Day 172 - East from Esperance

The weather stayed perfect for our jaunt today to see the sights east of Esperance. These are not as close as the ones we saw yesterday.  We had to travel 65km before we entered the feature area of Le Grand National Park.

Of course we drove through cereal crops but once we entered the park it was heath like coverage and plenty of wildflowers. 

The Le Grand National Park has its fair share of granite mountains, which rise like sentinels above the heath and at times dip down to the sea, providing headlands with white sand beaches in between. The sun was out so the water was its customary aqua colour and the waves were topped in a brilliant white.

250914 Frenchman Peak - with "eye"

In order we saw Hellfire Beach, Thistle Cove, Lucky Bay, Rossiter Bay and Le Grand Beach.  Each has its attributes but Thistle Cove was probably the pick of the bunch today. On its headland was a rock, which, depending on the approach you took, looked like a dog's head or a bull.  It was neither, but was simply called Whistling Rock.  On its seaward side the noise of the waves crashing on the rocks was captured by Whistling Rock and reflected back to wherever one was standing.  It was quite impressive.  It may indeed whistle if the wind is strong enough.

250914 Hellfire Beach looking west

250914 Hellfire Beach looking out to sea

250514 Thistle Cove

250914 Whistling Rock at Thistle Cove

250914 The source of the sounds at Thistle Cove's Whistling Rock

250914 The western headland at Lucky Bay

250914 Lucky Bay

250914 Sea grass at Rossiter Bay

250914 Le Grand Beach

We are always alert for that unusual shot and we got one today. Some cattle were standing in a little lake, cooling their heels one might say.  There must be another reason eg they don't have to stretch their necks so far to get a drink, because the temperature was a mild 23 degrees.

The Gnome was quite impressed with Lucky Bay.