THE ESPERANCE SEAFRONT - SOUTHERN END (1 MARCH 2015)

As you will soon discover, dear readers, much of our Esperance exploration has centred on the seafront.  There is a very good reason for this....Esperance is a port town, very much so.  We did in fact present ourselves one Saturday afternoon for the formal ‘port tour’, one of the best sums of $5 per head we have ever spent, a tour which will be the subject of its own missive.

The massive sheds, docks, gantries and other infrastructure (not to mention the huge bulk carriers which lie alongside gulping product into their cavernous holds) dominate the Esperance seafront as you will soon see. But, as we discovered there is much more to this precinct.

I decided that some perspective would be in order at this point and to that end I made my destination the hill which overlooks the town at the southern end of Esperance Bay.

Here at the Rotary lookout

The CBD through which we had tramped a few days ago lay before me

as did the long curve of the town seafront.

It was at the southern end of the seafront, hidden below the line of foliage, we began today's ramble,

starting at the large expanses of the Ralph Bower Adventureland Park. We have absolutely no idea who this luminary was or what his contribution to Esperance may have been, but it was obviously significant....this is a serious park for young and old alike.

A mini-rail line snakes its way throughout, and although it was not in use as we walked by, we have been told it is very popular with both those who ride on it and those who are responsible for the upkeep of the engine and rolling stock.

As we made our way northwards across the expanses of lawn, we first passed the (obligatory?) skate park

before coming to a sign proclaiming the mini golf. To our surprise, unlike any we have seen before, the Esperance mini-golf is under cover. Here one can putt away in any weather, safe from the vagaries of the elements.....a far cry from the real thing!

And if a game of pseudo golf is not your style, perhaps a self propelled trundle in one of these quaint rickshaws might appeal.

For those wishing to challenge their senses of direction, or sheer good luck, next on the agenda is the wooden maze complex. I have always puzzled over mazes and those who think it good fun to deliberately set about to get lost, spending time wandering about constantly running into a blank walls before finally emerging through the exit. And what about those who cannot find their way out? Are there attendants on hand to rescue those who become so completely ensnared that panic sets in? Odd things, mazes!

Beyond the maze we wandered past the mandatory park ponds

and the delightful rotunda setting for the public BBQ’s

before strolling across the beautifully kept lawns towards the old clock tower and the mini-rail station.

We were somewhat amused by the sight which greeted us as we wandered past the mini-rail station. Sitting on the platform was a group of Esperance’s senior citizens, nattering away with nary a glance up or down the track. They obviously use the venue as a picturesque meeting place for a yarn or two on a fine day.

I soon learnt that they obviously knew something I hadn’t....the trains were not actually running at the time we were there, but were very much the centre of attention nevertheless. They were magnificent pieces of engineering, I have to say. 

Mind you, my  amateur admiration for the mere aesthetics of these miniature trains paled into total insignificance when compared with the excited chatter coming from the assembled group of engineering enthusiasts gathered around the shunting shed. “But surely the limiting valve should be closing as the piston con rod reaches the end of of it’s run.”  “Well, you would think so, but with this engine, a piston chamber exhaust port has the opposite effect to the...........” and on and on they went!  It was all total techno-babble to me, and we moved on, reminded so much of the title of that wonderful William McInnes book written about his childhood, ‘A Man’s Got To Have A Hobby’.

Enthusiasts of a completely different ilk were also gathered nearby, in the front garden of the very flash Taylors Beach Bar and Cafe which takes pride of place on the seafront adjacent to the Don MacKenzie waterfront gardens.

I did note that ‘Taylors’, in its current format, has moved on from its much more gentile origins if the sign writ large on the roof is any indication. Much more money in booze than tea and cakes, even a high tea!  I did spy a poster advertising live music on the coming Sunday afternoon as we strolled past, but a frosty glance from the Treasurer at my side was enough to instantly quell my initial enthusiasm. I do have to be reminded sometimes that we are not on holiday and that interest rates are through their boots.

I should pause here for just a jot to explain the naming of the garden. Donald Hugh Adross MacKenzie (no guessing as to his origins....the very name has the skirl of the pipes about it!) arrived in Esperance in November 1947 where he quickly became involved in commercial fishing and island tourist cruising in his eight metre plywood boat the ‘Tulach Ard’ (there’s another clue!). 

This was but the beginning for the redoubtable Don.  In 1972 he won the contract to provide tug services to the expanding port of Esperance. His first vessel, the ‘Cape Le Grande’ is still in service, along with two additions to his fleet. These are expensive and very efficient boats, about which I’ll have much more to say when we take a tour of the port later.

In addition to these ventures, Don established the tourist development of the nearby Woody Island and was heavily involved in local civic affairs. His grandchildren continue to operate the tugs to this day. I thought it very fitting that the gardens constructed and maintained in his honour always have the port as a backdrop.

The protective rock wall of the small boat harbour provided a great vantage point from which to look back at the ‘tea rooms’ and the clock tower,

to take in the island cruise boat jetty

and, moving though 180 degrees, the port grain dock.

Looking past the small boat marina, I could see what appeared to be a sheltered swimming beach tucked away in the south-western corner of the bay.

A later venture to this area confirmed that this is indeed a sheltered spot, ideal for youngsters to safely splash or to frolic on the various blow-up rafts and pontoons provided for their aquatic amusement.

Separated from this beach by a short wall is a second, also ideal for swimming, but my enthusiasm and plans for several long swims were sadly overrun by events (and the weather).

Back to the breakwater. Looking shorewards on the opposite of the road to Taylors we could see the buildings and craft of the Esperance Yacht Club, 

and, panning slightly to the right, the club beach and basin.

It was time to move on further north along this very 'busy' part of the seafront, past the front of the Yacht club and marine rescue buildings and on towards the more developed section of the Esplanade linear park. As we did so I took the opportunity to look back. Hopefully this photo showing the port, observation hill, the clock tower and the club buildings, provides some more perspective of this end of the bay.

A complete redevelopment of the main part of the Esperance foreshore has been recently completed. This piece of foreshore art

heralded our approach to the short small boat ramp which is the Taylor Street jetty.

From here we could see the much more formal paths, lawns and infrastructure of the park beyond, and as we soon discovered, this is a gem.

The good burghers of Esperance have made the most of one of the town’s real assets as we shall see in my next.