Hopetoun

 

 

We are slowly creeping home but not home yet. 

 

Our next destination was Hopetoun, about 200 kilometres away. We packed up quickly but had promised some friends we'd call in on our way out. Unfortunately we dallied too long and by the time we'd hit the road the wind had sprung up. 

 

We finally left Esperance hoping we would beat the wind..... But the wind had other ideas!  Was shocking! Dangerous! Front winds, hang onto the steering wheel ..hard work ... just gobbles up the fuel. But a lot of the trip... it was side winds and that's just plain murderous. We were rocking and wobbling. Greg hated it. Finally got here safely. The whole experience was quite unnerving, especially when we met road trains. It was the most difficult driving conditions we experienced on the trip.  

We were both thankful for our sturdy, strong, solid van.  Arrived and set up only to find that the wind dropped away for a couple of hours.  So much for weather watching, our timing was bad.

Once again we walked to the jetty and once again Rifter balked and had to be carried.

 

 

 

 

Hopetoun has also grown with the injection of mining money, and then stalled with the withdrawal of BHP. But there is still mining here and maybe it is for the best that it is not super huge. Hopetoun sits at the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park. Not for us with Rifter. It would have beautiful wild flowers and spectacular coastal scenery set amongst mountains...another time. I know whales gather at Point Ann with their calves. Instead we drove east along the coast to Mason Bay. It was also pretty.

Greg went paddled on the Jerdacuttup River, a 16 kilometre round trip. After three nights we were off again…. one more night then….HOME!

 
A night in Boyup Brook and then on to Dawesville, via Donnybrook and up the coast. A nice drive as everything is green. It is a happy/sad feeling as we head home.