looks just like one of those places where people could disappear from, besides, the office is not attended, so I beat a retreat, drive back to Esperance.


Orleans Bay