The Paradigm That Is Esperance

 Hitting the Road, Summer January 2021

Part I: Esperance 

Lucky Bay

 When summer is long and hot in Australia, it is customary to hit the road and drive south to cool off during the holiday. Yes, it's upside down... just about like everything else. But still, there is something unique about having to escape the heat to cool off in the middle of summer. 

There is not much to see once you leave the isolated city of Perth, much like driving through Nebraska. The first stop... Statue Lake! 

Don't get too excited... no water, no people, and no spot to park your car. But still, we appreciated the pieces of art set on a dried up salt bed just as much as the need to stretch our legs. 

The next tourist trap proved spectacular. Wave Rock is a camping destination, and the locals rave about it. We had to check it out and get our picture taken surfing down the natural granite rock that indeed resembles one killer wave. 

Esperance 

As we approached Esperance, the most unexpected bout of déjà vu took hold. Large groves of evergreens lined the roadside and when paired with cooler temps had an awfully familiar feel. As we arrived in Esperance, my initial thoughts were confirmed. Welcome to the Aussie version of Duluth, minus the hill and snow. I was a little giddy with my comparison. Driving around town checked all the feels; cold windy harbour city complete with a shipyard front and center...check.

Mom and Pop small diners and shops not renovated since the 1970's... check. Arriving at our hotel also also brought back memories after the kids reported the pool was too cold to swim in (during the middle of summer). This did not stop my Minnesota kids from jumping in straightaway and returning a short time later with blue lips. After an evening of takeaway pizza and Monopoly Deal, the kids were content to watch a movie while Mike and I checked out the hotel bar. We were in luck, Thursday night karaoke. Awesome. Not that either of us was about to sing, mind you. But I am insisting that you believe me, I was transported back to UMD days as we strolled in. An unlikely combination of very loud American 1990's music and Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap sealed the deal.

We were by far the oldest people in the bar which did not slow us down from chatting with the locals. Now normal habit, as soon as we so much as opened our mouths, we attract a crowd. Americans! Esperance during a world pandemic probably hasn't seen the likes of many American tourists for a good bit and we ended up having a conversation with some local surfers. If anyone knows anything about Esperance it is known for two things... surfing and sharks. Of course, I had to casually bring this up in conversation with a young hipster couple in their 20's. They were also from Perth and both were surfers. He said he wouldn't put his foot in the water because of all the great whites in this area, specifically. This honestly surprised me as no Australian has projected any fear of sharks since being here. The girlfriend came back with a 'fuck that' attitude and had been surfing everyday with  caution thrown to the wind. Still. It was enough of a warning for me. 

Sharky Waters 

Our first full day included a 40 km drive with 20 plus stopping points of bays, lagoons, overlooks and beaches. This drive highlighted the coastline and showed its uniqueness with more altitude than we had seen and lots of small islands dotted the landscape when looking out at the Recherche Archipelago. The waters are very cold here and this supports a vast array of fish species in the Great Australian Bight and all the predators that chase said fish. 

Our first stop on the Great Ocean Drive was at West Beach at 10:30 am. It was the most beautiful day complete with warm weather and clear skies. Perfect for sightseeing. We step out of the car and walk to the overlook and we hear this announcement followed by an extended annoying tone. It reminded me a bit of the Emergency Broadcast System that used to come across the TV as a kid. Anyway, I was noticing now. I switch on the SharkSmart app, which everyone in Australia has, to find that there was a large great white shark spotted at this exact spot 30 minutes prior to our arrival. Whoa. I was aware of shark activity in this area, but I didn't think it would be in our face quite so quickly. 

I had done my homework prior to our trip and it's pretty eye opening. Gary Johnson was taken while scuba diving in January of 2020 off Cull Island by a great white which is straight out from West Beach. This came across the news when waiting for our connecting flight in Brisbane when we moved to Australia. I have never worried about sharks while diving, not even once. A few months later, Andrew Sharpe also tragically passed away by shark attack while surfing 15 minutes up the beach from where we were now in the Kelp Beds. So basically, at this point the Mama Bear in me came out and I declared no swimming. My kids and husband openly laughed at me. None of them were the slightest bit worried...talk about assimilating. 

Twilight Cove

Several more stops down the road we came to Twilight Cove. This beach is very popular as it has a small island with a large rock face that is a favourite to swim out to and jump off into the crystal clear waters. As soon as we arrive, Ethan is running on the beach declaring that he is swimming out to the island to jump off. This beach has two shark detectors in the water on either side of the island that will automatically deploy the warning system if a tagged shark is detected. Bur those detectors only work on tagged sharks... 

As we are standing there, I suddenly remember Jess, my massage therapist, telling me a story about when she swam out to this island with a friend while on holiday. After swimming out to the island, they were about to jump in but they spotted a huge great white. It stayed in between them and the shore and proceeded to swim back and forth and just basically camped out for awhile. They were out on the island for what seemed like ages before they were rescued by a boat. This would be enough to shake up anyone, even an Aussie. 

So now I'm telling Ethan he really doesn't need to swim out there. The more I protest the more adamant he becomes except that Dad is on his side. Of course he is... Ethan swims out to the island while we stood on shore with eagle eyes. At the time there were lots of people in the water and I will admit that when he jumped it looked pretty amazing. 

The next day we ended up back at Twilight Cove except the conditions were different. It was a bit on the chilly side and no one was in the water. Of course both kids want to swim out when we met Bec and her daughter Mia from the Gold Coast. She was considering doing the swim with her daughter but was having the same thoughts about the conditions. After a brief discussion, Mike and now three kids decide to swim out and us Mum's will be on the lookout. The kids and Mike all took turns jumping off the rock and swam back. Bec decided she wanted a go, so she took the kids back for a second swim out and back while Mike and I stood guard. At this point, you must be thinking... What was the plan if we actually spotted a shark??? The master plan had the swimmers looking back at the beach during the swim out and we could make the hand signal for shark. 

Dear Lord, what a terrible idea! Thankfully, we did not have to worry about it. But I did get to hear how Bec was out surfing the day before when a pod of dolphins went cruising right by her. At the same time the shark alarm went off on that beach and she figures a great white was very close to her or possibly swam under her. These massive sharks are very much present and accounted for in Esperance. With that said, we discovered Twilight Beach had a shark sighting within hours after we left. 

Lucky Bay 

Lucky Bay is in Cape Le Grand National Park, which is approximately 50 minutes outside of Esperance. We had heard a lot about this beach, so we went for a drive to go explore it. When we made it to Lucky Bay, we were mesmerized by the brillance of the white sand. Lucky Bay boasts the whitest sand of any Australian beach. As we drove down the beach it crunched/squeaked under the tires which of course sounds like driving on snow back home... but only when it drops to below zero Fahrenheit.

Most people were driving around in off-road vehicles, with a dog or two in back. We picked a spot and set up a tent for a couple hours and the kids were thrilled to run through the squeaky sand that felt like flour it was so fine. The bay was filled with kite surfers which made for a great backdrop as we relaxed. 

Kangaroo's frequently visit Lucky Bay and will come out on to the beach to drink from freshwater springs that bubble up in the sand. We visited this beach a couple times during our visit, but we didn't spot any roo's on the beach, unfortunately. There is also a mobile coffee stand directly on the beach called the Lucky Bean Cafe. All this adds up to a beach worth raving about. Well except all the sharks...there was another shark sighting at Lucky Bay that we missed by 12 hours this time. 

Cape Le Grand National Park was filled with brightly colored Australian Christmas trees that bloom around Christmas every year. The large trees that dotted the landscape were filled with puffy orange blossoms that looked like they came out of a Dr. Seuss book. 

Driving through Cape Le Grand National Park with my Nikon in hand, the most iconic thing happened. Mike hit the brakes and there on the side of the road was a momma kangaroo complete with a very large joey in her pouch. We could see the tail sticking straight out of her pouch as she looked at us for a few moments. She decided it was safe and bounded across the road right in front of us and I got the perfect shot. I was on cloud nine. 

The next morning, we headed back to Lucky Bay but this time our route was different. We signed up for an eco-tour that took us 22 km down the beach from Esperance to Lucky Bay. This was unlike anything our Midwest eyes had seen before. This stretch of sugar sand beach was an unmarked highway filled with 4-wheel drive vehicles of fishermen, surfers, and people out cruising. We saw the by-catch from a fisherman that had tossed a wobbegong shark to the side. These sharks are common in W.A. but a rarity and our pride and joy when I worked at Underwater Adventures. Our guide turned off the cruisy beach and up onto the sand dunes that resembled Tatooine.

The kids would run straight off a massive dune and half fall/roll down the steep embankment. This would have been the last stop of the day if they had their say. Eventually we made it to Lucky Bay where we stopped and set up for morning tea. We explored tide pools and climbed rocks that extended out into the ocean. For such a beautiful place on Earth, there was barely a soul there. 

Lucky Bay

Other Bits & Bobs of Esperance

 

Another place worth mentioning in Esperance is Lucky Bay Brewing. This microbrewery featured local craft beer and woodfire pizzas complete with a quaint outdoor seating area. We find that Australia is so causal, a lot of businesses miss out on the opportunity for marketing. Lucky Bay Brewing is one place that hit the mark with cool merch for sale on top of great beer, food and atmosphere. 

Stonehenge Esperance is a must see if you are in the area. I know... what in the world?!? Of all the odd things to come across, this is up there on the list. It is the world's only full-size replica of the actual Stonehenge as it appeared in 1950 BC. I will say they have done an impressive job of replicating the size, shape, weight and placement of the stones. Twice a year on the solstices, the sun aligns through the Station Stones and shines on the alter stone. 

After visiting the original Stonehenge in the U.K. in 2018, this was a must see much to my hubby's protests. The actual Stonehenge has this hushed, mystical feel to it. Everyone stays on the path and you must not get too close, quietly observing and wondering from afar. The vibe in Esperance is oh so much different. You are free to move about the stones and everyone is talking loudly and sharing traveling stories. Meanwhile our children played an epic game of tag running about the massive stones. 

Stonehenge, Salisbury U.K.

Fish Face is the local's favorite fish eatery in town. The queue is out the door every night to this very causal diner. I love that their menu changes daily depending on the local fishermen's catch and that the menu is written on a giant chalkboard. I am so proud of Mike (whom is a known anti-pescatarian) who now orders fish and seafood on a somewhat regular basis. We ordered oysters on the half shell for the kids, Ali was happy to try one with a polite smile while I had to fight Ethan to get a couple of the dozen oysters while he took down the rest. 

Esperance has always been on my radar, probably because of the sharks. I never thought I would get to see this lovely town, let alone have it remind me of my college days.