Day 171 - West of Esperance

Today was fine with a temperature reaching into the low twenties and with a chilly little breeze.

Esperance is a coastal town with a population of about 15,000.  It looks quite prosperous.

We toured the sights west of Esperence starting along the harbour foreshore.  Three boats were at anchor and one was in dock looking fully laden.  The foreshore is being redeveloped and when completed the locals will be very proud of the outcome.

There is a road west which provides access to the various beaches and headlands for about 15 km west of Esperance.  The road then ceases its westward march and heads inland to Pink Lake. There is a large wind farm towards the end of the road, but having seen many windfarms .........

The coastline is as expected, rugged and beautiful.  With the sun shining, the water colours, the white waves and the white sands were exceptional.  We photographed most of the "hot spots" but would point out what we felt was a beach, Twilight Beach, which competed more than favourably with the now famous "Little Beach" near Albany.  The photographs explain themselves, but look particularly for the two of Twilight Beach.

240914 A grain ship loaded to the gunwales in Esperance Harbour

240914 Grain management system at Esperance's grain wharf

240914 West Beach with Cull Island in the background

240914 From Chapman Point with Cull Is and Charley Is on the RHS top

240914 Blue Haven Beach

240914 Blue Haven Beach

240914 Western end of Salmon Beach

240914 Eastern end of Salmon Beach

240914 Fourth Beach

240914 Twilight Beach

240914 A more expansive view of Twilight Beach with Cull and Charley
Islands in the background

240914 Picnic Beach

240914 The road to Observatory Point

240914 Looking east from Observatory Point back towards Esperance.
Note the boat in the distance on RHS

240914 Observatory Beach looking west

240914 10 Mile Beach Lagoon looking east towards Observatory Point and Observatory Island

240914 11 Mile Beach looking west

We came across an interesting wild flower at Observatory Point.  The shrubs were quite widespread but this was an excellent specimen.

240914 Wildflower on Observatory Point

Sadly Pink Lake was not pink but it was a bright white.  It is a salt lake which contains a particular alga, Dunaliella salina which, together with a bacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum, produces beta carotene, the orange colour in carrots, which breaks down in certain conditions to yield the pink colouration. Something was missing from the mix today.

240914 Pink Lake - not pink today

This was another fine day discovering our little corner of the world.  Shame about the pink.