Western Australia Week 3

Esperance (Stokes Inlet)
October 5th 2009

Monday - Day 15

Rod Hilton
After a weekend like the one just past it’s hard to imagine what else could be in store but never underestimate Rod Hilton. Ever active and passionate about his Shire Rod phoned me early to decide on what we were going to do.
Glenda and I met him at the jetty for coffee and we soon decided to head out to the east of Esperance to visit some coves and bays that Rod hadn’t been to in a long time. Glenda wanted some down time and space to work on her blog so in the end Rod and I headed off just before midday.

Driving the 4x4 was a real bonus and we soon left the bitumen for some wild sandy tracks. Rod is quite experienced at driving on sand and believes in hitting soft sand at speed and not stopping.
19 kilometres later we reached obscure beaches such as “Shoal Cape”, “Fanny Cove” and others I can’t recall. It was windy and overcast but again the coastline was rugged and spectacular. The track looked in parts like it had been recently forged by a lone kangaroo while other sections were like a rollercoaster. It was a thrill ride and shook up the spinal cord. Note the track leading to the beach at the top left

Eventually we ate lunch courtesy of Rod and Subway and drank a coffee from the thermos our Karate Club had given him in 1983 when he first left Ballarat. It was a good day for old friends to have a long talk about anything and everything.

Before returning we drove to the ruins of the Muir homestead near Stokes Inlet. This place must have been spectacular in the 1870’s when it was built but its pure isolation was what touched me. It was an impressive sandstone building with a number of sheds and a manager’s cottage. A huge Morton Bay fig tree casts an impressive shadow which must have been a sanctuary in the cruel summer heat.
Old wells, the brackish water of the Stokes River nearby and perhaps most sobering, a lone grave to the “Loving Memory of John Muir, killed by natives, 1877”.
On the way home we stopped in at a few spots to look at birds but as it was nearing 6 p.m. the light was not on our side.

Glenda had the blog up and had dinner ready to take round to Rod and Ann’s to cook. James joined us and we had another fine evening chatting and sharing memories and experiences of our travels. It had been a long day so sleep came easily when we returned to the van.
Bird Sightings: Brush bronze wing, 100 birds, I new Bird

Esperance (Cape Le Grande)
October 6th 2009
Tuesday - Day 16
I drove out to the flora reserve around 7 a.m. but found few birds other than the usual honeyeaters in a garden of banksias and grevilleas.

We planned on a leisurely day at Cape Le Grande N.P. so after purchasing a 12 month entry pass to the National Parks of W.A. we set off on a fine but windy day.
As expected the scenery was beautiful, the clear sky giving the ocean the vivid turquoise which stands out so well with the white sand. The devastation of severe bushfires unfortunately has left a number of walking tracks in need of repair and consequently many were closed.

Whistling Rock

We drove to a number of beachers and camping areas to see if they were worth a stay for a couple of days. Unfortunately there are lots of people out there already and a number of road works going on so this is not the time to camp. We found a sheltered area at Hell Fire Bay and were joined by a couple of March flies that paid the ultimate price for their attempted intimacy.

A lucky fisherman caught a large salmon for our entertainment so maybe tomorrow will bring another effort at catching a fish.

Glenda drove off to a tackle shop when we returned and left me to my own devices to work on my diary and generally have some time to myself. The wind has become stronger so a walk around the beach wasn’t too inviting.

Not much else to report other than our resident yellow throated miner, “Genghis” is still swooping at us and any newcomers to the park.
Bird Sightings: Marsh harrier, Pacific Heron, Black swan, Yellow billed Spoonbill, 104 bird , I new bird, GOANNA

Cape Arid
October 7th 2009
Wednesday - Day 17
In windy conditions we packed up the van and headed east 120 odd kms to Cape Arid. True to his nature, Genghis kept harassing us as we left. Can’t say I want to camp near nesting miners for a while.

It was about 11 o’clock when we arrived at the shire camp site on the Thomas River. At $2 per person per night we weren’t expecting much but the toilets are okay if only basic. There are no showers of course.

We walked down to the river through thick tea tree and then onto the beach further east where a couple of whales were lazing close to shore. It was quite windy so we decided to head back and try our luck fishing in the river. After 20 minutes of weeding we walked back to the beach and along to the rocks. It was way too windy for safety and after Glenda slipped and fell we decided to head back for lunch.

New Holland honeyeaters dominate the banksias and tea tree area, any other species getting mobbed incessantly by dozens of angry New Hollands. I took some photos of them and tracked a fantailed cuckoo for some time before changing lenses and giving the macro lens a go. Again the windy conditions weren’t favourable.

Our site is quite private and sheltered with only the occasional gust giving the awning a tug. With no power or shower this will be a quiet and interesting stay. Hopefully the wind will drop before the gale force winds expected on the weekend.
Bird Sightings: Fan tailed cuckoo, 105 birds 1 new bird

Cape Arid
October 8th 2009
Thursday - Day 18 A very quiet night with only a couple of other campers here all spread widely in their own corralled area.

We were in bed by 8.30 p.m. probably because of the salt air. I was up around 7 a.m. and strolled to the beach where about four whales and their calves were lazing about 20 – 30 meters from the rocks. I returned for an hour or so just before midday and was rewarded again by close encounters.
I can’t explain the fascination of these huge creatures which look like submerged grotesque logs much of the time. The calves frolicked around the mothers much like small puppies, the mothers lying on their backs almost against the rocks so that their young could suckle more easily. I could spend a lot of time just watching them.

Yesterday’s fantailed cuckoo dropped by while I was away, and entertained Glenda who took some photos of it preening and generally showing its lack of concern for humans. The morning was experiment with new equipment time. I put the generator on for three hours to run some things and recharge others. Glenda did some washing with a hand rotary washer to good effect and hung the clothes around the van. She filled the solar shower to see how it goes but the overcast conditions aren’t promising.
I heated water on the gas stove and took care of the dishes from breakfast and last night’s meal of ham steak with tomato, zucchini, pineapple and roast vegetables with chilli.

We decided to drive towards Seal Cove along the road but eventually came across a 4 wheel drive only sign. With fuel levels lower than we would like we returned and both walked along the rocks to see the seven or more whales. No decent breaches unfortunately. The ranger dropped by and we were pleased to find he is an avid bird watcher. We spun a few yarns and he suggested that we

could drive along the beach in the Territory for at least seven kms fairly safely.

Red Capped Plover Hooded Plover Pied oyster Catcher

We did so and struck it lucky with a family of hooded plover and red capped plovers not too far along which Glenda photographed. We returned and put the generator back on to allow me to do this journal and to charge a few more utensils. A happy hour to celebrate just being here and relaxed was all that was needed for another great day.
Bird Sightings: Hooded plover, Red capped plover, 107 birds 1 new bird

Cape Arid - Esperance
October 9th 2009
Friday – Day 19

Sunrise was around 5.30 a.m. and I missed it by a few minutes. The sun coming up over the ocean horizon would have been great, especially as there is no wind and the sky is cloudless. By the time we left at 9.45 the temperature had reached 27 degrees.

The ranger dropped in as we were eating our cereal with a promised bird list for his park. Most of them I have seen somewhere while at least three have remained elusive. He grinned when I thanked him for the invitation back. Seriously this small shire camp site has much to recommend it and we will undoubtedly return sometime in the future. This time of the year with the last of the whales moving through would be a good choice.

The petrol indicator suggested we had about 40 kilometres of fuel over our need for the drive to Esperance but we travelled at 70 kms per hour just to make sure. Computer calculations can be misleading, especially when changing from towing a van to freewheeling regularly. I recall vividly the angst when we arrived at Birchip during one trip with 1 kilometre left on the indicator. I promised then I wouldn’t let fuel consumption give me an ulcer. We reached Esperance before noon and booked into the same site at the Bathers Paradise Caravan Park. Yes, Genghis was waiting and didn’t let me down.

Glenda had shopping to do for our next move plus some new cables to buy for the deep cell battery which burnt out last night and left the Waeko fridge without a power source. Other minor items such as an extra u bolt, a better map of the south west of the State were also bought for the betterment of the trip.

Rod invited us to their place for dinner so we had another great evening which ended up with a session on the wii gadgetry. All good fun. Rod and Ann have again shown us great hospitality and friendship, worth the trip over if only to catch up with them.

Esperance – Munglinup Beach
October 10th 2009
Saturday – Day 20

Following a brief walk east along the surf beach I drove to the jetty to meet Rod for a final coffee. He was walking their old black Labrador, Emma along the beach where it occasionally ran in for a swim.

Just as I hopped out of the car I literally stepped on a small party of rock parrots grazing on the nature strip. Five years ago I searched everywhere around Esperance for this small parrot to no avail and here I counted a dozen of them moving within a few meters of the coffee lovers who had gathered for their morning fix.

Nearby in the shallows swam a local

sea lion which has become a

tourist attraction plus three dolphins that came into the act.

Where was my good camera?! We enjoyed our coffee and talked awhile longer about Esperance and the potential growth of the place. We parted around 7.30ish so I could race home and get my Nikon in the hope of some better shots.

Around 9.15 with a final swoop from Genghis we moved out. One couple laughed at my carry on with a large stick that I swung at the swooping miner but I assured them that it was all fair, after all, he had swung the first punch.

The clear skies soon became overcast and some light rain fell as we headed west towards Ravensthorpe. We wanted to visit the west side of Stokes Inlet but the track was closed and a “no caravans” sign had been erected. We pushed on to Munglinup Beach and decided to settle for the day around 11 a.m. We walked along a windy beach and collected a few shells. Not many other campers were about but a couple of trailers with quad bikes arrived to disturb the day. To each his own and let’s hope there aren’t any hooded plovers nesting.

I tried my hand at macro photography using a pair of my black jocks as a background (no other material was available). It was difficult with some flies trying to have a close look too but at least one shot was okay. I lay the camera on its beanbag to line up the shots which are encouraging although the depth of field eludes me still. The orange shell at right was about 10 mm from point to point (inset shows the shell actual size).

Glenda enjoyed appliqué during the afternoon while I walked down to the river up the road a piece. The windy conditions kept the birds quiet unfortunately. Hopefully by nightfall the bikes will have run out of fuel and we’ll have a quiet night before moving on along the coast.
Bird Sightings: Rock parrot, Caspian tern, 109 birds 1 new bird, SEA LION

Munglinup Beach – Cheynes Beach
October 11th 2009
Sunday – Day 21

Why is it that when we travel the wind decides to pick up and pick on us? Our plan was to drive to Fitzgerald River for another free camp before moving to Cheynes Beach for a longer stay.

We left fairly early and drove along the Southern Ocean East Road which was so much better than bitumen highway. Very few vehicles were sighted as we crossed long stretches of untouched heath land and mallee. These areas are the last places for a number of critically endangered birds and marsupials, including the western ground parrot. We stopped occasionally to look at bays and interesting views but the strong crosswind stopped us from really enjoying them.

We bypassed Hopetoun last time through because of the foul odour caused by masses of seaweed. Despite a huge growth in the town’s buildings and infrastructure the same smell hit us as we entered the town so our stay was short. Unfortunately on reaching the Fitzgerald N.P. we were confronted by a no caravan sign and couldn’t stay. This was disappointing but we cut our losses and headed on to Cheynes Beach.

It was a long day’s driving with the occasional drizzly rain but on reaching the beach we felt quite excited. Maybe it was the brush bronzewing feeding by the office unconcerned or the pair of red capped parrots that flew in to the trees nearby. In any case the van site is shaded and the showers are clean and welcome after a night without.






Brushed Bronzewing

There are three birds that are significantly in trouble in this country and this small area has all three within its boundaries. These birds are the western bristlebird which is confined to this area and considered vulnerable, the noisy scrub bird, thought extinct until discovered near here in 1961 and the western whipbird which is critically endangered in Victoria and S.A. We’re here for three nights so hopefully I’ll have both heard and seen at least one or all three over the next two days.
Bird Sightings: Grey fantail, Mallard duck, Pied stilt, Red capped parrot, 113 birds 1 new bird