Perth Graduation Trip -- Tenth Installment

Perth Graduation Trip -- Tenth Installment



Day 17: Esperance Beaches -- Cape Le Grand Beach, Lucky Bay & Thistle Cove


Beware: Image-heavy post, full of beach scenic shots. Skip this post if you are allergic to the most beautiful beaches of Australia.


I thought I heard noises in my sleep and I flung my arm around, only to realise that the other side of the bed was empty. I opened my eyes and there he was, trying to toast some bread with the lousy toaster provided from the caravan park.

He made me this huge sandwich, bacon fried exactly the way I like it and my new favourite breakfast item -- stir-fried mushrooms. Come to think of that, I think I had that almost everyday in Perth.

Checked out of Bathers Paradise Caravan Park and started our day a little late.


Stir-fried mushrooms yummy yummy




See that wooden box on my left? OTS said that was the water heater tank and I used up all the hot water and he had to bathe with cold water in the cold weather because I was the first one to shower, oops teeheehee.


Drove about 40km (that was really nothing to us by then) to Cape Le Grand National Park, where a few beaches are worth the visit, according to a brochure from the visitor centre. We would be camping there for the night!! YAY!



Black swans in the pond.. I thought they were geese, but only swans swim in ponds right?





READ: VERY EXCITED to be in Cape La Grand National Park




After paying the entrance fee (AUD$10) and driving further in




Cape Le Grand Beach, the one nearest to the entrance of the National Park





Stayed dry with my Harry Potter and potato chips




Him running away to swim in the sea!




Honestly, I still prefer Dunsborough Beach because that was calmer..





Him climbing up and down.. we saw a couple of huge lizards crawling on the rocks!



I climbed up too to get a better shot of the ocean







The shoreline







Us with my ever-flying around hair




My little space under the rock, away from the strong sea breeze that left me 'brrrrrrrr'



We found the tent pitching campsite a short five minutes' drive away from Cape Le Grand Beach. There were about ten lots where each individual lot has their own space for at least a ten-man tent and a car lot big enough for a caravan. We took up one, and walked over to the outdoor kitchen to cook our lunch.



Oh oh, I forgot to mention, the potatoes became a breakfast, lunch and dinner favourite too hehe


We originally wanted to stay at the Cape Le Grand Beach Campsite, but we decided to check out the only other campsite in the National Park -- Lucky Bay Campsite. Another ten minutes drive brought us to the most most most breath-taking beach that we have ever seen up till that very moment.



A glimpse of Lucky Bay in the car



Stopping by to take a shot


Compared to the first campsite, this campsite seemed smaller but cosier. There weren't any lots for us to take, just one big compound where everyone can just pitch their tents freely so we decided to pitch our tent there, also because it was just five minutes away from Lucky Bay. Teeheehee.



That's our three-man tent pitched right in front of the car




And off we went to the beach!!!!



You have to give it to Mother Nature.. I know I have said it many many times.. but it's really gorgeous



On my left




On my right




OTS snorkelling around in the middle of the turquoise ocean





Me looking on with envy.. seeing how OTS is enjoying himself thoroughly





Saw a kangaroo sun-tanning on the beach!




And so I tried too




Red-beaked seagull




OTS drew on the hard-like-floor sand





Very fine sand, it was almost like salt





He loves me! *gasps*




What is he doing, honestly?





The sun setting down soon.. this could be around 7pm




Can't get enough of the ocean



You get what I mean hahaha





Parked the car right in front of the viewpoint and I took photos while he tidied up the car



Thistle Cove was about 10 minutes' drive away from Lucky Bay. We made it a point to visit that beach because OTS once gave me a photo of that beach and I thought that the photo was damn beautiful.

However, despite the nice name, Thistle Cove was nothing compared to Lucky Bay.


Some huge natural rock called The Whistling Rock.. no idea what's that green spot





A little comparison between the photo and the real thing






Quicksand! RUN!




Scenic shot



After Thistle Cove, we drove back to our tent and cooked fried rice for dinner again! Wanted to sleep already (I told you about the abnormally early sleeping times I developed in Perth) when we suddenly remembered about the bottle of champagne that we bought in Albany! To celebrate my graduation, we decided to bring the bottle and walk over to the beachside when we saw..



another kangaroo again!!!


I was a little afraid of walking down to the beachside, so I suggested that we drive, even though it would only be five minutes if we walked. Those little hoppies came by again while we were driving down.

The beach was dark except for the very very bright moonlight that night. We popped the champagne and I drank a little while OTS had most of it. Which explains his red face in the next photo. I know.. it's just champagne right! Anyway we ran around the beach, shaking the bottle violently and trying to spritz champagne on each other so most of the it was drank by the sand. Hehe. Oh, we found the cork the next day we visited the beach again. Haha.




Bedtime.. very sleepy.


Because OTS had presumably more alcohol, he was feeling very warm and he opened up the window of the tent WHICH HE FORGOT TO CLOSE IT WHEN HE WAS FEELING COOLER. I WAS SHIVERING THE WHOLE NIGHT. I wore

1) a bra
2) a T-shirt
3) a pullover
4) a cardigan
5) a pair of long sleeping pants
6) a pair of socks

and was still shivering! I roused him and made him zip up.. THE WINDOW LAH.

Perth Graduation Trip -- Ninth Installment

Perth Graduation Trip -- Ninth Installment


Day 16: Albany -- Esperance


Woke up early in the morning, had a quick shower and we checked out of Albany Discovery Inn. With all due respect for OTS's previous experience with a particular Fish & Chips store, we set off with empty stomachs and drove around looking for the store. After a few detours and some questions asked, we finally arrived at -- The Squid Shack.

It was, to die for.

Never in my life, had I tasted calamari so soft and juicy. You know those sotong sold in Singapore where you had to give it more than two bites to really sever the sotong pieces into two parts? This one doesn't need that. Bite it, and it comes off. It was that soft. The fish & chips also boasts the thinnest batter I have seen in my life, giving the whole package the fish taste, not the batter taste. It isn't overhyped, nothing of those 'overpromised, underdelivered' stuffs.



Located near a mini jetty, where fresh fishes are being caught daily and the store uses them directly, which explains the freshness




View out of the alfresco dining area




OTS saw this little wildflower garden and we stopped by to take a photo


After that, we started our five hours' drive. Barely ten minutes into driving, I received an sms from Yuet Wei, who informed me that I had passed all my final exams!! That was definitely a great relief for me and that made me exceptionally light-hearted the whole day!

Thank you, Yuet Wei. You had made my day, although I did not tell you so. =)




Goodbye, Albany.



Leaving the tracks behind



Armed with isotonic drinks



a Global Positioning System, also known widely as GPS,




Incubus's instrumental CD, which almost drove me crazy listening to it on repeat mode for five hours because that was the only CD we ever played in the car



Still a long long way to go



Thank you for following my trip updates up till this very moment. We have come to the highlight of the Perth trip, also the place I wanna go the most during my short stint in Australia -- Esperance.

I remember a few days before the start of the trip, OTS developed a fever and we were really comtemplating whether to cancel the road trip. Then remember the poster of The Natural Bridge we saw at KFC? That totally woke us up and we realised 'Hey, why not?' Since OTS was getting better so we jumped at the chance, shortening our seven-day road trip into a five-day one.

Driving 480km from Albany without a break at all. My record. That's further than driving to KL all the way from Singapore. Couple of times some little fucker tried to get us killed by driving on our lane in the opposite direction just to overtake some road trains. Don't they have the sense to realise that if it's a one-way lane each for each direction, you do not overtake on an uphill track because you can't see the traffic condition in front of you? If not my my slow-down, those cars would have

1) crashed into me
2) gotten stuck in between me and the road train, and still crashed into me
3) swerved off the road and died in some deserts and might still crash into me.

Those little fuckers. I wish they had some responsibility for their lives and as well as other road-users. If anyone reading this is currently pursuing a driving license or has just gotten one, please reflect on why you needed the license and what a car does for you in the first place.

It really is just a Point A to Point B thing. Why so eager to get yourself killed?



Anyway, Esperance. WE ARE SO REALLY GLAD THAT WE GOT THERE!!


Those driving weren't for nothing, darling



Yet another different Australian beach, the diversity never fails to amaze me




Welcome to Esperance, the town with most beautiful beaches in the whole of Australia



Scenic shot

Drove to another viewpoint right in front of Twilight Beach.. very nice name!


Detoured around the quaint little town of Esperance, trying to look for our accomodation for the night -- Bathers Paradise Caravan Park. Checked into an ensuite cabin for only AUD$60! Wanted to get those without personal toilets, but OTS said that I'm a girl and we should just get an ensuite room. Hehe, he does know that I'm quite anal about bathrooms. They have to be really really clean. Old, never mind, but clean.



Our stay for the night, not very impressive.. Have had better ones.


We cooked fried rice for dinner (I now know how to cook rice without using a RICE COOKER!!! Things you take for granted!) and OTS tried to wash the pots in the very very very small basin with a very very very small tap with very very very small amount of running water. He conceded defeat, turned around and told me "Okay baby, I'm going to shower with the pots and pans now", before carrying all the dirty pots into the bathroom with him and proceeded to shower. Very automatic right? Haha.

Wanted to turn in for the night, when OTS suggested that we go for a little drive out to the scenic beach drive. Turns out that there were minimal streetlamps being lit at night and the roads were really dark so we had to turn on the high beams all the time. Especially when we were driving down the scenic drive, on one side it was the sea, on the other it was the bushes. Kinda scary.

The highlight has GOT TO BE when OTS jammed on the brakes and I screamed and clutched his hand on the gear! I thought he saw a ghost and my back went cold immediately.

But I was wrong. He jammed the brakes because he saw a.. KANGAROO!!!!!! -__-

The car halted to a stop, we honked at it, the kangaroo looked at us, before hopping away happily. I looked at him, he looked back. Phew. OTS explained that kangaroos are attracted to spotlights and when they see a car coming, they will jump out at the car! Honking would have been no use, we tried.

A little scared, we drove further down, this time slower and stopped by a viewpoint to lie down on the floor and we gazed at the stars. Needed to calm our nerves badly. Haha. But it was also eerie at the same time.. totally dark with nobody else around!



Very beautiful in the day



Very eerie at night


After lying there for about 15 minutes, we decided to head back and so we drove down the same road back. We were wondering if we would see the same kangaroo again when it jumped out at us! AGAIN! Luckily we were very prepared this time round. OTS says that a kangaroo weighs about 200kg and crashing into it could kill the passengers, if not, spoil the car. Imagine if we had no car.. how to go back?! 800km away from Perth LEH!!!

Kangaroos are not cute at all.