Esperance - Day 2 - Cape Le Grand National Park

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There were no problems with the power this morning, but we may have all showered for too long too close together because the water was warm rather than hot for the last two showers. The information manual warns that it is only a 90-litre electric hot water tank, and it takes quite a while to reheat so showers should not be too long or better still staggered to give the tank time to reheat!

After breakfast we drove into the Esperance French Hot Bread Shop to purchase rolls and cakes to take with us to Cape Le Grand National Park. From the bakery to the BP where Bernie was excited to be able to put Premium Diesel in the truck. It has been a while between tanks of the good stuff.

Our next stop on the way to the national park was at the Esperance Stonehenge, a full-size replica of the original Stonehenge in the UK … as it would have looked circa 1950BC. The Pink Granite Stones – all 137 of them – were quarried from a site opposite the Esperance property on which they now stand. The Margaret River businessman who commissioned the stones ran into financial difficulties before he could have the stones shipped west to be erected in Margaret River.

The stones then sat for a couple of years before the owner of the farm opposite the quarry stuck a deal with the quarry and erected the stones on his property with assistance from the quarry workers (and their equipment). This certainly reduced the cost of the project by taking out the cost of freighting the stones – between 38 and 50 tonnes each - to another location. On the summer solstice the rays of the rising sun pass through the Heel Stones to the Altar. In winter the sun sets through the Giant Trilithon on the shortest day of the year.

Because the monument is privately owned it cost us $12.50 each to visit. Even with a $2.50/ticket discount for seniors we baulked a bit at the price thinking that it was probably a bit cheesy. However, despite our doubts, it was actually quite impressive to see ‘Stonehenge’ as it was originally conceived nearly 4,000 years ago. To protect the investment the monument is well-shielded from the road. You HAVE to pay the entrance fee to see it!

We continued to the entrance to Cape Le Grand NP where were able to show the passes we purchased yesterday to proceed into the park. We collected some information from the Parks Office adjacent to the gate and then motored out to Le Grand Beach. This was the long route to Le Grand Beach since we ‘could’ have driven from Esperance along the beach!

The weather had deteriorated on our drive into the national park with lightening flashing and thunder rolling! So much for light showers. When looking at the weather forecast yesterday it did warn of the possibility of a small amount of rain but did not mention thunderstorms. At this stage the rain had not really started in earnest, so we took some photographs and then ate our morning tea at one the tables provided in the day visitor area. We hardly got wet at alL

We drove back out the Cape Le Grand Road until we reached the Lucky Bay Road where we turned right to head for Frenchman Peak. We parked the vehicles in the car park hoping to attempt the three-kilometre hike to the top. Hmmn, the rain was starting to fall more heavily so we revised out plan and decided to continue to Lucky Bay and return to Frenchman Peak when the weather clears up this afternoon. Fingers crossed.

Our arrival at Lucky Bay – recently voted The World’s Most Beautiful Beach – coincided with the commencement of a full-on thunderstorm!! Only we could time our visit to such a place of beauty in such awful weather. Well, actually, not only us, there were also other cars in the day car park and dozens of vans and tents in the campground already set up for their long weekend in the national park. The inclement weather was raining on their parade too.

Alright let's drive out to Rossiter Bay the furthest point we can drive to in Cape Le Grand NP, cross our fingers that the weather clears soon and then work our way back through all the scenic bays and coves.

Oh dear, the bitumen road ends a few metres beyond the turn-out for Lucky Bay, so we had to travel the last six kilometres on a dirt road … in the rain. Mucky! We were soon in Rossiter Bay and eternal optimist Bernie was convinced that the weather was lightening up? The rain had eased so we managed to walk down onto the beach to take some grey photos. The beach here at Rossiter Bay was covered in some of the deepest seaweed we ever recall seeing piled up on a beach. So spongy to walk on and just around the corner from The World’s Most Beautiful Beach. Go figure? At least the weed was dry and not smelly.

We decided to eat lunch. Basically, just trying to fill in time waiting for the weather to improve so that we could properly appreciate the beauty of Cape Le Grand NP. We ate our rolls huddled under the tailgates of our vehicles to stay out of yet another shower of rain!

Lunch eaten we piled back into the cars to return to Lucky Bay. The rain eased again (wish the same could be said for the thunder and lightening!) so we ventured down onto the beach. What a disappointment. We were expecting super white, super fine sand, but the beach was like … porridge. I kid you not, the beach was wet and soggy and sort of greyish like porridge and it smelled a little like sewerage. Perhaps the weather conditions were partly to blame? We were definitely underwhelmed. On the plus side there were New Holland Honeyeaters (identified with thanks to the Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds) flitting around and a couple of macropods. Kangaroos? … or were they wallabies??

Our next stop was Thistle Cove and Whistling Rock. The rock is a natural formation which captures the sound of the wind and waves. The one thing it is not today is windy, so the Whistling rock was visually impressive, but it wasn’t singing for us today.

On our way back to Hellfire Bay we pulled into a Lookout we had noticed opposite Frenchman Peak. Wow! That gave us a totally different perspective of the peak and revealed that it has a hole/cave/arch near the summit that we had not been able to see from other angles.

We turned down Hellfire Road to visit Hellfire Bay, the last bay on our way back to Cape Le Grand Road. Another picturesque bay along the coast of the national park. The bays themselves are beautiful and they look out onto islands in the Recherche Archipelago. On a clear, blue-sky day it must be spectacular.

There were more banksias at this stop than we had seen elsewhere. The sand must’ve been deeper here supporting the growth of the larger Banksia Speciosa. The more stunted bushes we have been seeing further from the beach must be Banksia pulchella … according to the guide we picked up. The honeyeaters were feasting on the nectar in the huge banksia flowers. Once out of the car there was a surprising variety of plants many currently flowering.

Decision time. The weather is still crap, are we going to attempt to walk to the summit of Frenchman Peak? Cathy and Steve decided it was a ‘no’ for them. We decided to give it a go, accepting that we might have to stop below the summit if it was beyond our capabilities.

From Hellfire Road we crossed Luck Bay Road back into the Frenchman Peak car park where we had been this morning. We read the information board advising us that it is a three-kilometre round trip, but to allow three hours because it is a Grade 5 hike i.e. very steep. Additional warnings recommended that the walk should not be attempted if conditions are wet or windy.

Hmmn, not windy BUT it has been raining off and on all day. Will it be too wet and slippery underfoot to proceed safely? We decided to attempt the summit, but to turn back if we were feeling too unsafe. The walk starts on an easy gravel track that traverses the lower flank of the peak. That part was easy. However, once you reach the granite outcrop proper you have to start walking up a granite slope which had been made a little slippery by the rain. But still achievable.

About one K in the steepness factor increased substantially. The markers were now showing a path traversing the slope in a zigzag to keep the steepness manageable??! Or not. Bernie struck out for the first marker and made it but almost slipped on the rock made slick by a rivulet that was running down the face. Hmmn, I said that I wasn’t prepared to go further unless he sussed out what the going looked like after the next marker up the slope. Bernie made it to that marker and decided he should take me back down the mountain without achieving the summit. On a fine, dry day we think we could have made it to the top, but the slickness today made it too difficult. Still, we made it two thirds of the way which wasn’t too bad. And admitting defeat is far better than one or both of us being injured and having to be winched out. That would be embarrassing!

Back at the car park we spoke to a couple about our age asking whether they were planning to attempt the walk to the summit. We were going to suggest maybe they should re-think based on our experience. They had already decided against it and then mentioned that the surface reminded them of a place near them called Elephants Hide. Aha, Tracey said, the Grampians? Yes, they were fellow Victorians over in the west for about five to six months.

With the weather hardly better than it had been all day we headed back to town stopping in at the Lucky Bay Brewery on Bandy Creek Road. Bernie sampled their Pale Ale, liked it, bought a slab and a four pack of Forbidden Fruit (a mulberry sour) for Cathy as we know she enjoys that style of beer. Since we were out that way, we cruised along to the Bandy Creek Harbour and finally found where they hide the fishing boats.

After a quick stop at Woolies – again – we made our way back to the townhouse to relax for a couple off hours before heading to the Pier Hotel for dinner. Cathy booked us in for 7.00pm after they arrived back this afternoon. With it being the Friday night of a long weekend in WA we decided it would be prudent to book a table.

This evening it was finer than it has been all day, so we were able to walk down to The Esplanade for dinner at the Pier Hotel. Glad that we booked as it was packed. Unlike the Loose Goose Restaurant that we walked past on our way which was huge and only had four people in. That could be the reason for the For Sale signs in the window. If the turnover figures reflect how quiet they were tonight, we can’t see them finding a buyer.

The rain held off while we walked back to the townhouse. Hopefully we will have a finer day tomorrow for our last full day in Esperance.



Steps: 14,016 (9.13kms)

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