New Beginnings ?

Its cold and windy and overcast at Esperance. I do want to be with my friends in Sydney now for a bit of distance from the events from last week. Driving across the Nullabor is not an option at this time, instead I will fly back on 24 Feb and leave my van at Perth in storage for a few weeks.
For now I will drive back to Busselton for a few days, meet up with people I know there, then drive up to Perth on Monday, 23 to put my van down at Orange Grove, my usual storage point unfortunately not available at this time of year.

I will keep you posted as to what is happening from then on. I intend to stay for about 5-6 weeks before continuing my journey in WA.

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

Still a bit vague and I am not really taking in that much of the landscape around me. At Pemberton I naturally visit the tall fire observation trees where steel poles have been driven into a tree trunk to form steps and hand holds so one can climb to the top, about 60 metres off the ground. To come down you need to walk down backward which will be particularly strenuous if you are not top fit. Needless to say I left that adventure to someone younger.

One of the "Fire-outlook-Trees" to climb

I left Pemberton to continue on to Walpole, about 104km away. When I pull in at Walpole Visitor Centre to collect some local maps, the first sign I see in the car park out the front that reads: "Overnight camping not permitted, penalty $1000", all of that in red. I thought to myself, thank you for making me feel welcome already. I stay a little out of town on a campsite by the ocean. Its hot but ok in the shade.

Treetop Walk near Walpole

The following morning I drive on another 7km to see and walk the tree top walk and then drive on to Albany, collect some mail and check in at one of the 2 campgrounds in town. My mail from Sydney has not arrived yet so I must hang around till Monday. Its heavily overcast, quite dark and strong wind gusts really feel uncomfortable and cold.

Albany Farmer's Market on Saturdays


Time to put on long pants. Good decision because the following day, Saturday is exactly the same, if not more so. I meet two german girls who travel together and we spend the evening talking in my van, drinking beer. It turns out a lovely evening, late when we hit our respective beds.

View of one of Albany's Bays on a sunny Sunday

Sunday morning and a surprise, bits of blue sky that turns into a lovely and sunny day, finally giving me an opportunity to explore some of those beautiful views around Albany. I am not disappointed.

On to Augusta

This morning I drove from my campsite this side of Busselton to the south-western most point in Western Australia. The road south following the coastal highway was quite interesting and much varied in character. Initially lots and lots of wineries then sheep and cattle in fenced paddocks. The last few kilometers were covered in forest with large Eucalypts growing along the way.

It’s a really hot day today, contrary to the predictions of much cooler weather, no shade anywhere on the main road. I check at the Post Office but my mail has not arrived as yet and so will try to see if its there tomorrow. Another option may be to have it forwarded to Albany. I will decide tomorrow.

Tonight I have checked in to Flinders Bay Caravan Park, right by the beach.

Sorry, no pictures today either.

Hangin out by the Beach

Looking east toward Busselton

This location right by the beach of the tranquil waters of Geograph Bay (named by French Explorers) is unbelievably beautiful. We are experiencing fairly high temperatures (Perth 38) but a cool breeze off the water helps to keep me cooler in the shade of the trees. The land mass jutting out into the Indian Ocean is perhaps about 50 km wide, forming a large Bay.


Sunrise on the beach looking westward

The camp is located on its south shore, so instead of usually facing west on this coast, I am now facing North instead when I stand on the beach looking out to sea. Most of the ocean swell and the winds are coming up from the south, therefore the waters in the bay are relatively calm, without any surf running. The sand is white and fine, many of the visitors here have brought their kids who seem to be spending most of their days in the shallow waters, their parents on the beach under beach umbrellas watching their offsprings.


A tranquil morning - even for the sea gulls

I just spoke to Jo who is at Goomalling, about 200km north-east of Perth. She is telling me its very hot already, probably even hotter than yesterday where she had 38 degrees in her motorhome. On these hot days it is very much an advantage to be staying by the coast with a cooling breeze all day long. Although many caravans have left, more of the "Grey Nomads", long-time travellers, seem to have taken up the vacated spaces, most staying for extended periods, in point of fact, a lady that stayed at the same campground at Perth just before we left to fly to Bali, has just moved in and she told me, she is intending to stay till Easter.

For the moment the heat seems to have gone, the last two days being rather cool instead. For the weekend and into the early part of next week however, we have a forecast for about 36 degrees for Perth, so summer is a long way from being over. I intend to move on again on Monday, 9.2. and drive further south to Augusta to collect my mail. This town is known to be rather windy and if the heat should strike, Augusta is probably a somewhat cooler place to be. (fingers crossed)