Esperance

Only 10 days until Christmas!  Oh dear.  The urgency of the season has missed us a bit, because we are spending so much time away from cities and shops.  But time is certainly running out for the last minute gifts...

Today we woke up to overcast skies and rain again.  We decided it was time to move on from Lucky Bay if we are going to get across the Nullarbor plain before Christmas, so we packed up the van, said goodbye to a few people, and headed off. 

We drove around to look at Rossiter's Bay, where Edward John Eyre, after trekking across the Nullarbor from Streaky Bay in South Australia, met Captain Rossiter in 1841, in charge of a French whaling boat in the bay with fresh water and supplies on board.  Eyre was so thankful he named the bay after Rossiter. The journey of Eyre, his friend Baxter, and three aboriginal young guys was a bit tragic, with a struggle for food and water the whole way and the murder of Baxter by two of the aboriginal lads (they were all desperately hungry). If Eyre and the remaining aborginal boy Wylie, had not come upon Rossiter, they would never have made it the further 300 miles to King George Sound (Albany) which was their destination.  Rossiter treated them as special guests for 29 days, and then generously gave them supplies when they headed off on the rest of their journey.    click here to read the full story

Next we drove to Frenchman's Peak and climbed it.  It was a  big granite rock,  like bald rock at Girraween, and steep in spots.  I was very proud of everyone for getting up and down in the wind and rain.

We drove the 60kms into Esperance, also on the coast, and stopped at the Port Authority Park for lunch.  Just nearby was a little train running on tracks through the park, so we all had a ride through the tunnel and over the bridge near the duck pond.  Cooper thought it was great.

 

Volunteers run the train, and profits go towards improving the buidings and grounds.  In the last few years they have built a very cool 'shed' to store the four trains they have, and as an extra they added a clock tower. 

This project has ballooned to become a replica of Big Ben in London, and is very impressive with loud chimes and fancy copper roof and statues.  It is still a work in progress.

Laundromat, fuel, water and shopping later, we headed a bit over 100kms north of Esperance for the night.  We are camped in a roadside stop, and had a fire and marshmallows after dinner.  There is no wind, no rain, and no mosquitoes!

Life is good.