After the long haul across the Nullabor it was now time to head down towards the coast to the beautiful town of Esperance. We had heard before the trip that this was a gem of a place and we were not disappointed. On the way down from Kalgoorlie we stopped in at a town called Norseman for a swim in the local pool and to get a few supplies. The only interesting thing about this place was that inside the supermarket they had photos up on the wall of foreign backpackers caught in the act of stealing some goodies. Yes the frenchies do not have a good reputation in this part of the world and the town was not happy. That night we stayed at Grass Patch, which was a town with a free campsite about 50kms short of Esperance. The following morning we stopped in at the local caravan supply shop in Esperance to have our faulty gas leak fixed. The bloke ended up finding several leaks, and before long Bertha was all patched up and back on the road.  Instead of checking out the town we headed straight to Cape Le Grande National Park.  We were ‘lucky’ to get a spot at Lucky Bay and met up once again with our travelling family friends from SA. The coastline here is simply stunning and voted by the Walsh family as the most picturesque ever seen in Australia (A big call that one is!!!). And we know why…..because of the wind, wind and more wind that has helped shape this rugged landscape. A fisherman in SA warned us that Esperance is the place where you cast your line and then turn around and retrieve it – how right he was.

After Lucky bay we spent the next couple of days in town catching up on washing and checking out the local area. It was time to get the bikes out and check out the local mountain bike tracks as well as the beaches south of the town.  One thing we did find around here is that all the locals were accommodating to us tourists – especially for the ones that had made the long journey from the east coast.

We soon realised that the cost of staying in caravan parks in this part of the world would be 20-30 percent more expensive than the other states. The search to find the free or low cost campsites was now high on the agenda, and they came no better than at Mungalip beach – just south of Esperance. We had now learnt to embrace the wind by hitting the beach early in the morning for a swim and a snorkel, followed by some kite flying in the afternoon. The snorkelling was especially enjoyable in Bremer Bay, with the kids now confident enough to come out with us for extended periods.

As we were getting to closer to Perth we got the opportunity to catch up with one of Wendys old University friends Belinda, her husband Adrian and their two boys Eric and Liam. We decided to meet up for the weekend in Stirling Ranges National Park not far from Albany. This was a place unique to WA, and in stark contrast to the flat sandy coastline that we will navigate through in the next few months. Yes this was start of the region that is going to remind us of our area back home – mountain ranges reaching down to the sea with plenty of rivers , creeks and ocean inlets. It was great to share the environment and conversation with some old like-minded friends for a couple of days. All the kids got on like a house on fire and they amazed both sets of parents with their ability to trek some of the mountain peaks nearby. No doubt we will all get together soon in the next weeks as we make our way to Perth.

Although the weather was becoming more stable we really noticed the drop in temperatures, especially at night. Albany is always a few degrees cooler than Perth and one thing we discovered was the place was so green. In fact the town reminded us so much of northern Tasmania (Launceston, Devonport etc.). It had big harbour, the rugged coastline and all four seasons of weather in one day. And gee it had some character, with quaint old hotels and eateries close to the water, plus a unique history to match. In fact the town had great appeal and is very livable. However, we did feel a little bit out of place as people were more dressed for the colder weather, while we were still wearing the same t-shirt and shorts we left Sydney in. Oh how we are longing to find some warmer weather – time to start heading north.

It was now time to leave South Australia and head west over the Nullabor. We probably had stayed longer in SA than expected, but then again we are on no real time limit !!!. Once again this state has surprised us, and holds its own as a great tourism state. While it is breezy and there is a definite lack of moisture, it makes up for it in its natural beauty, its sustainable use of the surrounding natural resources, and it oozes sophistication – often lacking in the eastern states.

We had to stop into Ceduna for a night to get the Navara serviced and raised an inch to sit in perfect sync with the caravan. It was also time to say goodbye to Auntie Shell as she was flying back to Melbourne. It was enjoyable having her on the trip and hopefully she experienced a holiday different from her usual ‘grand-parent’ trips (and a lot cheaper too!!) – the kids will miss her dearly. After picking up the car we headed off to Cactus – the last stop before crossing the border. This place is world famous for its surf breaks and an old hippie runs the camping ground down there. The families we met at Streaky bay (Phil and Brooke, Mark and Kelly) were also heading there. The campsite was very laid back and full of baby boomers and Gen X surfers. Hence it was extremely quiet, with only surfing on their minds – they didn’t even mind the kids being around (go figure!). Again Dylan the squidin’ champion showed his true form one of the evenings at the local jetty – the whole family now gets involved in this pursuit.

All of our fruit and vegetables on board now had to be devoured before crossing the border town due to disease restrictions. The border was pretty much the start of the real Nullabor, with its long straight roads, treeless plains, expensive roadhouses, road kill and wedge-tailed eagles. We averaged around 350km a day on the road – which was more than enough, and managed to do a few side trips in between. Although there was not a real lot out there, it was beautiful, hot, and windy and breathed everything Australian about it. It took about three nights to cross this part of the country and we must have waved to every motorist on the way. We were not workers, shoppers, or hoons – we were all just on a big journey somewhere. However, after a few days out here we needed to see civilisation and recommence our big journey to the ‘wild west’.

After leaving the Nullabor to make our way to Esperance we decided at the last minute to make a detour and visit Kalgoorlie. We probably wont get over this part of Australia again and it would be silly not to visit this famous gold mining town. Apparently mining stops here in 2021 and this 180-year-old place will likely turn into a ghost town. It was an interesting town, full of the ‘wanted’, the ‘unwanted’ and youngsters keen to make a quick buck. We spent a couple of days wandering around the museums and mining paraphernalia. Of course the kids liked the big dusty holes and oversized trucks, while Mum and Dad were trying to adjust to the 3 hour time difference in WA. We now get up at 6am local time, are starving for lunch at 10 am and in bed by 7pm – no doubt we will adjust. On the last night in town we had a minor explosion with a gas leak in the van. People came running from across the ways – no damage done, just a ruined pasta dinner. Well have to get that one fixed!!