For Lyndia

Hopefuly, you can get them from here easier.



Driftwood beach creek.

Dinosaur cove rock.

Day 18 WA Esperance to Albany

Day 18.01 Friday - 4th August, 2006

Esperance has a hilly disposition with views overlooking calm bays out to the sea, towards the islands rising from it. Smooth rocks slope down into the sea, and coastal flowers frame the picture perfect view.

'calm bays'

'smooth rocks'

'coastal flowers'

'islands rising from the sea'

Day 18.02

The sun rose over the cliffs and hills of Esperance just above us. Long curved beaches invite a walk on the sand and the waves as they lick the shore gleam silver and gold in the early morning sun. Their rhythmic hum lulls the soul into blissful reverie.

'sunrise at Esperance'

'long curved beaches'

'rhythmic waves …

… gleam silver and gold in the morning sunlight'

'beaches invite a walk on the sand'

Day 18.03

Atop the hills, or rather bush and scrub-covered sand dunes that surround the ‘Great Ocean Drive’, the windmills turn slowly but surely. (That is, the wind-powered electricity generating turbines, to be accurate.) Some call them an eyesore, usually those that expect all the comforts and conveniences of our modern life. Not we. They are quiet, clean and graceful. They are the first commercial wind-farms, along with those in Albany, built on the Australian coastline.

‘Great Ocean Drive’

'Windmills atop the hills of Esperance'

views from the ‘Great Ocean Drive’

views 'from the beach'

Day 18.04

There are 2 specific things that all ‘beach resort’ towns (at least the one’s I have been to, so far) seem to have in common: cypress trees and a road called the Esplanade. For all intends and purposes we could be somewhere down in Tassie (Tasmania), or on St Kilda beach in Melbourne, or in Adelaide, or here.

'Cypress trees'

'The main street of Esperance'

Day 18.05

We fueled up at the Esplanade service station, and lo-and-behold, a service attendant comes out. "Fill her up?" she inquired, a broad grin overtaking her chubby round face. It has been almost 30 years since the last time I experienced driveway service. We had a quick chat while we waited for the tank to fill. "Kalgoorlie born and bread. But, I won’t be going back. All my family is down here. We had a bit of rain in the last few days, but it is very dry in Kalgoorlie. And I love the ocean." "I guess ‘home is where the heart is’." I replied.
So, for those who also ‘love the ocean’, and as requested by Nordlark and Jana (my big sister), here’s a few water textures.

'breaking waves’

'windswept waves'

'water texture'

'water texture'

Day 18.06

We treat ourselves to a breakfast at one of the street cafes and observe the life in Esperance. No sooner do we sit down that an anticipating seagull perches itself on the fence behind us. He seems to have it all worked out. As seagulls do. People arrive. People eat. People leave. Seagull swoops down onto the recently left table and feasts on the remains. Even seagulls like a cappuccino every now and then.

'anticipating seagull at outdoor café'

‘even seagulls like a cappuccino every now and then’

Day 18.07

We had a few adventures with the internet and a few hiccups as you, our dear readers, would have surmised by now, having had quite a break between our posts. The internet lounge in this town keeps to strict business hours. It is not open on Saturday afternoons or on Sundays. Though the attendant was well versed in all technical aspects, her approach was a tad brash and brazen, mostly talking at us, rather than with us. Esperance is obviously a town set up for tourists. Tourists come and tourists go. And having met a few along the way, I guess that is how locals deal with them. Eyes seldom meet. Smiles seldom exchange except ‘in the line of duty’. No wonder that the poor woman taking a break from her real estate job looked so sad. I guess that Kalgoorlie had spoiled us.

18.07 – Real Estate agent on a ‘smoko’

"In the geographical area that is surrounded with red dust that stretches out to the horizon. Where it may meet a bushy range, but where there’s ‘not really much rain’ and rarely the river runs. Where the next ‘town’ is a hundred kilometers away, the population is ‘nice’." Ted says with some reflection. I remember that by ‘Town’ he means the ‘roadhouse come pub come caravan park’, maybe a general store. "The places where locals said ‘G’day’." he continues. "Those smiles on those faces, that ‘lay back yet ready to spring into action any minute’ approach, that ‘This is Australia, mate. I can do anything I want’ attitude. That’s what seems to be missing here." He can get quite verbose at times.

But I know what he means. For me, Kalgoorlie is a real ‘gem’. It seems to have become my favourite place on earth, for the moment. After all, it is where, for the first time in over 25 years, a policeman gave me the time of day, literally. "Hang, on my watch stopped." He nudged his partner for the time and the younger of the two men in blue said: "Twenty five minutes to twelve according to me." "Can’t see it from here, but the clock should be striking soon." the older policeman said, looking up at the ceiling of the verandah roofing over the footpath by the shops. "But, I can smell the sausages." The unmistakable aroma of a sausage sizzle wafted past my nostrils. "Come and join us round the corner, if you’re hungry." he invited. I was dumbfounded. Stunned. Speechless. No witty remarks. Just a memory of how things used to be. A memory of the when, and where, people were ‘nice’ to each other. When, and where, a friendly smile was met with a nod, rather than suspicion or animosity. When, and where, people talked with you, not at you. When it was ’25 minutes to 12’ in Kalgoorlie.

Oops. Rant.

Day 18.08

We take a walk around the pretty town of Esperance to find the usual touristy things. It looks like a little ‘Lego’ town. It has a couple of main streets, one the ‘Esplanade’. The ‘Great Ocean Drive’ leading up into the hills and over the bays. Little shops and little houses. The local radio station sending out enthusiastic sounds. People going about their day.
The RSL (Returned and Services League) building is representative of the pretty architecture of Esperance. The War Memorial is gently draped by a sculpted flag, for which young men died. Nevertheless, ‘seek and ye shall find’. There is a pretty little lily pond hidden in the park. A pretty picture to remember Esperance by.

'RSL building'

'The Esperance War Memorial'

'hidden lily pond'

Day 18.09 Saturday 5th August, 2006

After many weeks in the red outback we come across a flowing stream. I dip my fingers in just to make sure it is real. The air is fresh and fragrant and swallows frolic under and around the bridge that spans over the narrow, but flowing, Lort River.

'Lort River'

We continue to head towards Albany. Along the way, we take a turn toward Stokes National Park. We pay our fees and read the stuff posted in the little information bay. "Danger – Tiger Snakes and Ferral Bees". The snakes we are not so worried about. We know what they look like. We know where they like to hang out. We know where not to step and what to do, should we come across one. But ‘Ferral Bees’? I’m not so sure. Did they escape from the city and turned wild? What do they look like? How big are they? Do they like soft drinks or meat? What time of the year do they buzz around the most? How aggressive are they? How soon can we get out of here?

Nevertheless, we continue further into the park to see what we can see. At the bottom of one of the parking bays, we saw mangroves and trees, literally growing out of the seawater at the edge of the bay. Other than that, there was not much else besides more danger signs. And ‘ferral bees’ were no incentive for us to stay for any length of time.

'Stokes National Park' mangroves


'trees growing out of the seawater'

Day 18.10

Along the way to Albany we had seen a sign letting us know that we are now in ‘The Fitzgerald Biosphere’. "…a unique concept which includes one or more protected areas and surrounding lands that are managed to combine both conservation and sustainable use of natural resources."

‘Welcome to the Fitzgerald Biosphere’

Rain has been here recently and flowers spring up all over the place. Of course, the fact that it is spring does help.

'chittic'


'red bottlebrush'


'flowering bush'


'and another flowering bush'

Forgive us. Despite looking up several sources, books, tourist brochures, the Internet and even asking the locals, it would seem there are dozens of varieties. And there are at least as many sub-varieties of flowers, flowering bushes and trees, that fall within the definition of ‘Western Australian Wildflowers’. What one person calls a bottlebrush another calls a banksia. So, to the botanists out there: "Help!"

Day 18.11

The scenery changes again. As it has a tendency to do. We drive between grain fields of green and yellow, bordered by paddocks of sheep and cows, with hilltops in the distance.

'the scenery changes’


‘we drive between grain fields of green and yellow'


‘bordered by paddocks of sheep…


…and cows’

Day 18.12

Evidently they were serious about the biosphere combining the commercial and natural resources. On a small rise just to the left of us, a sprawling construction is in progress. "Nickel mine site" we are told by a sign some way down the road. We are a little surprised to see a mine this size out here in the pristine landscape.

sprawling nickel mine

First came the ‘ferral bees’, now ‘mallee fowl? Some bright spark has gone and transformed this meek creature, adding fins or plates, into a marvel of paleontology.

‘mallee fowl’ or a marvel of paleontology?

'something fowl'

Day 18.13

We arrive at Hopetoun, at the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park, just after sunset. Hopetoun is a small and attractive seaside village located on the shores of Mary Ann Harbour about 550km south-east of Perth. A get-away-from-it-all tourist destination.

‘Annie Peak’ at sunset

Mary Ann harbour at sunset

Day 18.14 Sunday 6th August 2006

The sunrise beckons the photographer onto the beach.

sunrise at Hopetoun beach

‘bench side’ view

Hopetoun is a very small coastal town, but it too has an ‘Esplanade’. Along with the corner pub and the emergency services all lined up in a neat little row.

the corner pub – Port Hotel (1901)

emergency services all lined up

from left to right:

Sea Search and Rescue Centre, Ambulance, Houpetoun Central Fire Brigade.

Day 18.15

We take a shortcut to Albany through the Fitzgerald River National Park.

18.15a – The Fitzgerald River National Park

Fifty kilometers of a well-maintained dirt road that offers a picturesque view from every angle. And then winds its way through a landscape of the most delightful meadows of flowers. Tall jagged peaks rise from the horizon in the distance. I am speechless. In awe. How can anyone try to describe this scene? I cannot find the adjectives to do it justice. Only the birds are qualified enough to sing its praises. And according to the information booklet, there are more than 200 different species here to make up the choir. I swear they are all singing at once.

Lost for words, I hand over the ‘narration’ to Chewie.

‘a well-maintained unsealed road’

‘a picturesque view…

…from every angle’