THE ESPERANCE BEACHES (MARCH 2015)

We really did like Esperance.....could you tell?  One of its great advantages is that there are so many interesting and picturesque places to visit within a relatively small radius, and I have’t even scratched the surface of the recommended country drives, or visited the large lakes which are an inherent part of the local landscape. Frankly we were running out of tourist and photographic puff.

But we cannot possible move on without visiting one of the Esperance highlights, its western beaches. These are separated from the seafront and port area of Esperance by the south-westerly thrust of Dempster Head. Beyond that, beach after beach and cove after cove dot the coast line. Most are exposed to the varying moods of the Southern Ocean. Some, however, are almost constant havens of tranquil blue waters and the ubiquitous white sands of this region.

In this alternative aerial shot of the port, thanks to Southern Ports, the beaches we are about to tour can be seen on the left of the picture.

I shall not attempt to visit them all in this missive. Apart from anything else, after almost two weeks without Internet connection, I am currently sitting in Perth frantically trying to catch up, and as I am sure you will soon see, I have more than enough photos to share as it is.

This presentation is something of a composite of several trips to this side of town which is reached via a recently completed overpass.  This in itself has something of a history.  For years and years, the main road to the beaches intersected at the same level with the rail line which leads to the port. It takes little imagination to understand the ongoing frustration of those attempting to reach this local playground, or indeed their homes, as they sat waiting at the level crossing whilst trains of interminable length blocked any attempt to move further down the road (remember...the ore trains can be up to 126 waggons long, and they would not be moving quickly as the engines eased into the port area).

Public angst finally reached the point where money had to be spent. The overpass was built and the problem was solved.

As one climbs up towards the turn off road to the Rotary lookout, it is obvious that tourists are not the only ones interested in the views on offer over the town. 

These are but two examples of some very fine houses which hold pride of place on the hillside.

To give some perspective (yes, I am into perspective!) a quick sojourn at the Rotary lookout is again in order.

We have already seen over the main CBD and seafront.  Looking south from this high point we can take in a couple of the myriad of granite islands which dot this coastline....there are literally dozens and dozens of them lying off the shore between Esperance and Cape Arid, some 140 kms to the east.  Even the local touring map depicts over fifty!  Esperance Bay is not known as the Bay of Isles for nothing.

Panning further west the suburb of West Beach comes into view, where the lucky ones (with sufficient means) live in homes perched high on the ridge with the sea spread out below. 

Looking even further to the right past West Beach other suburbs of Esperance and the silver stretch of the (not) Pink Lake come into view,

whilst, with a zoom of the lens, we can make out the towers of the distant Espernce wind farm, the modern version that is.

A walking trail expends for a number of kilometres along this section of the  coast. Parking bays throughout cater for those wishing to ‘park and jog’ or merely to enjoy the view.

Actually reaching the sand from this point does involve a climb but this is a small price to have to pay for the views on offer.

From one such spot, over the West Beach beach I could see just how lucky some Esperance residents are in their choice of location.

Whilst these beaches all look really inviting, the fact that many are the final destination of the swells of the Southern Ocean means that swimming here is not without its dangers. Heavy surf and associated rips are a feature of West Beach and many others, as this cautionary (and very clearly spelt out) sign clearly demonstrates.

It would appear that most take note....I did not see anyone swimming in these waters on my several sorties. There are much safer spots as we shall soon see. This is something of a shame, because, as we can see looking here back towards Dempster Head, these beaches are wonderful.

As I drove further around  the coast, my attention was drawn to the tower and blades of the single wind turbine poking up over the hill on which it stood. This, I was sure, was the first in the area. Indeed it was, but it was much more than that. The six wind driven generators of the Salmon Beach wind farm were the first to go into commercial operation in Australia. For thirteen years, from March 1987, this wind farm provided 360 kW of electrical power into the Esperance grid. It was fascinating to see just how small these turbines were compared to their modern counterparts, but notwithstanding these somewhat humble beginnings, the Salmon Beach farm demonstrated that wind generated power was a commercially viable proposition in suitable areas. And, as we have often commented...WA....windy always (everywhere)!

Just below the old wind farm the road took me to the rear of a few houses. As I was wandering past, casting envious eyes on the outlook these lucky few had over the ocean, a charming occupant invited me onto her front lawn to see just why they chose to live there. I took a number of shots, but later decided that this, which I had already snapped from the roadway, provides the best idea.

Salmon Beach was pumping. The surf was pounding in driven by the southerly winds which had been blowing much further out to sea for the past day or so.

But, as is the case along the coast, the sea at one beach can be rough and uninviting, whilst another, just around a headland will present a picture of marine tranquillity. It seems hard to grasp that this was the same day.

The coastal road out to the most famous of all the Esperance beaches, Twilight Beach, where, in this shot taken from the wind farm hill, the building of the Surf Club can be seen overlooking the beach,

presents yet another surprise. This marvellous expanse of lawns and trees form the front yard of 

this equally impressive home set well back from the road. This is the only pocket of lush, ordered greenery along the highway.

Just beyond this unexpected display of botanic order, another of the few houses along this stretch of road presents a totally different concept. Modern architecture and a bush setting....a complete contrast but equally impressive.

And now let's jump a few days but continue in the same direction along the coast road. On the basis of its reputation as the premier beach of Esperance, and the fact that it does boast a surf club (which only operates on Sundays at this time of the year), we decided to make this the day on which we visited Twilight Beach.

From the adequate, but often crowded car park above the western end of the beach, 

we made our way down to the sand under a somewhat cloudy, but improving, sky.

From here, as we made our way east along the water's edge, it was obvious to us that there was more than mere patrol activity at the surf club. Bodies were milling about in all directions. No wonder....it was Junior Club Championships day, as I discovered during a good chat to the Club Captain.

We did revisit the club on our return jaunt, but for now I was content to photograph back along the beach in front of the clubhouse. Twilight Beach is popular for a very good reason....the beach shelves gently and the headland and near off-shore island make a wonderful barrier against the incoming swells. Twilight is rarely rough. It is ideal for swimmers of all ages.

Apart from sating our travellers' curiosity, our visit to Twilight this morning also coincided with the need for a very long walk. Off we went, eastwards along the sands, determined to roam along this sweep of beach for a good hour or so.  We had oodles of scope.

But then, a discovery. This was not going to be the easy ramble we had planned. The falling tide had left many stretches of what looked like good, firm sand a rather soggy mess. Even Liz, with her light frame, left an impression....this was decidedly a day of 'footprints in the sand'.

We slogged along, and, the further east we walked, away from the sheltered beach in front of the surf club, the waves did increase. Nothing huge, but certainly enough to create interest for these two paddle boarders.

 

It was at about this point that we spotted something on the sands ahead of us. This looked remarkably like a volley ball net and tents. What is going on here, we wondered? Another round of beach volley ball? Nope...something far more interesting as we shall see very shortly.

On we went. "Are we there yet, Mum?" "Not far to go now". Liz had set the old wind turbine on the hill as the end point of our outward leg. There was to be no turning back until we had reached it.....which we soon did.

About face. Back we trudged towards the tents which were in fact the wedding venue for one very creative local couple. We could see that the groom had arrived, but where was the bride?

She was on her way, fashionably late we presumed. By the time we were cautiously and quietly creeping past behind the festive structures, the bridal party had arrived and the ceremony was in full swing.

What a setting for their nuptials. It was clear that a deal of planning had gone into this event. The tables in the catering tent were groaning under the weight of the platters, whilst the enclosure housing the refreshments was equally well stocked.  And for any who may have been wondering where to go on arrival, this quirky sign at the entrance to be beach from the car park above the sand hills, said it all.

What I would have given for an invitation to this bash....we strongly suspected that several may well have seen Twilight Beach at just that time of day!

With our mental best wishes left with the happy couple, we plodded on back across the wide expanses of Twilight beach towards the surf club in the distance.

It was time to pay a visit to this hive of activity.

I had previously seen a 4WD with what appeared to be Kalgoorlie number plates towing the local surf boat. Odd, I thought, 'Kal' is miles away. Not odd at all. This most easterly of all the clubs in WA is actually the Esperance-Goldfields SLSC....that's right folks, some members of this club drive 380 kms south from the goldfields to participate. Now that's commitment. 

The dedicated club car park said it all. There was not a 2WD to be seen apart from the odd ute or two.

Apart from Woolies and Maccas, what are the same all over this vast land of ours....surf clubs. I feel instantly at home in any of them.

The buildings and outlooks may vary, but the activities and ambiance are a constant.

And, of course, club membership anywhere guarantees a welcome and entree into any sister club. I took full advantage of this privilege to take some final photos of Twilight Beach from the clubhouse balcony.

I made my way past those queueing for the essential club champs BBQ and sausage sizzle

and climbed the stairs, past what has to be another feature of just about every surf club into which I have ever set foot....a sign which is placed in hope by all club managements, and, in my experience, one which is almost equally universally ignored (excluding the no smoking instruction, which to my great satisfaction, is completely enforced)

What a view greeted the lens. The clouds had lifted and the sun on the waters gently breaking along the eastern curve of the beach highlighted the stunning blues of the sea on this part of the coast. 

Directly in front of the clubhouse, the hectic activity of the earlier part of the day was subsiding,

and the normal beach patrol was being mounted for the protection of those enjoying this beautiful beach,

including all those further along in the lee of the westerly headland which holds the waters of this stunning spot in its calming embrace.

I must, at this point, crave your forgiveness for this piece of editorial self indulgence. After now having just clocked up 52 continuous years as a member of my own surf lifesaving club at Glenelg, (I continue to Chair its Constitutional Sub-Committee whilst on the road) this organisation is very close to my heart.

So, with this extensive look at Twilight Beach and a passing glance at some of the many others west of Esperance, it is almost time to be on our way.  Just a couple of tasks remain, as I shall detail (brag about, really) in the next and final Esperance missive.