Driving through a forest of salmon gums, a flock of black cockatoos flew overhead. They were Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo – an endangered species that is only found in South-West Australia.
We crossed their path and headed towards Alexander Bay. The track was sturdy but, in our excitement, we ignored the fact that it was scattered with potholes.
The road led us through a region speckled by banksia and wildflowers.
Before we reached the bleached sand, which we expected to roll into the vibrant blue waters, we hit a pot hole. We hit it so hard, our tow bar bent out of shape, making it dangerous to tow the camper trailer.
We pushed on anyway, and made it to the beach. Seaweed had washed up all over the sand. You could have confused it for a colony of beached Yeti’s. It was not the scene we had expected.
While waiting for the car part to arrive, we camped in Esperance itself and discovered the Great Ocean Drive. The sun was setting over the water, putting on a brilliant light show, as we drove from West Beach to Twilight Beach and many others along the way.
Near Esperance (some 45km) is Cape Le Grand National Park. This is home to Lucky Bay, with the whitest of white sands. As we walked along the squeaky sand, we noticed there were no shells, just pure quartz sand.
Overlooking the national park, is Frenchman Peak. Its an amazing hike – straight up – onto a rocky granite dome. At the top there are two amazing caves; one reminiscent of a witches hat.
The car part we were waiting for took longer then expected to arrive, and so our two days in Esperance extended to 6 nights. But I’m glad we had the extra time – there is a lot to explore and the scenery is serene.
Our second last day was toasty and warm, perfect for swimming, which we took full advantage of at West Beach.
The next day, while the rain took over, we drove past the beach again and noticed a sign we missed the day before: ‘Recent Shark Sighting at this Beach.’ Gah!
This location and these photos and insanely beautiful! Bonnie really looks like shes growing up quick!
There are worse places to be marooned and waiting for a car part. Fantastic photos!….giving us a taste of what it’s like living the dream. Thanks for sharing.