Sea this blue is rare indeed. The sky, too. Perhaps it was the fact that the sun shone today, with not so much as a hint of cloud anywhere? Perhaps the Gods figured they’d heaped enough rain on me and chose to give me a treat? I am old enough not to allow my mood to be affected by the weather, but there’s no escaping the fact that if it’s grey out there, my mood will be similarly coloured. Whatever the reason, today was fabulous.
Looking south from the Rotary Lookout in Esperance.
There was a crisp, cool breeze blowing at 0930, but by noon it was a balmy, warm breeze. Esperance Bay gets a degree of protection from the worst the Southern Ocean can throw at it, by the dozens of islands ranging from tiny to very large. I think the one closest in the photo above is Gull Island, but if I’m wrong it could be Charlie Island. There are so many…
Twilight Beach.
Such a romantic spot, with sand so white it could be foreman material. That dates me, doesn’t it. Anyone remember the soap powder commercials on 1970s television? You know, the one where the Missus looks so proud of the freshly laundered and now spotlessly white boiler suit which her husband has donned…? I never bought the product, but I remember the commercial.
Salmon Beach.
Heading west from Esperance the beaches have names as original as you’d find anywhere: 9 Mile Beach; 10 Mile Lagoon; 11 Mile Beach; 13 Mile Beach, and so on. They don’t get any less beautiful, believe me.
Wharton Beach, to the east of Esperance, near Duke of Orleans Bay.
It was necessary today to seek out a chemist. I think my hair is thriving on this great journey. It’s grown so much I had to buy one of those drag-it-through-your-hair razor-comb gadgets and this evening I’ll set about making a mess in the bathroom. I’ve still got the sports section of last week’s Australian, so I’ll try to limit the damage with that. Most of it is grey now. Surely that hasn’t happened since I ran away from home…?
I think I’m a little late for the whale migration. I met a couple from Queensland who saw some about three weeks ago, but haven’t seen any since. Locals have said they’ve gone now. According to the tourist information, they should continue past here until October. I’ll find emus or camels or something else, I’m sure. Today, for example, I hauled Camel’s reins only just in time to avoid trampling a big lizard. After the first there were many more, particularly on the 40 kms of dirt road we took to Cape le Grand and Wharton Beach.