On our way to Western Australia we crossed the Nullarbor. When we faced the last 192 kilometres and reached Norseman, a gold mining town, we got a certificate from the information centre to say we’d done it. In its mining heyday, Norseman produced millions of ounces of gold and, to a lesser extent, mining and gem fossicking continue today. We pushed on and arrived in Esperance for lunch, planning to stay a few days at least.

Wow! The picture perfect scenery that met us was stunning; we were gob smacked by the very fine, glaringly white sandy beaches and the translucent aqua to brilliant blue water in the bays. It was easy to see why Esperance is so popular with holidaymakers. It’s such a pretty town, has a population of nearly 9,000 and all the services and facilities you’d expect in a place that size.