To 25-Sep-06 (Esperance WA to Ceduna SA)
OUR PROGRESS
PHEW, we’ve now travelled 29,000kms in the Pajero and towed the van 17,000kms. The highest petrol price we’ve seen has been 184.7 cpl at Madura WA on the Eyre Highway and fortunately we didn’t need to buy any there (another phew). Blogger refuses to accept our latest map and so we'll include one next update.
ESPERANCE WA (Esperance Bay Holiday Park)
What a beautiful place. We swam here at Twilight Cove beach 28 years ago when the Sydney-based family (7 adults and 2 children travelled to Kim (Spen’s brother) & Sue’s wedding in Perth). Esperance is still very lovely and unspoilt. In fact, the beaches around Esperance have been acknowledged as the most beautiful in Australia (or that’s what all the signs say).
We were also intrigued to see the collection of Skylab debris in the Esperance Museum - those of us old enough can remember Skylab crashing to earth in 1979 (mainly in the Esperance region). It remains a wonder that no people were killed or property damaged.
CAPE LE GRAND NATIONAL PARK, Esperance WA (Lucky Bay Camping Area)
We spent 2 delightful days in this National Park just 60k or so east of Esperance. As well as playing with a family of Kangaroos, doing lots of walking and climbing Frenchman Peak (a challenging climb up a very steep rock face), we found time for some real relaxation and to soak up the natural beauty here.
This is Hellfire Bay with its white sand, turquoise and deep blue water and rugged countryside. They say that this is one popular beach in summer.
Heaps of wildflowers here and this is the One-Sided Bottlebrush. We have lots and lots of photos and will make sure that most of them are in our slide-shows when we return to Sydney . . . so look out.
FRASER RANGE WA (Fraser Range Sheep Station)
We finally said farewell to Esperance and drove through Norseman where we patted the statue of Norseman the horse, said to have uncovered gold with his hooves as his rider camped nearby. Then we turned right and drove along the Eyre (Nullarbor) Highway for the 7th time. After about 100k, we came to Fraser Range Sheep Station, a delightful and friendly caravan park on a working sheep station. We walked heaps on the farm, climbed hills and saw the homestead. This is one enormous property – 437,000 acres and 160k long!
COCKLEBIDDY WA (Observatory Turnoff Rest Area – Free-camp)
Next stop was a peaceful free-camp just past Cocklebiddy, almost a kilometer off the road. Two other vans were there and the stars were truly awesome on the beautiful, clear night.
What can we say – 146.6k is a long way without turning the steering wheel!
EUCLA WA (Eucla Roadhouse Caravan Park)
We arrived at the Eucla Caravan Park in time for lunch and were the third van in. By 5pm, there must have been 25 others and it was pretty crowded. A quick drive around Eucla revealed a small township which we had not discovered on previous trips.
This is what’s left of the old telegraph repeater station near the beach. There seems to be much more of the stonework visible this time (we remember that only one corner was visible 17 years ago). It’s amazing how the wind spreads the sand and then cleans it away. Apparently, the sand dunes are advancing at around 11 metres a year.
Aren’t these amazing cliff faces. The land is almost totally flat inland and then suddenly, wham, there is this enormous cliff face.
HEAD OF THE BIGHT SA (222k Peg Rest Area Free Camp)
Wow – there were 7 mother southern right whales with their calves resting just offshore of the whale-watch lookout boardwalk. We spent ages just looking at their huge size and graceful swimming. One of the calves even put on a tail-slapping show for us. Actually, tail-slapping is thought to be an “I’m scared or I’m not happy” action – his mum had swum away for a few minutes and he must have been getting a bit lonely.
It’s amazing too that the old dirt Eyre “Highway” is still visible beside the current bitumen version. We recall Spen’s sister Diana taking us for a long drive on the dirt version just for the experience – “Get back on the tar” was the universal cry as the minibus started to fill with dust. We prefer tar!
CEDUNA SA (Shelley Beach Caravan Park)
We decided to laze around Ceduna for 3 days after overnight stops on the Nullarbor and really appreciated the stop (and the “laze”). We also discovered the delicious oysters grown around Ceduna – how does $8 a dozen sound?
Also, the wind really knows how to blow in this part of the world. We met a couple in a 5th Wheeler (semi-trailer type huge caravan) who had been in Ceduna for a few days waiting for the wind to die down before driving across the Nullarbor to Perth. They gave up and set off Sunday morning. However, we really appreciated the huge tail-wind on our easterly drive – the decision to go anti-clockwise was a good one!
May you each enjoy life and care for each other well,
With best wishes & God bless,
Spencer & Rhonda
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
PHEW, we’ve now travelled 29,000kms in the Pajero and towed the van 17,000kms. The highest petrol price we’ve seen has been 184.7 cpl at Madura WA on the Eyre Highway and fortunately we didn’t need to buy any there (another phew). Blogger refuses to accept our latest map and so we'll include one next update.
ESPERANCE WA (Esperance Bay Holiday Park)
.0.jpg)
What a beautiful place. We swam here at Twilight Cove beach 28 years ago when the Sydney-based family (7 adults and 2 children travelled to Kim (Spen’s brother) & Sue’s wedding in Perth). Esperance is still very lovely and unspoilt. In fact, the beaches around Esperance have been acknowledged as the most beautiful in Australia (or that’s what all the signs say).
We were also intrigued to see the collection of Skylab debris in the Esperance Museum - those of us old enough can remember Skylab crashing to earth in 1979 (mainly in the Esperance region). It remains a wonder that no people were killed or property damaged.
CAPE LE GRAND NATIONAL PARK, Esperance WA (Lucky Bay Camping Area)
We spent 2 delightful days in this National Park just 60k or so east of Esperance. As well as playing with a family of Kangaroos, doing lots of walking and climbing Frenchman Peak (a challenging climb up a very steep rock face), we found time for some real relaxation and to soak up the natural beauty here.
.jpg)
This is Hellfire Bay with its white sand, turquoise and deep blue water and rugged countryside. They say that this is one popular beach in summer.
.jpg)
Heaps of wildflowers here and this is the One-Sided Bottlebrush. We have lots and lots of photos and will make sure that most of them are in our slide-shows when we return to Sydney . . . so look out.
FRASER RANGE WA (Fraser Range Sheep Station)
We finally said farewell to Esperance and drove through Norseman where we patted the statue of Norseman the horse, said to have uncovered gold with his hooves as his rider camped nearby. Then we turned right and drove along the Eyre (Nullarbor) Highway for the 7th time. After about 100k, we came to Fraser Range Sheep Station, a delightful and friendly caravan park on a working sheep station. We walked heaps on the farm, climbed hills and saw the homestead. This is one enormous property – 437,000 acres and 160k long!
COCKLEBIDDY WA (Observatory Turnoff Rest Area – Free-camp)
Next stop was a peaceful free-camp just past Cocklebiddy, almost a kilometer off the road. Two other vans were there and the stars were truly awesome on the beautiful, clear night.
.jpg)
What can we say – 146.6k is a long way without turning the steering wheel!
EUCLA WA (Eucla Roadhouse Caravan Park)
We arrived at the Eucla Caravan Park in time for lunch and were the third van in. By 5pm, there must have been 25 others and it was pretty crowded. A quick drive around Eucla revealed a small township which we had not discovered on previous trips.
.jpg)
This is what’s left of the old telegraph repeater station near the beach. There seems to be much more of the stonework visible this time (we remember that only one corner was visible 17 years ago). It’s amazing how the wind spreads the sand and then cleans it away. Apparently, the sand dunes are advancing at around 11 metres a year.
.jpg)
Aren’t these amazing cliff faces. The land is almost totally flat inland and then suddenly, wham, there is this enormous cliff face.
HEAD OF THE BIGHT SA (222k Peg Rest Area Free Camp)
Wow – there were 7 mother southern right whales with their calves resting just offshore of the whale-watch lookout boardwalk. We spent ages just looking at their huge size and graceful swimming. One of the calves even put on a tail-slapping show for us. Actually, tail-slapping is thought to be an “I’m scared or I’m not happy” action – his mum had swum away for a few minutes and he must have been getting a bit lonely.
.jpg)
It’s amazing too that the old dirt Eyre “Highway” is still visible beside the current bitumen version. We recall Spen’s sister Diana taking us for a long drive on the dirt version just for the experience – “Get back on the tar” was the universal cry as the minibus started to fill with dust. We prefer tar!
CEDUNA SA (Shelley Beach Caravan Park)
We decided to laze around Ceduna for 3 days after overnight stops on the Nullarbor and really appreciated the stop (and the “laze”). We also discovered the delicious oysters grown around Ceduna – how does $8 a dozen sound?
Also, the wind really knows how to blow in this part of the world. We met a couple in a 5th Wheeler (semi-trailer type huge caravan) who had been in Ceduna for a few days waiting for the wind to die down before driving across the Nullarbor to Perth. They gave up and set off Sunday morning. However, we really appreciated the huge tail-wind on our easterly drive – the decision to go anti-clockwise was a good one!
May you each enjoy life and care for each other well,
With best wishes & God bless,
Spencer & Rhonda
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
posted by S and R caravan Oz at 10:09 p.m.
1 Comments:
Wow, that certainly is some amazing terrain that you are seeing. The water and the beaches just look so perfect.
Post a Comment
<< Home