Friday 27/02/15 Fitzgerald NP (Hopetoun) to Lucky Bay (Esperance).

27/02/15 Hopetoun to Lucky Bay (Was it Lucky ?) distance 290kms.

After a very wet night (our 3rd one in a row) and a feed of Bacon & Egg Toasties. We got away from 4 Mile in Fitzgerald NP at 8.30am. Jen and I drove around Hopetoun for a look, the old pub, Port Hotel looks pretty good built in 1901. The rest of town is quite small, looks like mainly beach holiday shacks.

We took the Southern Ocean Road which then turned into Springdale & then up a Fuss Rd, along the way we checked out a couple of cheap camping areas on the beach. Firstly Mason Bay (50kms from Hopetoun) and then Starvation Harbor. Both good spots and only $10 per night.

The majority of the road was dirt which we could travel at about 70 to 80km/h along. 

We didn't stop in Esperance as it is the start of the WA Day long weekend so we were keen to get a camp site at Lucky Bay in La Grand NP about 50km East of Esperance.

Now I must tell you the scenery and environment is brilliant, but we ended up jam packed into a small tent site area surrounded by other tents with people from all over the world, not to mention the noisey generators, arrgghh... I really dislike campers who use generators, with the 21st century of solar panels and power packs, the things should be band from communal camp grounds. I have asked why they need them and the response is to run their lights and fridges ? 

At least we had fun fishing and caught a few small ones (tossed back), a hot shower, bbqs and some coldies. $10 per person plus $12 for your vehicle is the typical cost to visit a National Park in Western Australia. Even to this day I resent this cost since I live here and have paid so much in taxes. 

By comparison South Australia would charge you $18 for a car and 2 people for a similar visit. I think a small contribution may be reasonable, rant complete.

So for the rest of you Australian tax payers get out here and check it out, you are paying for it !

We checked out a couple of beach camping areas along the way. Mason Bay & Starvation Harbor, both good

Swarms of flying insects, to nervous they were dreaded March Flies so didn't leave the car to investigate.

More swarming insects all the way along the right hand side of the road.

Nearly at Lucky Bay, 50km east of Esperance.

Fishing at Lucky Bay, to the right of the bird you can see a "Beach Kangaroo"

My tally was 5, Jen's was 3, We were catching, Flat Head, Herring & Skippy. Only the Herring on the bucket was legal size.

The Flat Head was 29cm (has to be 0ver 30cm) so not worth cooking one herring. We released them.