We're finally off, heading south to Western Australia.
Between work commitments, fires and rain, we waited almost three months before putting the tent in the car and setting off. We wanted to return to the south of Western Australia, this time taking it a little slower and going to new places we hadn't seen on our first Tour to the South. There are so many beaches, bays, villages that it is difficult to see them all at once.
Last year we spent three nights in the Albany area and after nearly being blown away by the wind and freezing the tip of our noses, we wanted to discover the coast with blue skies. Already with clouds the beaches of southern Western Australia were fabulous, so I thought, 'who knows what they will be like with clear blue skies', hoping to find it naturally.
The beauty of nature is that she does what she wants, she doesn't commit to anyone, good or bad weather, she decides at the time. Nevertheless, I had had a look at the weather forecast and saw that this week was promising... promising!
Not being in a hurry, we decided to reach Esperance by crossing the salt lakes area. It is route 30 and then route 107, the one that goes from Perh to Kukerin. In this case, you don't have to follow Mr. Google Map, because to get to Esperance it always just marks the road to Hyden (where Wave Rock is located), the classic corridor to the south of Western Australia.
Lake King to Esperance
Lake King
Road No. 30 is a bit boring at first, running through forests of frayed eucalyptus and pine trees. But once we turn onto 107, the landscape begins to colour. First with immense grasslands where the protagonists were the sheep, all piled one on top of the other, heedless of the heat, intent only on eating. And then they appeared, the salt lakes. At Lake Grace there is a big lake, from a distance you could see some water, but mostly it was dry.
Arriving at Lake King, however, we found ourselves almost in the middle of the water. The road runs right through the middle, and there was so much water that it looked like a big, huge mirror, in which the clouds and bushes were perfectly reflected. We decided to sleep there,at the Lake King Tavern and Caravan Park, so we could enjoy the sunset.
After pitching the tent, by now taking 10 minutes, we became experts and set off towards the lake. Or rather, the lakes. At first it was the sun reflecting its dark yellow rays, so much so that it turned the salt lake into an immense lake of pure gold. Then as the sun went down, the clouds began to colour, pale pink, then orange and purple. All reflected in the water. A true spectacle.
Proceeding south, it takes another 300 kilometres to reach Esperance. The road is straight, there is nothing of interest except the Salmon Gum woods just past Ravensthorpe. They are eucalyptus trees with deep orange trunks, turning bright orange in the sun. As always we stopped for a few photos and then flat out (so to speak) to the small town of Esperance.
Esperance - the south of Western Australia
The first thing that appears on arriving in Esperance is Pink Lake. But it is very rare to see it pink, unlike the other two pink lakes, namely Pink Lake in Hutt Lagoon, near Kalbarri, or the fabulous Lake Hillier on Midland Island, which can be reached by plane from Esperance or by boat tour.
Anyway, this 'fake' pink lake has its own charm. We had already seen it last year, but it was completely white and without water. This time, however, there was a lot of water, so that new and trees were reflected, creating a double vision, impossible to recognise the sky from the salt water. There are two places to admire the lake: from below, in an indent just before the Pink Lake road, or from above, from the Pink lake lookout.
Fire at Cape le Grand National Park
Esperance was not our destination actually, Cape Le Grand National Park was the destination. The idea was to sleep at Lucky Bay Campground, which we had booked a month before. But as soon as we arrived in Esperance we had to deal with the fires.
Eyes to the sky, ahead of us a hazel-coloured band. I recognised it, it was similar to the one I had seen on 11 December at our home, north of Perth. It was a fire. You could smell it too, that smell that not only bothers the nostrils but also strikes the heart. So I ran to the tourist office and got confirmation: 'a fire broke out at Cape le Grand yesterday,' the lady tells me. 'You cannot enter the park, let alone sleep in Lucky Bay'. Embarrassed, I get back in the car and go in search of a campsite in the centre of Esperance, which is not easy as many were full. We luckily found a pitch at the RAC Esperance Holiday Park, a campsite right by the ocean.
Twilight Beach Road
We didn't get discouraged, in fact, we doubled back by visiting those bays we had seen in a hurry. West of Esperance, along the Twilight Beach Road, there are beaches and bays, each one more enchanting than the last.
They are all worth doing, but some are just not to be missed:
Salmon Beach
a bay famous for sharks. In fact, I have read that it is the favourite beach for these dear little fish, although I did not spot any 'fins'. It is a different bay from the others because it is more intimate and has a large rock on the left.
Twilight Beach
perhaps the most famous beach in the area. From the Twilight car park there is access to two bays, opposite each other. On one side is the bay that stretches out to embrace the Observatory cliffs, and on the other is a smaller, more intimate bay where several cocoa-coloured rocks emerge from the crystal-clear water.
Observatory Point
Not so much for the beach itself, always wonderful. But for the two wooden steps. One goes down, all the way to the white beach. The other one goes up, up until it almost touches the clouds and from where you have a breathtaking view of the coast.
Eleven Mile Beach
my favourite beach. Clear, shallow, seawater-coloured waters. Some rocks seem to be lying on the water, so that they cushion the waves and make them gently roll onto the beach. An incredible natural pool.
After spending the whole afternoon wandering around between baths, sand, rocks and photographs, the evening awaited us. Unfortunately the fire was always there, indeed with the wind, smoke filled the sky hour after hour. Strange, but that very smoke with the setting sun created a fantastic, surreal atmosphere. The noise of the waves, usually thunderous, could not be heard. The smoke muffled him and also the wind. And the colours of the sky were so intense that they seemed to scream.
I was standing there in front of the ocean, and looking at those strong colours I felt as if I could hear the sky screaming... it made me think, I thought about how much harm we are doing to nature, us with our greed, with our wanting everything and everything now at the expense of the world around us. And nature in recent times is really taking its toll, from the Australian fires, to the torrential rains in Italy, to the rains on the east coast of Australia, to the Corona Virus... I think it really is time to stop and think about what we are doing.
The Cape Le Grand fire has given me strength, as if telling me to continue, to continue my adventures in discovering beauty. And of beauty in Western Australia there is so much of it.
Woody Lake Nature Reserve
Before leaving Esperance, we discovered another enchanting place, the Esperance Golf Club. Not so much for the golf, but because it is located on Woody Lake Nature Reserve, right on the shores of Windabout Lake.
The lake is home to hundreds of birds, from black swans to white Ibis, yellow-billed spoonbills to pelicans, Australian black-winged stilts with their red legs and numerous other bird species. Each had its own place, each had its own company. We had fun taking a few photos, and every time we moved, it was nice to see how quickly the whole group of black swans moved away from us. The little birds filled the strange ghost trees around the lake, you only had to stand still for a while to get a close look at them.
For those who love animals and birdwatching, this is a place not to be missed... you don't need, I think, to be a golfer to enter, at the entrance it said 'visitors are welcome'.
From Esperance to Albany - in the heart of South Western Australia
Albany
I had already told you about Albany, its wind and the magnificent hikes. So this time, we went just to see The Gap again, to admire it with the blue sky (but always with the wind of course). It was a gift I wanted to send to my friend Paola, because when we had come to Albany together, we had found pitiful weather, rain, cold, wind, all that was missing was snow! And this time I saw it with the sun, it's an incredible force of nature.
Wandering around Albany we discovered another fabulous area, which I recommend you don't miss for the world.
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
About 60 kilometres east of Albany, take a small road, the Nanarup Road. Follow it all the way. At a certain point a fork in the road. Take the road to the left. A few more kilometres and you will be confronted with an indescribable picture. A blue sea, so blue it looked like jelly, it reminded me of the blue of Aquafresh toothpaste. Very white beach, that same sand so fine that walking on it makes you 'slick slick'.
But don't just stop there. Walk along the beach going to the right, you will come to another heavenly spot, Little Beach. With a large rock that seems to have fallen from the sky, and in front of it another rock in the shape of a 'laughing mouth'. And how not to smile in front of such simple beauty. I'll leave you the photo, which believe me, does not give you the idea at all.
And not yet satisfied, we continued walking. We climbed over some rocks and slipped into a tunnel of thorny bushes (my legs still remember them) and found ourselves in another bay, Waterfall Beach. Another wonder, another place I would never leave.
I've decided, when I get old I'm going to get a house here, right in front of this bay!
Gull Rock National Park
I had remembered that we had taken the road to the left, but who knows where the one to the right led. Now that we are here, can we not poke around? We rejoin the road and at the fork we take the road to the right, the Nanarup Road, and follow it until we come to a car park.
From here the beach is a beautiful long, white beach with turquoise sea. Magnificent, if you have not seen Two People Bay. But having walked all the way along the coast on the right we come to a mountain. We climb to the top and find ourselves right in the middle of two immense semicircles. Two intersecting bays, smooth red and orange boulders standing out against the blue water. Another incredible wonder.
What can I say, we really had an indigestion of beauty, but it never gets old, our eyes shone just like the ocean.
We slept in a camp site nearby, the Kalgan River Caravan Park, a small camp site on the banks of the Kalgan River. In the morning a group of cute green parrots, the twenty-one, woke us up. The river was inhabited by pelicans and seagulls and in the camp, in front of our tent, dozens and dozens of kangaroos. What a beautiful way to wake up and start a new day of adventure in southern Western Australia.
From Albany to Pemberton - last days in southern Western Australia
Denmark
To finish the beaches part, we drove the road from Albany to Denmark. The idea was to see Elephant Rock and Green Pool again, but they were closed for construction (estimated closure until June 2020). So if you want to see some photos of these two bays, have a look at the post on Albany.
It was destiny, as if he, up there, was telling us that we should go and discover more bays. And indeed we discovered two more incredibly beautiful ones.
Parry Beach and Pacefull Bay
A few kilometres after the entrance to the Green Pools you will find a road heading towards the ocean, the Parry Road. Take it. It will take you to an oasis. Azure blue sea, chocolate-coloured rocks and pink sand in places. Part of the beach can also be driven along in normal cars, so compact is the sand.
A few more kilometres, another road to the ocean. This time we arrive at Pecefull Bay. And the name is no coincidence. A bay sheltered from the wind, so that the ocean turns into a natural pool. Clear, shallow water, a few rocks used as footholds by seagulls and peace. Peace, sun, blue sky, sun, peace, white sand, sun. To be here forever.
Pemberton - the Southern Forest of Western Australia
Abandoning the blue of the sea, we plunged into the forest.
The sky did not look good, but we had already planned that we might find some 'cloudy' days, in South Western Australia it is not easy to find all sunny days. In Pemberton we slept in the Pemberton Caravan Park, a very nice campsite with a brand new kitchen and very clean toilets.
First stop was Karry Forest.
A mountain lake, this is the Karry Forest. A beautiful round lake, where the eucalyptus forest is fully reflected, refined and without any imperfections.
Standing in front of the body of water, I felt like I was in my mountains in summer. And in the meantime the sky was clearing, the clouds were racing, as if they were having a race for who could reach the horizon first. Within half an hour the whole sky was blue again, clear and bright.
Heartbreak Trail
A few kilometres from Pemberton we came across a dirt road that ran through Warren National Park. A small park of only very tall and very large Eucalyptus trees. And right here there is a fascinating trail through the forest, the Heartbreak Trail. The road is unpaved, but if it is not raining, it is passable by normal cars. The path is narrow, a continuous up and down, curves and cliffs. Truly breathtaking, both for the fear of some stretches, but above all for the beauty of all the scenery around. So many eucalyptus trees, straight, white, very tall and all together, I had never seen them. It's a relaxing landscape, you feel embraced by them, so big and mighty, you even feel protected.
We didn't meet any cars. It was us and them. Every now and then they would stop the car in the middle of the track, and you could hear silence. So loud it was companionable, so loud I got goosebumps.
Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree
At the end of the Hearthbreak Trail a slightly wispy wooden sign marked the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree. Small sign, big tree. We found ourselves in front of a huge eucalyptus, the tallest and largest in Western Australia. Seventy-five metres tall, its trunk anchored so we could climb it.
There we met a group of boys, funny because they were wearing red pyjamas with yellow geese. They had slept in their car right at the foot of the Big Tree. They asked us if we wanted to go up to the top, because they wanted to know what the view was like from up there. They told us that yesterday they had tried to climb up but, a few rungs later, they got scared and came back down. And they were waiting for us! Frank and I looked at each other and smiled and said 'absolutely not' And we all laughed.
I climbed five rungs, at least for a decent photo, and then calmly climbed back down. Too scared, too difficult to climb to the top of the turret. I don't know who could dare, the rungs are iron, slippery and are about 30 centimetres apart, just enough space to slide down smoothly!
There are two other trees that can be climbed, and they are the Glaucester Tree at Pemberton and the Diamond Tree near Manjimup.
Fruit and Vegetables of Southern Western Australia
Before leaving South Western Australia, on our way to Perth, we did some shopping. But not in the supermarket, just along the road.
At first we encountered huge expanses of Avocados. Small wooden canopies, with freshly picked and delicious avocados. For $2 we got five (at the supermarket they cost $2.5 each, and they're not even good!). A few metres ahead another little house, with courgettes, tomatoes and chillies. My shopping bag was already almost full.
The Nashi
But something was still missing. We arrived in Donnybrook, called the Apple Town of Western Australia. I felt like I was in the province of Trento, kilometres and kilometres of apple trees, yellow and red.
We stopped near a field with strange yellow apples. There was a lady picking them, so I asked her if I could have three, just to say a number. The old lady looks at me doubtfully, doesn't smile or speak. Then she turns around, climbs up the ladder to the top of the tree and gets me 3 fruits, just 3. I ask her if they are apples, and she says 'no'. Then I ask again, what they are, she tells me 'Nashi'. Always very smiling! And I again, "what is Nashi?". "Nashi," she replies. "Is it good?", I ask her. She makes a disgusted face, and tells me ' who likes it and who doesn't'. Whatever, given the difficulty of the conversation, I thank her, turn around and go back to the car.
In the evening I arrived home, looking forward to celebrating the trip by eating Nashi. Now I understand what it is: a cross between a pear and an apple, a bit sweet like a pear, but with the consistency of an apple. Delicious, I would like to come back and tell the lady that I am among those who like it haha.
And in the same way as the Nashi, so was our journey.
It started with a job that prevented us from leaving on the scheduled days, but then it was better. Then a fire, which made us change all plans, but allowed us to discover other wonders of Western Australia. A trip with the blue of the incredible beaches of southern Western Australia, but with the scents of the eucalyptus trees of the Pemberton forests. A journey "sea-and-mountains"so to speak.
Travelling in Western Australia is always a discovery. New bays, new rocks, new trees and new flavours. Because the same place is never the same, there come the trumpet-shaped clouds, the wind that shatters the roofs, the waves that blast the ocean. And directing all this is he, the ocean with its incredible colours, from sea water to turquoise, from light green to electric blue. He who, as if by magic, reaches out to grab you and then shyly retreats, he who at times overturns you and at others cradles you. He who is fundamental to us all.
The ocean, which always makes me feel light and free.
