Happy Halloween everyone!

Today, I had decided that no matter what the weather was going to do I was going to do the Great Ocean Drive here in Esperance. It's a circuit which takes in about 40km of Esperance coastline and inner sights such as the Pink Lake. However...I am not driving it...I am cycling!

The weather seemed to hold out for the day but it was incredibly windy outside, you didn't notice too much in the town but as soon as you approach those cliffs or the long space of the open roads, it's enough to blow you off your bike! I started reasonably early, leaving the hostel at 9am and cycling casually along the esplanade towards the jetty and down towards the docks. It's nice to be out at this time of day, there aren't too many people out and about. I crossed the rail line and then came to my first obstacle of the day, a whopping big hill at the start of Twilight Drive. WHY oh WHY I thought this route would be flat I am not sure. A mistake I am learning every time I get on a bicycle! Luckily though there is a cycle path which takes you most of the first stretch of the route so you don't have to worry about cars. Making it up the first hill I stopped for a second for some lady in her garden to tell me that I am one brave woman for tempting this journey. Slightly worrying but I just put it down to the locals driving everywhere instead of walking or cycling which explains all those fitness signs all over town *chuckle*.

The first beach I came across was West Beach and it was amazing, would have been better if the sun was out but it was a good start to the trip. White sand and crystal blue waters out to the Archipelago islands off of the coast. I was quite happily cycling along looking at the water when I noticed something black swimming in the water...for a second I thought it was a shark but on closer inspection is was a baby sea lion! It was so cute! Just coming up to the shore and then casually swimming away into the sea again. I had to laugh because there were a couple of body boarders there who also saw it and they froze probably thinking it was a shark at the same time *laugh*, kind of mean but they were still stood there when I cycled off knowing it wasn't!

Along the route you take in other beaches, such as Twilight Beach, Salmon Beach and various look out points. I think at about almost 9 miles into the route I came across an Observation point and it said the hill had a steep gradient, I ignored this thinking it would be mild like everything else. Oh no! It was great coming down that hill but I had to come back up it to get back on track. I was hanging. However, the view from the view point was good, a couple looked at me like I was mental to come down here on a bicycle...there might be something in this...

I passed the wind farm (a 6km detour so we vetoed that) and carried on thinking the road was never going to change. I'd been going for a good few hours at my leisurely pace and I hadn't even reached half way route the route yet.

I came across a really big snake on the road (luckily it was dead) but I think it might have been a brown snake...so good job! After what seemed like an eternity of people staring at me cycling along from their big cars I finally reached the look out point for the Pink Lake. The lake itself is not pink, it's due to the crustaceans /Algae that inhabit it and something to do with the salt that lies on the bottom. It's not pink at the moment but you also need to catch it at the right time of year. It's still nice to look at though, it almost looks just like a giant salt flat in the middle of nowhere.

Getting back into town seemed to take it's time as well, I think all my strength has been sapped. The plan for the rest of the day is to do nothing. Tomorrow I may make it to Lucky bay where I heard a rumour that Kangaroos lie on the sand as if they are sunbathing, so that would be cool to see, if not then it's on to Kalgoorlie on Friday!

The picture is of me in front of West Beach near the beginning of the route...before all the big hills!