SUNDAY 2 MAY ESPERANCE
John played in the abbreviated tournament. He came second and won $50.
I did some washing and cleaning, and read. I had appreciated having the books borrowed from the local library.
2004 Travels May 1
SATURDAY 1 MAY ESPERANCE
It was even colder today.
The planned bowls for today was cancelled, as there were not enough entries, so they were to play tomorrow, only. John was disappointed.
We walked to the shops and bought the weekend papers.
John arranged for us to practice bowls with a local couple. It was a pleasant game, and we had drinks together afterwards.
2004 Travels April 30
FRIDAY 30 APRIL ESPERANCE
The weather turned cold, and it rained.
In the morning, we did a fairly extensive shop for supplies. Collected a bad of mail from the Post Office. Amongst its contents was a newsy letter from son’s wife.
John went off to practice bowls after lunch. I read.
2004 Travels April 29
THURSDAY 29 APRIL ESPERANCE
After breakfast, we went back to Lake Monjingup. This time, we spent over three hours there, wandering about, watching birds, trying to identify the varied bushes, and just generally enjoying the little oasis of wilderness.
Lake Monjingup
We spotted a Western Spinebill, for the first time, and a Fan Tailed Cuckoo.
Very symmetrical banksia
I was quite intrigued by an ant path that extended a long way, over soil and rock. I wondered how many zillion ant footsteps it had needed to make such a clear path? Amazing.
Ant path with large ant mound in background
Venerable banksia
The rest of the day, I read and John played computer games.
2004 Travels April 27
WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL ESPERANCE
We were woken very early by a phone call from the errant daughter. She’d forgotten about the time difference! She needed to borrow money until her financial situation got more sorted out. Later in the day, we transferred some money to her.
I decided to phone my minister friend P, to see if he would counsel daughter, and assess her state of mind, for me. I knew I could rely on his impartial, and expert, views – and he’d known daughter for years. He agreed. I felt better for having actively done something!
John bowled in the afternoon. He won some beer, for coming second. He came back with the news that there was to be a big bowls tournament on here, next weekend. I agreed that we could stay on longer, so he could play in that, instead of leaving on Saturday, as planned.
While John was at bowls. I walked to the town library, where I was able to borrow some reading matter. I had to pay a $50 surety, though.
Aerial view of Esperance, showing Pink Lake – from postcard (source unknown)
2004 Travels April 27
TUESDAY 27 APRIL ESPERANCE
In the morning, we went to bowls. The game was a new form of Scroungers (for us), and was good fun. That type of game allows individual scoring, and takes off the pressure to perform that goes with the usual team structures of games. It is much more social and light hearted.
Back at camp, after lunch, John did some computer stuff for the first part of the afternoon.
Then we drove the 14kms out to Lake Monjingup – a botanical reserve, with lakes and teeming bird life. It was a lovely spot. We walked about and did some bird spotting, and could have used more time out there. We’d left it a bit late in the day to do the place justice.
Banksia
2004 Travels April 26
MONDAY 26 APRIL ESPERANCE
Today was a public holiday.
We went driving, firstly around the 38km long Tourist Loop. This followed the coast west from the town, then looped back around past the Pink Lake, to town. This had got to be one of the best coasts in Australia. It was so beautiful. The road wound about, and each rise crested gave an outlook over the sea and islands, and occasional beaches.
There were also occasional glimpses of the wind farms.
The day was a bit grey and slightly chilly, so we were not tempted to stop and walk on any of the beaches.
We saw the Pink Lake – faintly pink, due to its salt-tolerant algae. Apparently, it could be really quite vividly pink, but not so at the moment.
We drove back through town and out the other side, around to the Bandy Creek boat harbour – an anchorage place for fishing boats and smaller craft, away from the seriously large shipping frequenting the main harbour.
From there, followed a track that took us on to the point beyond, and Wylie Bay. There is so much beautiful coastal scenery around Esperance that, after a while, one starts to become a little immune to it!
Today was an enjoyable sight seeing day.
At night, there were more of the ongoing phone call and text messages with daughter, concerning her situation and plans. They just perpetuated my unhappiness with it all.
2004 Travels April 25
SUNDAY 25 APRIL ESPERANCE
After breakfast, took ourselves off to the Tourist Information/historic Museum complex.
There were a number of craft outlets within the historic area. John got a leather maker to put a tie, or thong, onto the good Akubra hat he’d bought last year in Charleville. Without this, it was only going to be a matter of time before it was lost forever, off a cliff or jetty!
I bought a beaded anklet, for $6 – a pretty little thing.
There were some Anzac Day commemorations happening in the town.
After lunch back at the van, we went for a walk. There was a very pleasant path along the Esplanade – pretty, interesting, and with the sea outlook to the offshore islands, that were part of the large stretch of islands making up the Archipelago of the Recherche.
Brilliant ocean views abounded in Esperance
We walked as far as a shipping pier where a boat was unloading something that was grey and dusty – fertilizer?
Couldn’t make actual phone contact with John’s travelling cousin, but our criss-crossing phone messages established that they were leaving Perth tomorrow, heading back to Melbourne, so our paths will not quite intersect, this trip.
2004 Travels April 24
SATURDAY 24 APRIL FRASER RANGE TO ESPERANCE 310kms
Today’s aim had now become to get to Esperance in time to get the two problem tyres fixed!
We refuelled at Norseman – $1.04cpl – and turned south for the run to the coast.
It was pleasant to get back into the farming country south of Norseman. The roads became lined by stands of the salmon gums whose vivid pink-red trunks had so impressed us when we first encountered them in 1993.
Reached Esperance about midday.
Pulled straight into the first tyre place we came to – a Beaurepaires. They fixed the tyres then and there, while we waited. Great service! Both needed new tubes.
Booked into the Seafront Caravan park – a Top Tourist one. This was $19.80 a night, after discount, with the seventh night free because we booked for a week. Quite reasonable. It was a very pleasant caravan park.
After a quick set up of the basics, we headed off to the shops. Fresh produce again! But some of their stocks were low, as it was a long weekend in WA, and getting close to shop closing time.
Back at camp we finished the setting up for an extended stay.
Went out and bought fish and chips for tea. It was expensive – $6.50 a piece for flake! Not what we expected in a seaside location.
2004 Travels April 23
FRIDAY 23 APRIL MADURA TO FRASER RANGE 427kms
We were soon driving up the – comparatively low – Madura Pass. It is here that the road descends from the plain to the west, to a lower level one – maybe reflecting a former sea level. We had already come down onto that lower level at Eucla, yesterday, where it was not so noticeable. Now we were leaving it again.
Continued driving over the Nullarbor.
The fabled Ninety Mile Straight stretch seemed to pass quickly, because we were talking.
Today’s refuels were at Madura ($1.35cpl) and Balladonia Roadhouse ($1.36cpl).
We stopped at Balladonia Roadhouse, for fuel, and because I wanted a cappucino to cheer me up. But John heard the sound of a tyre going down, as he was filling up. It was on the back driver’s side of truck, as opposed to the front tyre on the same side, which seemed to have had a slow leak ever since we left Fowlers Bay. This surely had to be from running the part deflated tyres, especially when we rolled the tyres to the side. coming off the beach. It was just too much to be coincidence.
I never did get my coffee, because, after doing the necessary wheel change, John just wanted to get going again!
Decided to try out the new Fraser Range Station Caravan Park – only a km off the highway. It cost $18 for the night. The place was still being developed, but was really pleasant, already. It could be excellent, in the future. There were good, drive-through, powered, caravan bays, and the best Atco type amenities I’d ever encountered. It was better already than many caravan parks we’d stayed at.
We did not have to do much setting up.
Went for a walk on a track up through their valley, beyond the camp area, and through some lovely bush. We actually spotted three new birds, for us. John found an old station rubbish dump and had a close look at that – such “old stuff” excites his imagination.
It was a chilly night.
This Adventurous Age 