Left early for Esperance, which is about 30 kms away. There is a scenic drive which covers a few of the local beaches and a wind farm, which was too good to miss.
Pretty much every Australia guide I have come across (think 12 years bookselling and 12 years in publishing) has had a photograph of an Esperance beach on it. As we had been camping in the locale of Esperance, we felt it was about time to sample some of the delights of Esperance and take the ‘Great Ocean Drive’. At 32 Kms it is considerably shorter than that of its friend in Victoria. But how beautiful! How turquoise! How white! How jammy am I?!
Our first stop was Blue Haven Beach which was reached by wooden steps down to the white sand. Ah, this is what I had remembered from 15 years ago; wading out to the neck, and still being able to see your feet! Azure blue, turquoise, call it what you will, clear is what it is. The sand is so white and like talcum powder, it ‘poofs’ up at every step. The waves are larger here, not great for surfing, but big enough for a bit of body surfing…if you can do it. I can’t. It seems boys in general can. Either that or it is handed down in the Aussie DNA. Still, I’m happy to splash about in the water and look at my feet puffing up the white sand, while I try and stay out of view of Darren and his waterproof camera - honestly even underwater you can’t get away!
Next stop observation point, which is VERY windy, as you can tell by the photo. To the left and right, more perfect beaches.
Lastly, the wind farm. Now I know this is a rather contentious subject, but I really like wind farms. I think they look wonderfully majestic, and when I see one think that maybe the world is going in the right direction after all. I have always wanted to walk around one, and here we were able to walk right up to one of the smaller turbines…. (which looked gigantic to me), and I spent a happy 10 minutes taking photos of it and it’s shadow.
As we made our way back to Esperance I took a photo from the car of the road running down to wards the sea (see above). When I later looked at it, and compared it to my Australia Lonely Planet, I realised my photo and its photo were almost identical - I may make a travel journalist yet.
Oh yes, the full moon – it rose over the lake like something out of a B movie, but it was quite spectacular, and was so bright! No torches needed in the middle of the country side that night. Darren and I spent ages trying to get good photos of it – he was definitely more successful than I, as mine kept showing 2 moons in my photos. I know my eyesight is shocking, but I’m pretty sure there is only one. At least, that is what I’ve been told…?
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