Today we drove 200km south to Norseman via Coolgardie and get ready for the first leg of our return Nullarbor traverse tomorrow. While my lovely wife was at the physiotherapist for an hour in the morning, I passed this pink building…… …a Bavarian castle…. …and a duck pond. Talk about variety. Kalgoorlie has it all! … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 78 – Kalgoorlie to Norseman
Being in Kalgoorlie, we took the golden opportunity and had a rest day. Sleep in, washing and then a visit to the Boulder end of town followed by a special dinner. Paddy Hannan – one of the men that started it all when his lucrative discovery on 14 June 1893 set off the major gold … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 77 – Boulder
Today we head north into more arid country to a salt lake with sculptures. Mining is on a large scale over a big area. If you don’t see a mine, there are plenty of blue Mine Site signs on the roadside. Dad Emu and some young ones. During their early life, the young emus are … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 76 – Lake Ballard
Today was a chance to take a leisurely look around Kalgoorlie. The city was built on gold wealth over the past 127 years. There are many original heritage buildings in town. Gold spire of the Government Buildings York Hotel (1901) The Australia Hotel (1898) Exchange Hotel (1900) Hannan Street streetscape Criterion Hotel This was the … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 75 – Kalgoorlie
Today we travelled north for about 400km to Kalgoorlie following the original paths of some of the miners that flocked to the goldfields in the 1890s. The restored Tanker Jetty was the site of the original Esperance port. This statue at the Tanker Jetty shows the physical nature of grain loading onto ships in the … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 74 – The trail to Kalgoorlie
Another day in Cape Le Grand National Park on Wudjari land. But first a trip to Esperance Cemetery to see the grave of great great great great Uncle Ben Hannett. He was the brother of Great Grandma Matthews’ Great Grandfather (who went to the Victorian Goldfields and then to South Australia). Pink Lake at Esperance….yes, … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 73 – Cape Le Grand National Park
Cape Arid is 123 km east of Esperance. On the way to Cape Arid, we stopped at the small town of Condingup which was only established way way back in 1963! Just out of Condingup, we found large numbers of orchids in a wetter area of the heath with several species. Bee orchid above. Purple … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 72 – Cape Arid National Park
A day looking at the coastline of Esperance. Esperance beaches are famous for their white sands and turquoise waters…and great white sharks. Esperance is also home to the Cyclops wave, said to be the world’s heaviest wave with massive amounts of water unloading on a shallow reef. The surfers wanted a Cyclops in Hawaii but … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 71 – Esperance Beaches
A bit tired today, we are in a trance in Esperance! After taking the morning off for washing and sleep in, visited the Esperance Wildflower Show. Foyer artwork above. The usual collections of named specimens were inside. The President of the local wildflower society was very helpful with locations. Dempster Head has an impressive Rotary … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 70 – Esperance
We awoke to a fine Esperance morning and visited the Whale Tail on the harbour. An old man and a whale once entered a bar at the same time. ‘Who’s your whale pal?’ the bartender asked. The Old man seemed annoyed and replied, “I don’t know. Maybe Dick”. The Esperance Stonehenge is the only full … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 69 – Stonehenge and Lucky Bay
We were planning to head to Esperance first thing but decided to have another morning in Fitzgerald River National Park, this time at East Mount Barren. Kangaroo paw Showy banksia (Banksia speciosa) Approaching East Mount Barrens Silent guardians of the heathland Banksia coccinea on the ridge below East Mount Barrens. Hakea Calytrix Part of the … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 68 – East Mount Barren and the road to Esperance
Port Hotel at Hopetoun Scarlet banksias in bushland near Hopetoun Conostylis Banksia flower spike in closeup Clematis vine Four Mile Beach in Fitzgerald River National Park Royal hakeas. Fitzgerald River National Park has 1100 named species of plant of which 36 are endemic to the national park and 275 endemic to the Eyre Botanical Province. … More Way Away in WA 2023 – Day 67 – Fitzgerald River National Park
