Week 22/52- Esperance - dazzling white sand & sparkling blue water

Hi everyone, welcome to Week 22 of our 52 week tour Down Under Western Australia.

This week we travel 107 kilometres south of our last destination (Peak Charles) to Esperance on Western Australia’s south coast, midway between WA's capital Perth and the South Australian border.

Isolated by distance, (721 kilometres, approximately a nine hour drive or one and a half hour flight south east of Perth) Esperance has retained a laid back life style which welcomes visitors to enjoy its Mediterranean climate, escape and get away from it all on wide sandy beaches or by exploring its National Parks.

Originally known by the Aboriginals as Gabba-Kyle, ‘the place where the water lies down like a boomerang’, Esperance lies nestled on the shores of Esperance Bay and the Recherche Archipelago. Today known as the “Bay of Isles”, much of Esperance’s tourism centres around the water. It is a paradise for beach lovers with kilometres of pristine beaches, spectacular coastal scenery, national parks, islands and an abundance of wildlife including seals, sea lions, dolphins, sea eagles and whales during their migration to southern breeding grounds. Esperance’s beaches are ideal for fishing, surfing, boating, sand boarding or just relaxing. The crystal clear water surrounding the 105 islands and 1500 islets of the Recherche Archipelago allows snorkers and divers to enjoy the marine life in this aquatic wilderness.

Here we are at Twilight Beach - a popular beach near town.

From Life Images by Jill

The combination of the dazzling white sand and the sparkling aqua blue water under the canopy of the brilliant blue sky is a feast for the senses. The sand is so clean it squeaks when you walk over it. A soft breeze blows. The ocean beckons. It hits me with a chill that has come all the way from Antarctica. We are all alone on a stretch of beach at Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance
(well perhaps not such a brilliant blue sky the day we were there, but it sounds good!)

From Life Images by Jill

In fact Lucky Bay was judged in 2006 by a national committee of scientific experts through Geoscience Australia to be the whitest beach in Australia followed by equal second Hellfire Bay also at Cape Le Grand and Tallebudgerra Beach near the Gold Coast in Queensland, so Esperance can justifiably claim to be the home of Australia’s best beaches.

Here we are driving along the beach.........you can actually drive a long way along the south coast east of Esperance.

From Life Images by Jill

And for something a little different to the usual scenic shots, some seaweed on the startling white beach.

From Life Images by Jill

Thanks for looking everyone. A hope you have enjoyed these few photos - it is just magic to be able to walk along such gorgeous isolated beaches.

Here are another couple of pics from around Esperance.

Another view of Lucky Bay - this time with people!

From Life Images by Jill

This one is Thistle Cove....

From Life Images by Jill

And some wild flowers - this is the Showy Banksia....

From Wildflowers

And the Pincushion Hakea - when the flower comes out they start as the little ball you see on the top LHS, and then the little sections uncurl and the flower becomes as you see in the red.......

From Wildflowers

Thanks for looking everyone. I hope you enjoy these few pictures. From Esperance we are going to head back home to Bunbury, and then we are heading north on the inland road through the the midwest and Pilbara and then up to the far north to the Kimberly.

Week 21/52-Part 2 - Camp with a view - Peak Charles

Welcome everyone to Part 2 of Week 21 of my 52 week tour Down Under Western Australia. Tonight we leave Cave Hill (our last destination) and travel via dirt tracks south to Peak Charles.

From Cave Hill you can travel north via the old woodlines tracks to Burra Rock and then to Coolgardie and the goldfields (you will see the goldfields later in the tour), but we headed east along the 50km 4WDrive only track and then south to Peak Charles National Park.

Not far from Cave Hill, the track degraded into a boggy quagmire and we came upon an abandoned 2WDrive ute stuck in the mud – highlighting the need for 4WDrive, travelling in convoy and being prepared when out in this uninhabited region hundreds of kilometres from help. There was an alternative route pushed through the bush around the 300 metre boggy stretch so we took this route instead. There were several more sections like this along the track with alternate routes through the bush. The message is if you don’t have to go through the bog, then don’t.

From Life Images by Jill

Back on the road again.......following our sons dust - I think I did quite well with this considering it was taken through the front windscreen as we were driving.........

From Life Images by Jill

100km south west of Norseman is Peak Charles - part of the Fitzgerald Peaks and can be seen from over 50 kilometres away.

Surveyor and explorer John Septimus Roe explored this region in 1849 naming Fitzgerald Peaks, Peak Charles (651 metres high) and Eleanora Peak (501 metres). Roe described this country of dense scrub, dry watercourses and salt pans as “fearful and impractical”. Today the Park protects this wild uninhabited region and provides opportunities for bush camping. During spring the bushland comes alive with wildflowers.

We were lucky to have the camping area to ourselves and enjoyed the quiet and an overdue “bush shower”. We cooked marshmallows over the fire, and in the morning rose early to climb a short way up the walking track for a magnificent view of the sunrise and the sweeping view over the surrounding mallee covered sand plains, eucalypt woodlands and vast salt lakes of the 40,000 hectare park.

Here is my sons camp with Peak Charles in the background.  We're camping tonight - so hope you have brought the marshmallows to roast over the fire!

From Life Images by Jill

The climb to the summit is only recommended for experienced bushwalkers and involves exposed rock scrambling – allow three hours return to the summit. The steep slopes provide opportunities for experienced rock climbers. The walk track is moderately difficult and with a three year old in tow and my son carrying his 18 month old in a back pack we only managed to reach the lookout point from where you can see Eleanora Peak to the south. It was essential to find things along the track to interest the three year old and take his mind off walking!

Here is the sunrise....I am not sure if I overdid the saturation on this one or not. That's my husband in silhouette on the RHS of the pic.

From Life Images by Jill

Peak Charles - glowing orange in the early morning light -

From Life Images by Jill

Here is the view from Peak Charles - our campsite is right at the base of the rock. That is my son and my 18month old grandson. He kept throwing his hat off.

From Life Images by Jill

Driving away from Peak Charles

From Life Images by Jill

And for something different - the burnt nuts of a native bush - fire allows the nuts to break open and disperse the seed - so the fire is part of the circle of life in the Australian bush. This colour is straight from camera - I was really pleased with the burnt textures.

From Life Images by Jill

Thank you for looking everyone - I hope you are enjoying the tour

Next stop Esperance and it's beautiful beaches.

Week 21/52 - Part 1 - Granite and Woodlands Trail, Western Australia

Welcome to Week 21 of our 52 week tour Downunder Western Australia.

This week we go east of Bruce Rock (our last destination) and cross the far eastern boundary of the wheatbelt. Our tour will be in 2 parts - Part 1 tonight where we visit Wave Rock, and then take the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail eastwards camping at The Breakaways and then north on 4WD tracks to Cave Hill. Part 2 on Tuesday or Wednesday we will travel south of Cave Hill to Peak Charles National Park.

After leaving Bruce Rock our first stop is Hyden and Wave Rock on the far eastern edge of the wheat belt. 340 kilometres from Perth, thousands of tourists visit Hyden each year to see Wave Rock, a curved granite cliff face 15 metres high and 110 metres long in the shape of a curling wave caused by weathering and water erosion.

I had a more standard photo showing the magnitude of Wave Rock - but decided to use this one instead of some young people "surfing" the wave.

From Life Images by Jill

After leaving Wave Rock we are on the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail, a gravel road that starts just east of Wave Rock and travels 300 kilometres east to Norseman. This is a good gravel road which you could easily travel in one day, but to fully experience this vast woodland wilderness it is better to take your time, visit the 16 designated stopping places to learn about the natural and cultural history through the interpretive panels, walk along the walk trails and camp out.

Along the road we crossed the 1,837 kilometres long State Vermin Proof Barrier Fence initially constructed to keep the rabbits from invading Western Australia from the east.

The fence marks the eastern edge of the wheatbelt and we enter the vast low sandy kwongan heathland which stretches to the horizon and supports amazing plant diversity and a kaleidoscope of colour during the spring wildflower season including the flame grevillea which lines the road. The sand plains are far from barren and it is very interesting to see the many changes in vegetation along the track, dependant on soil types and climate.

By late afternoon we are 136 kilometres from Hyden we pull off the road at the first designated camping spot, The Breakaways. Here is our campsite. We travelled with my son and daughter in law and our 2 grandsons - that's their camper trailer you can see in this photo. We are tenting - hope you have a good blow up mattress and have brought your marshmallows to cook over the fire.

From Life Images by Jill

The Breakaways have been used as a campsite for thousands of years, first by the aboriginal people, later by European explorers, sandalwood cutters and dingo and wild dog hunters. Breakaways are a great place to camp as it is away from the road, protected from the wind and there is plenty of room. As the sun set the rock faces glowed red and the long strips of shedding bark of the Ribbon Gums, Eucalyptus Sheathiana, gently moved in the light breeze making a slight rattling sound. You can see a Ribbon Gum in the photo above on the LF side.

Here is a photo of the Ribbon Gum flowers.......

From Wildflowers

Next morning we were up early and continued our journey through Eucalypt woodlands, past the LionOre nickel mines to McDermid Rock.

McDermid Rock has a designated camping place attractively located amongst the trees, and the 1150 metre rock trail features 18 interpretive panels. The first part of the trail goes up to the highest point of the rock. Interesting features are rock dwelling plants and the gnamma holes. These rock holes hold water for a long time after rain and are important for human and animal life during drought. The aboriginals would visit favoured holes regularly to keep them clean. Granite rocks like McDermid Rock were used throughout the wheatbelt by early explorers as places to camp, take their bearings and map their progress.

The view from McDermid Rock......those are salt lakes you can see on the far horizon.

From Life Images by Jill

Our next stop is Lake Johnson, a series of salt pans that run through this area......

From Life Images by Jill

From here we turned north onto Victoria Holt Road heading towards Cave Hill.
Victoria Holt Road is a well maintained dirt road traversing through gimlet woodland with a salt bush understorey.

There are bush tracks throughout this vast area known as “The Woodlines” – a network of hundreds of kilometres of abandoned tramway formations south of the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie goldfields. 4WDrivers can explore the area by following the old formations – however it would be advisable to carry a GPS as amongst the network of tracks you could easily become lost.

From Life Images by Jill

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s timber cutters along the woodlines supplied the goldfields with wood for fuel for domestic purposes, generators, the steam powered engines which powered the pumping stations for the goldfields water supply, and structural timber to shore up the underground mining shafts.

The train lines extended out into the bush into the timber cutting areas. The Woodlines network began near Kalgoorlie in 1899. From 1932 to 1938 Cave Hill was the main refuelling and rewatering camp for the Kurrawang Woodline run by the Goldfields Firewood Supply Company. Many hundreds of thousands of tons of wood were taken out of this region during that time so it was good to see that the regrowth of Salmon Gum and Gimlet has now reforested the land and there are a number of Nature Reserves, Conservation Parks and National Parks to visit and camp in throughout this region.

Cave Hill is an impressive granite monolith – 1 kilometre wide and 1.5km long, rearing 50 metres above the surrounding forests. Charles Cooke Hunt named Cave Hill for a hollowed out wind sculptured cave on the Western face. Prior to European settlement, the Ngajtu Aboriginal people passed through this area and camped at Cave Hill for thousands of years, so Cave Hill is an important indigenous cultural site.

From Life Images by Jill

And the view early in the morning - you can see Gnamma holes in the foreground...

From Life Images by Jill

Thanks for looking everyone.
Here is the classic look of Wave Rock that you see in the travel brochures -

From Life Images by Jill

Week 20/52 - Bruce Rock - home amongst the wheat fields

Well here we are in Week 20 of our 52 week tour around Western Australia, and we continue our tour of the wheat-belt.

This week we are in Bruce Rock - in the central wheatbelt. This is where my sister lives and farms with her husband and three sons. They have a huge grain farm - mainly wheat and canola - and until recently sheep.

Bruce Rock’s temperate climate and year round sunshine make it an ideal base from which to explore the region. Originally named Nunagin, the town was renamed Bruce Rock after sandalwood cutter John Rufus Bruce who set up camp in the mid 1800’s near a soak at Bruce’s Rock two kilometres from town. Here you can see a stone well built in the early 1900’s.

The area was first used for sheep in 1863, but wasn’t settled till after 1900. Multiple winner of the Tidy Towns competition, Bruce Rock’s wide veranda-lined main street retains impressions of the past, whilst displaying an innovative spirit that is bringing new growth to the town.

Here are some photos of the farm taken in April this year - this is the front stubble paddock and the view from the house with the late afternoon light.

From Life Images by Jill

It is lovely to go for a walk in the late afternoons

From Life Images by Jill

A similar view when the wheat field is green during the growing season. The yellow in the background is a canola paddock in flower.

From Life Images by Jill

From Life Images by Jill

I hope you have enjoyed these few views of the farm - here are another couple of pics for you

This is my favourite of the salmon gum in the front paddock

From Life Images by Jill

Main street of Bruce Rock -

From Life Images by Jill

Old wagon wheels -

From Life Images by Jill

Eucalypt flower -

From Life Images by Jill

well as you have probably realised pp is not something I delve into much - probably because I don't know what I am doing - but however - here is something a little different to what I normally post. Thanks Venura for getting me to look outside the usual.

From Life Images by Jill

This one I have just bumped up the saturation.......

From Life Images by Jill

Week 19/52 - Western Australia's wheatbelt towns and expansive views

So here we are in week 19 of our 52 week tour Downunder Western Australia. This week we continue through the central wheatbelt.

We travel north from Narrogin through Cuballing and then on to Pingelly and Moorumbine.

The tiny township of Cuballing has a number of interesting buildings dating from the early 1900’s. Cuballing slowly died when Narrogin became the centre for the area, but the determination of local farmers and townspeople is symbolised by the Town Hall which was built by voluntary labour on Sundays in an attempt improve the town’s status.

Ten kilometres east of Pingelly is the old townsite of Moorumbine, and its centrepiece the stone and shingle St Patrick’s Anglican Church built in 1872. The only buildings that remain in Moorumbine is the church and a couple of old houses. My father spent some of his early years at Moorumbine and he has family members buried in the church cemetery. The trees you can see in this photo of the church are Olive Trees planted by the Benedictine Monks from New Norcia, where we will go later in our tour.

From Life Images by Jill

We found this old truck parked in a farmers paddock - you can see the green wheatfields through the windows.

From Life Images by Jill

We then drive on to Wickepin, a typical wheatbelt town - with its wide main street, grain silos, railway line and bulk loading facility. Settled in 1868, Wickepin is famous as the home town of Albert Facey, author of the best selling autobiography, “A Fortunate Life”. His house was moved from its original site to the main street of Wickepin in 2000 and gives an insight into the harsh and simple lifestyle of a small 1930’s wheatbelt farmer.

The 86 kilometre Albert Facey Heritage Trail covers the history of the area, its historic buildings and natural landmarks.

This is the Albert Facey cottage in Wickepin.

From Life Images by Jill

And this is the view from Kokerbin Rock north of Wickepin - a granite outcrop from where you have expansive 360 degree views of the wheat belt. Kokerbin Rock is the third largest monolith in Australia. Bush walkers will enjoy this unspoilt area where you can spend hours exploring the rock, caves, and historic sites. It is possible to drive to the top to take in the impressive panoramic views. A great place for a picnic.

From Life Images by Jill

Below is an experimental photo - I don't know much about HDR or post processing - you probably had something more dramatic in mind - What I've done - added sepia, grain, poster edges, dust and scratchers, texturizer and adjusted levels (photoshop elements).

From Life Images by Jill

And now to Bilbarin. This is where my mother spent her early years in a simple wood shack while her father cleared land for farmers and her mother did washing to try and make a bit of extra money. It is a hard life during those years of the depression.

Typical of many small railway siding towns once fed by the railway line and wheat fields, their history can be explored in their remaining scattered town halls and churches. All that remains of Bilbarin is the Town Hall and school house, however the Bilbarin Hall Committee erected in 2004 a historical walk through the town with display boards recording Bilbarin’s past. Walking along the streets and railway line, you can almost hear the shouts of the lumpers as they loaded bags of wheat onto the goods trains.

Here is a photo of what remains of the rail siding at Bilbarin.

From Life Images by Jill

Here is a typical wheatbelt road lined by gum trees.

From Life Images by Jill

This is the wheat-bin at Cumminin where my father's family owned a shop during the war years. The wheat-bin and the hall is all that remains.

From Life Images by Jill

And the view from Roe's Lookout near Cumminin - another granite outcrop.

We are in the central Wheatbelt and the area explored by John Septimus Roe between 1836 to1849. A feature of this whole area are huge granite outcrops providing vantage points for viewing the surrounding countryside. Early explorers took their bearings and selected these rocks as campsites and sources of water and feed for their horses, and later sandalwood cutters used these areas as campsites.


thanks for looking everyone. I hope you are enjoying this part of the tour.