Sunday February 16, 2014

Arrived safely in Esperance yesterday, but I will do the right thing and provide a little about the remainder of the five days travel that brought us here.

Our last post left us hoping to make it to Ceduna on Wednesday, which we did, initially through a very smokey landscape due to the bushfires.  As we had been able to explore the interesting places along this route as we travelled home in 2012 we drove straight to Ceduna, where it was a mere 33 degrees and extremely windy, arriving mid-afternoon.

Set off reasonably early on Thursday, with the aim of getting to Eucla that day. Reaching Nullarbor and the treeless plain yet again reminded us of the size of this country and its amazing range of ecosystems. It was very hazy along the coast and we were glad that we had enjoyed such great views of the Bunda Cliffs last time.  Still couldn't resist a look as they are SO impressive, even through the haze.

A lunch stop here enabled us to gobble up the last of our prohibited provisions before crossing into WA with its well-policed quarantine restrictions.  Was very windy and much cooler than it had been inland.

As we continued across the Nullarbor we saw our first wildlife - an almost white dingo, one snake which Murray skilfully avoided and two Shingle-back Lizards.  Crossed into WA at Border Village and as we were doing well decided to travel on past Eucla, where the road drops down onto the Roe Plains.

The weather was, as forecast, quite overcast and after Mundrabilla Roadhouse it began to drizzle lightly. Spent the night in a very salubrious roadside stop on the Roe Plains and, astute travellers that we are, realised that we were now in a very different time zone.

The fact that we had suddenly lost 3 hours (no daylight saving in WA!) meant that we were on the road very early WA time on Friday.  As it was very overcast, there were no impressive views to enjoy as we drove up the Madura Pass and back on to the Nullarbor Plain.  There was much evidence of heavy rain the previous day, so we were grateful for only drizzle.  As we drove along we once again relished the opportunity to learn all sorts of fascinating stuff by listening to Radio National (there will have to be a revolution if Abbott and Co tamper with our ABC!) and by launching into a DIY Talking Book - which involves me reading Hugh Mackay's latest and very thought-provoking book, 'The Good Life', aloud. By the time we get home we will be barely recognisable - much wiser and better informed!

As on our previous trip, we enjoyed the fascinating changes in vegetation as the soil types change and once again loved the mallee landscapes with their mallees and salt bush understorey.

Saw a group of four Australian Bustards on the side of the road and the another two further on, both of which appeared to have a strong death wish!  This photo is the not the result of my action-woman photography - I have pinched it from our last trip to remind you of what these imperious birds look like.

Based on a recommendation from friends Jenny and Brian Thomas, we decided to spend the night at Fraser Range Station about 100 kilometres west of Balladonia.  This station of some 440,000 hectares is in the Great Western Woodland, the world's largest eucalypt forest and was the first station settled on the Nullarbor.  Happily the current owners are committed to repairing the damage of decades of over-grazing and to preserving the significant history still evident in the stone buildings, tanks and other stuff.

One of the many beautiful Blackbutts 

View across the station from the range

We grabbed the opportunity to have a walk around and Murray climbed to the highest point around the station camp site, afgter which we walked down to the old dam for a bit of our very amateur bird spotting. Saw some Port Lincoln Ringnecks, Pied Butcherbirds and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes.

Next morning saw us on the road early yet again, so we were through Norseman and heading south towards Esperance before we knew it.  Arrived in Esperance before lunch and decided to spend a couple of nights here catching up with the kids (how old do they become before we stop referring to them as our 'kids'?) and Scotty, stocking up for our time out at Cape le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks and doing the blog.

All the tourist propaganda describes these parks and their beaches as superb. Given that those here in Esperance have taken our breath away, we can hardly wait to see what will surpass them!  You will have to wait until we come back from our visit to do your comparison as we doubt that there will be any phone reception out there for us to connect to.

So, until next the next post, here are some views of the sixteen beaches around Esperance with their white sand and unbelievably turquoise water to whet your appetite . . .