Week 7 - Penong to Esperance

March 9 - Mar 15

Nullaboooring was Ewen’s favourite saying. I think Sam agreed.

We left Penong on Saturday morning and went via Point Sinclair and Cactus Beach before properly hitting the road. Point Sinclair has Lake Macdonnell which is a (not very) pink lake, and then the popular surf beach Cactus Beach.

Cactus Beach was STUNNING, I think probably one of my fav beach’s in SA, in close competition with Port Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Berry Bay on the Yorke which we went to on a previous trip in 2022. Cactus beach has beautiful rocks jutting out which create brilliant rock pools (would have hundreds if not thousands of starfish!) and a sheltered little swimming spot. We continued to be covered by the never-ending blanket clouds that had been following us for weeks now and didn’t venture a swim.

After that we were properly on the Nullarbor! We had the obligatory photo stop at the famous sign, and next stop as Head of the Bight about 2 hours further down the road. It was 40 degrees and we could not bring the dog, so Ewen walked the 2 km round trip while I stayed in the aircon with Sam. A bit further down the road was the Nullarbor Road house, where we made a quick salad wrap, took some pics and went on our way.

Second last stop for the day was the SA WA border, we had been well informed and didn’t have much fresh produce needing to be tossed so got though quarantine pretty quick. 

Camp that night was at Mundrabilla Road House for $15 which had toilets and showers, plus made a good pizza and some cold Emu Export. We went to bed happy campers and woke up to rain and 21 degrees. Packed up the tent and got on our way, it rained pretty much all day and so we just drove and drove and drove. 

We hit the 90 mile straight and then landed in Norseman by about 3pm, had a quick check-in with our families when we got cell service, and then headed to camp at Bromus Dam. A decent free camp with lots of space, drop toilet and lots of other weary travellers having made the crossing. It was two big days of driving but we were in WA!! 

Ironically the Eyre peninsula was having stellar weather now and we brought the clouds with us.

Monday took us to Esperance, we stocked up on groceries, water, and fuel, and took the opportunity to book a caravan park in town for the weekend when the weather was looking better.

We then head east just over an hour to Alexander Bay. One of the few dog friendly campsites in the area with toilets. It was just what we needed. We got a brilliant little spot tucked in the shrubs/trees and were completely protected from the wind raging overhead. We setup the the awning and walls and settled in for 4 days while we waited out the weather. Apparently some parts of WA got 6 months of rain in those 4 days. It was relentless, bit we were so lucky that all the water drained away from out campsite and all things considered we weathered it pretty well.

On the third day of hibernation we saw some blue sky (!) and walked the 4WD track across one of the headlands and the adjacent beach, it was beautiful and a needed stretch of the legs to shake off the cabin fever. The beach near the campsite was absolutely covered in mounds of seaweed which another camper said when she was here in December last year the beach was pristine with no seaweed to be found. It was still a stunning spot but amazing how quickly the landscape can change.

On Friday once our tent dried we packed up and head back to Esperance. Mother Nature was on our side because as soon as we finished packing up it started raining again!

On our way back we drove via Wharton Beach, Little Wharton Beach, and Duke of Orleans Bay, which is just on the eastern border of Cape Le Grand NP. The whole area was just spectacular, there was an easy and quick walk to the top of a massive rock/mountain overlooking the area. Another must see was Tabletop Island that was connected by a sand bank that you could walk across at low tide. Honestly the photos just don’t do the place justice. It feels pre-historic and like a scene from Jurasic Park. You just have to go to appreciate for yourselves!

Friday afternoon we checked into to the RAC caravan park in Esperance and had a much needed shower. We went to Taylor St Quarters for dinner which was nice, but cold and a bit dreary, as always sitting outside because of the dog. Beautiful waterfront spot though and would be a perfect spot for a drink on a nice sunny day - maybe next time.

Sorry for the late post, as you can see this week we didn’t have much phone service. See you very soon for the next instalment of can we bring the dog :)

Love Laura, Ewen, & Sam xx

ps go the Blues (apparently)