Esperance

 Saturday, 4 June

On the way to the Information Centre this morning we saw a great sculpture of a whale’s tail. The man at the Information Centre gave us some good advice about our plan for the afternoon and showed us some of his great photos.

Just next door was the Historical Museum Village, a collection of small historical buildings which now house shops. There was a little cafe there but we opted to return to the terrific coffee at Cloud 11. A good decision.

Walking back to our cabin we were caught in a short shower of rain but sheltered under the porch of the Bijou Theatre, built in 1896 and once again pirating as a theatre. Had an interesting chat with a woman from Geraldton who has a sister living in Glenfern Rd!

The afternoon was spent doing the Great Ocean Drive, with sixteen stops at scenic lookouts and beaches … and two defunct wind farms. It was cloudy and incredibly windy, but once again the sun came out at the right moments. The beaches were magnificent, with wild water and waves. Invigorating is an understatement. Thank goodness for coats and beanies.

We saw dolphins at Chapmans Point and then again at Blue Haven, except that the one at Blue Haven turned out to be a rubber dolphin being used by a film crew.

It was a fantastic drive but we were ready for a hot cuppa and rest when we got back to the cabin.

And much later, another very enjoyable meal at the Pier Hotel.