Esperance and Lucky Bay - a great place to live

09/17 - 09/21

 09/17 - A long drive took us to Esperance. Here we did the Great Ocean Drive, where we saw the most beautiful beaches so far. The tour also took us past the Pink Lake, which unfortunately is no longer pink. After that, we continued to Cape Le Grand National Park, where we were greeted by a kangaroo at the campsite. In the late afternoon, we went swimming at Lucky Bay. The water was very clear, but cold, and the waves were great. In May 2023, this beach was voted the most beautiful in the world.

 09/18 - In the morning, we took a walk along Lucky Bay to the Panorama viewpoint (about 5 km). What stood out was the fine sand that squeaked under our feet. At noon, we visited Hellfire Beach, which we liked better than Lucky Bay. The perfect spot for a picnic. After that, we went to Le Grand Strand, where the weather turned and it started to rain. Back at the campsite, we encountered a kangaroo with a baby.

 09/19 - Back to civilization in Esperance with a short but steep detour to Frenchman Peak. Here we had a great view over the bay and the national park. The path was over stone slabs and had few markings going up; just before the summit, there was a cave. In the afternoon, it was time for some cleaning, i.e., us, the car, and the laundry.

 09/20 - Today was about stocking up on supplies, visiting the village, and checking out the beaches of Esperance again. We actually wanted to spend an afternoon at the beach, but the weather had other ideas. The sea was still impressive, though less turquoise, and all the wilder. We could not get enough of the beautiful beaches and the imposing waves. For dinner, we went to the famous Lucky Bay Brewery, with live music, wood-fired pizza, and beer (of course, non-alcoholic).

 09/21 - Hurrah, finally back to surfing! Early in the morning, we set off for Twilight Beach. The waves were calmer than in Perth, and we had a private lesson with a super friendly surf instructor. As we were preparing on the beach, Viviane saw a dolphin jump out of the sea and twist. It was a good omen, and no one got hurt today; instead, we stood up more on the board - that’s how it’s done! In the afternoon, we took it easy and wrapped up the last preparations for Nullarbor.