Perth to Esperance

Blogees et al

Yes, I know the title is a bit boring but it really sums up what Pete and I have done since last inflicting our news on you.

Somehow I knew, I just knew, after Quade's kick-off last Sunday, that the night was going to end in tears. I'm pretty instinctive that way. Enough said. See photo of Pete and me outside the Reid residence in Freo trying to look like good sports.  Note Vern's subtle positioning of the flag!

Anyhow, on Monday we left our very warm and comfortable beds and everything else at Liz and Vern Reid's (ta again Reids) and hot-footed it out to Kalgoorlie. Now those of you who have got to know and understand our love of caravan parks will probably relate to the following discussion between Pete and me on arriving at our designated tent site for the night..... " We can't camp on gravel!" " No, but we can squeeze the tent along one side on the dirt and the other side on the gravel." Guess what the name of our location was. "The Overflow". Enough said again.

We then had a look at Kalgoorlie's Super Pit which is an area the size of America where little Tonka toy trucks and ants (that"s what they looked like) gouge lots of stuff out of the ground in a consolidation of lots of adjoining leases combined in the late 1980s by none other than Alan Bond. And all this in the search of gold. The next day we cased the rest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and were extremely impressed by the Mining Hall of Fame, Kalgoorlie Town Hall (where Winnie Atwill once tinkled the ivories) and the Mining Museum. A photo or two will demonstrate the size of some of the mining gear.

Now some of you will have read this far and wondered when I was going to get to the brothel tour in Hay Street. Well, I have got to it but only in a way because the tour didn't happen! It was booked out that day by a bus-load of voyeuristic old age stickybeaks who had nothing better to do than..... Pete and I are not that way at all! So, we had to give the brothel and tour a wide berth, probably much to the relief of all related to or associated with our families. We made up fpr it with a wonderful meal of lamb chops and salad, followed by yoghurt and Rocky Road amidst a very windy and cold night at our site.

The next day (today Wednesday), we headed straight for Esperance (named after the ship that visited here in 1792). Fantastic beaches and jetty and museum but most famous, of course, for having had parts of Skylab fall on it in 1979. See photo.

We made enquiries for tomorrow re the state of Parmango Road which joins Esperance to the Eyre Highway. We of course received a variety of responses ranging from " Shocking, rough as guts" to "Should be ok" to a wry smile followed by " Good luck!". We will therefore approach the said road tomorrow with a deal of apprehension and a well-defined plan B. Off-roading is fun but let's not get too carried away!

I hope to report to you again having safely arrived back on the Eyre Highway. Until then, I trust you are all well and eagerly awaiting the next post. If so, so am I!

Cheers

Ian