Wednesday 23rd February
Before leaving Esperance we picked up the WA National Park Annual Pass for $80. Given it covers the whole of WA and day entry is $11 we should get our money's worth out of it.
Just to finish off my birthday celebrations we ducked into Macca's before heading off into the wilderness of the National Park. Likewise a stop at the supermarket to provision up for the ordeals ahead over the next couple of days. OK given it's only 60 km's away and it has proper toilets and showers wilderness might be a bit of an exaggeration but there's no power so we had the Macca's anyway.
We got to Cape le Grand beach at 11:30 and had a quick look at the van parking area, only two spots left (well there is only 15 to start with). Given the advice from V & H and G & D we decided to grab one of the spots while we could. That turned out to be a very good idea as for the next two days nobody moved out, so people were turned away. The site has no direct view of the ocean but there is a little sand dune behind us and standing on top of that you can see back over the national park and in the other direction out over the bay.
I think I could run out of superlatives in this section, this part of the country is nothing short of spectacular and a match for any coastal region in the world I would venture to suggest. White sands, granite cliffs, turquoise (or is that azure) blue seas. Islands in the bay (not to be confused with the Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers duet, Islands in the Stream. Although now that I think about it, a couple of the islands did remind me of Dolly Parton).
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| Cape le Grand Bay - and Dolly Island |
After lunch in MM we ventured off for a walk along the beach. While casually ambling along, paddling in the shallows I noticed a fish swimming along beside us. Now it was no Great White Shark but I think any fisherman would have been very happy to have it on the end of their line. I estimate it to be a 2 foot long, 3 kilogram Australian Salmon. But then again I know nothing about fish and I am prone to exaggeration.
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| This is no Loch Ness Monster photo - this thing was huuuuuuuge |
I seriously contemplated rushing back to MM and taping my swiss army pen-knife to the broom handle and coming back to spear it. But then I remembered that's how Lord of the Flies started and we all know how badly that ended.
Chatted to another couple on the beach and they said this and Hellfire Beach were their favourites with Lucky Bay third. They said Lucky Bay has a lot of seaweed on it at the moment and there are no kangaroos on the beach (mmm, another brochure overstatement ? ).
After the exhausting walk we decided to reward ourselves with wine o'clock on the beach. So after two trips back to the van (the second to get a board to use as a table) we settled in to take in the view.
Unfortunately the tail end of the cyclone from up North decided to come through at about that time and our biscuits and one of the dip's disappeared down the beach at a great rate of knots.
Aaah well, thanks to stocking up for this wilderness leg, luckily we have spare's back at MM.
The volounteer National Park guides came round to collect the fees soon after that so we ended booking in for two nights. At $9 per head per night this is definitely should be marked as a top value site. Based on our experiment on the battery life we figure we should be alright for a couple of days plus we will probably go for a drive tomorrow which will top up a little anyway. The biggest concern is battery life on the PC running out and depriving us of NCIS!!
Thursday 24th February
Now this is pretty awesome. Woke to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and sun shining in through the curtains.
Steve finding a hidden reserve of energy leapt up and decided to walk a bit of the Le Grand Coastal trail. The sign, as always, was inviting, to quote: medium to HARD walking; traverses the STEEP slopes of Mt Le Grand; watch for ornate DRAGON lizards. OK still got the energy losing the desire though
Just remember the motto: "What could go wrong".
OK the sign said: "except for beach sections the trail is marked by rock cairns wooden pegs and trimmed vegetation
Anybody see a rock cairn, wooden peg or trimmed vegetation in this photo.
No, neither could I.
Help.
OK, don't panic, just head back down the hill.
Yep there's the path, all's good.
Oh no I'm getting delirious, it's a mirage there are two young girl backpackers walking towards me.
It's like a scene from Picnic at Hanging Rock (well it might not be, I haven't actually seen Picnic at Hanging Rock, so I can't be really sure).
Goodness, they appear to have French accents, they are bound to be helpful then (that's sarcasm).
As we pass they mutter something about Agincourt and "if bloody Captain Le Grand had been here a week earlier this would all be ours".
But for me it's just a relief to have survived the terrors of Mt Le Grand. Goodness, a hero one day, intrepid explorer climbing nearly to the top of Mt Le Grand before breakfast the next. It's all a long way from the computer nerd of a few short months ago.
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| The view from the top, back into the park |
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| and on the other side - the sea |
After breakfast, a quick dose of oxygen and the calming influence of Di we set up the table and chairs to reserve our camp site and headed off for a tour of the park.
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| Frenchman's Peak. Yes, you can climb to the top. No, we did not. |
First stop Hellfire Bay and we would have to say that this is just about the most beautful spot so far on the trip and as far as beaches go one of the best we have seen, ever.
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| Came back here for lunch |
Then it was on to Thistle Cove and Lucky Bay. It is all truly awe inspiring.
Lucky Bay camping ground had the advantage of views from the sites but the vans are closer together and there are more of them so we think we have done the right thing staying where we have.
Today the advantage of day tripping in MM is all the more obvious. When we stop for lunch, drinks are cold straight from the fridge, we can make up salad sandwiches and it's easy enough to change into bathers when we want. So we ended up driving back to Hellfire Bay and sitting on the rocks to eat our rolls and just watch the world go by.
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| No Skippies on the beach at Luck Bay, but we passed a family having lunch in the bush |
Back at Cape le Grand we headed into the water which was “fine, once you get in” which as you know is what people say when the water is bloody cold. So it may look like a tropical island but I'm guessing the water in the tropics is more than a few degrees warmer.
But basically another perfect day in paradise.
Friday 25th February.
Half way through packing up and people are ready to move onto our site. Apparently they have been trying to get in for the last couple of days so they are grateful to catch us leaving.
A quick iced coffee in the day car park and one long last lingering look at the bay and it's time to head off back to Esperance.
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