I go for a quick spin.

Feb. 1 - Esperance

There is a 40 km tourist drive around Esperance; it seemed a good idea to give my sore muscles a little workout to keep them loose and strong. It takes you past the front of town and to the top of the biggest hill for miles. From this lookout, the beaches appear white, blue and gorgeous. Yet, as I sweep down the hill on my bike, stopping 5 times along the way, I realize that words and pictures just will not do them justice. White sand with easy smooth shells on the feet, clear, clean water that darkens to turquoise close to the shore before turning into a deeper ocean blue. A fan of green salt shrubs holds the dunes together, and when viewed from the hill brings out the best of both the plants and the water. Large rocks of granite jut out into the sea, kissed long by the sea into sensually curved formations. I seemed to stop every 100 meters to take a picture. The bike trail was beautifully maintained, and it treated me to a roller-coaster of hills. This would be the place I would wish to be shipwrecked. On these deserted beaches, it was easy to imagine.