BREMER BAY TO ESPERANCE AND THE PINE GROVE PARK (25 - 27 FEBRUARY 2015)

For some quite unknown reason Liz has had her mind set on a visit to Hopetoun.  This was ‘bucket list’ stuff, so to Hopetoun became our next destination on the south-east coast of WA after our reluctant departure from Bremer Bay. 

The Hopetoun caravan park is rustic to say the least, but we were offered a site which suited us well, and despite the fact that there was no grass to be seen, our smaller piece of that wonderful C-Gear came to the fore and provided us with a sand free area under the awning. A stay in the Hopetoun caravan park, which sprawls over 18 acres, is tantamount to bush camping.  A few slabs are available, but most of the sites are tucked away in the scrub.  We actually found it quite appealing, once we had set up. In any event, we were here for at least two days, so we were determined to make the most of it.

But then the weather gods turned their backs on us.  Grey skies, a brisk breeze and the constant threat of rain did little to show off Hopetoun, its nearby (excellent) beaches or the views from East Mount Barren at their best, as the cloud covered peak of the mountain shows only too well.

Consequently we decided to limit our stay here after a general recce of the area with a view to a revisit later on our way back to Perth (no photos of Hopetoun at this stage).

But despite the weather, which culminated in a huge thunderstorm on the  second afternoon of our visit, we made the most of things.  This included spending two most enjoyable happy hours with Gillian and Peter Dixon, residents of Busselton to whom we began chatting as we did our obligatory ‘park tour’, drinks in hand, on our arrival evening. We hope to catch up with them again somewhere on the road. 

Pete is a keen fisherman and I was later delighted to hear that he had done very well at the Bremer Bay boat harbour on my recommendation.

“So, Liz, have you seen enough of Hopetoun?”  "Yep." The bucket list was (reluctantly) ticked, and we were off to Esperance, on yet another gloomy day with plans to revisit Hopetoun if time and scheduling permitted.  

This part of our trip took us initially through quite undulating country until,

eventually the topography began to flatten 

and the we could see the broad acre cropping land which is a feature of the countryside surrounding Esperance.

And it was through this area that we came upon the most extraordinary spectacle.

At first we did not know what on earth to make of this sight, but we soon realised that they were massive swarms of small insects.

For kilometre after kilometre they could be seen massing in the air around the roadside bushes and trees, looking for all the world like ghostly patches of smoke with no fire. We have absolutely no idea what they were, other than to assume from a few which impacted on out windscreen, that they were a type of flying ant.  We were only glad that their activities were well off the road and, for the most part, far higher off the ground that we were. 

Had this not been the case, they were is such numbers that we would have had to stop, or at least slow to avoid them. But as it was, we were able to maintain speed and just continued to ogle at this incredible natural phenomenon as we neared our destination.

And then here we were. We had heard many conflicting reports about Esperance. Most were positive, but there were a few of our travelling friends who found it quite underwhelming. We shall see, but first things first.....we have to find our caravan park and get ourselves set up.

The ‘Pine Grove’ was our choice of park for two reasons.  It is pet friendly and, being one of the Acclaim group, we could benefit from their offered discount scheme for those who have staying in other group parks, such as the Rose Gardens in Albany.

As we approached the entrance along Harbour Road, I had some concerns about the likelihood of traffic noise. These, it transpired, were well founded, but more of that later.

In we went through the somewhat imposing entrance gateway

and hove to at the allotted spot on the entrance driveway.

After the required formalities were completed, it was left turn and onto the roadway which took us  past the office,

the park pool opposite

and on past a few of the park cabins and a walkway through the gardens at the end of this section of the park roadway.

The speed humps in this park are demons. What with these and the rather tight turns to reach the back roadway, our arrival was sedate to say the least.

Another right turn and we were nearly there.

Site 24 awaited our arrival.  As I pulled past our new home of a couple of weeks in preparation to back on, I have to say I was less than impressed. Large, yes, shady, certainly, but what about the annex area?

Oh, well, we can manage anywhere.....I think!  We got on site and then I got to work. Sand we can manage, but large, intrusive tree roots under the annex area floor is another matter altogether. (this does not do pictorial justice to the real situation)

Some were just too large to do anything about, but after twenty minutes or so hanging off the end of our travelling tomahawk, I managed to chop the top off the most intruding root and cut out several others.

This sort of hard work was just what I needed after several hours towing! Not entirely happy, Jan, but needs must.  And I have to say we are developing a perverse sort of pride in being able to make ourselves comfortable in any circumstances.....ah, the value of experience!

And comfortable we were, eventually, tucked up under the pines with 'elbow room' aplenty.

Mind you, after our first evening suffering a gale under the awning, and realising that the stiff sea breeze which was the culprit was a daily event at this time of the year in Esperance, our Albany canvas came out first thing the next morning. Thanks again Cam....this was a gift voucher very well spent. We soon had rear shelter and a fine spot for the BBQ.

Despite these small travails, our site did have some advantages. It was but a short jaunt across the lawns to the heads, which were more than 'fit for purpose'

and we had oodles of shade, not that it was overly warm in Esperance (other than on the day of our departure when the whole south-east sweltered in a stinking northerly...41 degrees in Esperance at this time of the year is unheard of).

I was initially somewhat perturbed by the fact that there were only two shower cubicles in the ablution block until I realised that in this park, unlike any other in which we have stayed to date, the vast majority of the sites are en suite.

Like so many of the Acclaim parks, the entrance to Pine Grove somewhat belies the remainder.  Liz did take advantage of the very good pool surrounds

which also house one of the two camp kitchens

and one of the three BBQ areas on offer in this park.

The nearby ‘games room’ is a modest affair, complete with a table tennis facility which we suspect is a remnant of former park glory. It's appeal was not enhanced on the day of our arrival when we found a large puddle of water under the table!

Pine Grove, as is proclaimed in notices at the entrance and elsewhere, was formerly ‘Crokers Park’, the winner of several tourism awards in the days of yore.  Like the Kingsway park in Perth, remnant garden areas at Pine Grove speak of a former glory, but sadly, as is somewhat typical of the Acclaim group from what we have seen, there seems to be a reluctance to commit the funding required to maintain them as they were.

Beyond our site was the camping area

and another camp kitchen.

At one stage when I was checking the site map provided to us, I noted a patch labelled ‘cricket pitch’.  Surely not. But indeed, there it was, another neglected reminder of the past life of Pine Grove.  I had visions of young campers assuming the names of their current cricket idols, some doing their best to hurl thunderbolts down the cement strip with those on the receiving end equally determined to  belt them out of the attack. 

Irrespective of the signs of wear and tear, we were comfortable here, except for two things......the first of which was the noise. As I had feared on arrival, Harbour Road is a busy stretch of bitumen.

The large transport depot opposite Pine Grove and the nearby huge grain storage complex

are the destination points for endless large trucks of all descriptions. Traffic noise throughout the day (and on one particular night) is a constant. This was something we had not experienced since Perth, and I have to say, it was most annoyingly intrusive. That, combined with the fact that the park does not have a dump point (we had to drive some two kilometres to the town facility each time an empty was needed), something we found incredible in a park of the size of Pine Grove, was sufficient for us to decide we would never stay here again. 

But we did not let these inconveniences rain on our Esperance parade....we loved the place as I hope to share with you in the next few episodes of the continuing saga of the MobileMarshies.