The road leaves the coast after the stunning run of beaches west of Esperance and we tracked through open scrub and farmlands calling in at Stokes National Park. We then grabbed some fuel and local knowledge at Ravensthorpe before turning south towards the coast again and the famous Fitzgerald River NP. The slightly overcast days we experienced over Easter have given way to very warm sunny days and clear, cold nights!
Controlled burns at sunset on farmland near Fitgerald River NP
Half way down this road we camped at a charming roadside area that was once the site of the small village of Kundip. Founded at the beginning of the 1900’s (when some roo shooters found gold in the scratchings of a Mallee Fowl Nest!) nothing remains now but levelled areas and stumps where houses once stood and business thrived beside the Ravensthorpe-Hopetoun Railway line (now converted to a Heritage Trail Walk).
Tranquility, sunset and spit roasted lamb over the fire… need I say more? A really nice evening.
After a leisurely pack up we rumbled into Hopetoun. We didn’t expect much of this isolated seaside town and so we were blown away by its charm, beauty and character. The goodies from the bakery (gotta love a complimentary chocolate eclair with your coffee!) only trumped by the breakwater, jetty and clear turquoise bays.
The Main Beach at Hopetoun.
It was so inviting we launched our little boat to try for some fresh fish for dinner.
Hopetoun Bay looking west to Fitzgerald River NP – I reckon our dinner is swimming in that water!
And it was! A Wrass and a Red Snapper… from sea to skillet in a few hours 🙂
No disappointments there – and a nice catch of Wrass, Snapper & Herring. Ginnie almost landed the big ones – unfortunately they kept taking her hook, line and sinker 😦
Boat packed & fish cleaned we headed into Fitzgerald River National Park for the afternoon. This park is one of our countries largest and is considered the most significant botanically. 75 plant species here are found nowhere else in the world and is now gazetted as a UNESCO world Biosphere Reserve. The two bottom pics are the unique Royal Hakea described as A tall, hard prickly plant with green, yellow & red scallop-shaped leaves.
Another surprising & delightful discovery we made is that the Ravensthorpe & Hopetoun communities have taken to “farm gate art”. Here & there, just when when you least expect it, there is another colourful & ingenious sculpture of a local feature made with tin, a chimney brush, corrugated iron, whatever is at hand… brilliant! Enjoy these samples…
Giant tea set made by local farmer/sculptor
Even the Ravensworth Police Station has work of art (the Royal Hakea)
As we drove out Markus spotted a strange dark hill off the road. Holes in the fence afforded this curious couple a closer look at some strange long-closed mine (copper a local told me). Whatever it was, the tailings, molten residue and drill cores were incredible. Our country is only young but it seems there is incredible history every where you look for it.
markusandginnie 
We were driving in the opposite direction when we stopped at Ravensthorpe one raining September day in 2008. Had a quaint cup of tea from an old china tea service in the general store in Spence St. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a eclectic collection of items for sale as in that general store! Beaches to the east of Esperance are magnificent. It is said the sand at Lucky Bay is the whitest in Australia … Although how you would measure that is anyone’s guess. Did you hear the sing rock at Cape Le Grande NP?
I’ll be back dating blogs I wrote about that trip but which never appeared on http://www.travelswithpetensue.com over the next week. I’ll try and put up the ones germane to you current positions first.
Loving your efforts.
Great to hear your experience in this area. Did you get down to Hopetoun? It leave Ravy for dead I reckon but each town is unique. I can’t say that I thought Lucky Bay was any prettier than the beaches around Esperance. The great beauty killer we have encountered is freak high tides and full moon over easter combined with a fair bit of weed on some beaches. Alexander Bay was pretty one day and mess the next. The sing rock? …please explain as Pauline would say… Had a look at your blog but don’t know how to search for an entry on the area we are in?
I adore the farm gate art. Good to see the budget is getting a boost with all the fish being caught.
It was a charming surprise and a classy addition to an outback area 🙂