Date: 18th March 2023
Travelled: 195 kms from Esperance to Hopetoun in Western Australia ย ย
Visited:ย The Marold Farm and Hopetoun ย
Stayed: Hopetoun RV, free, S33.94660, E120.13163ย ย
Budget: days @ $ per day
Our final evening in Esperance was just as quiet as the first. Full of Chinese food we sleep like babies.
Up early once again we have a coffee and go for a long walk taking in the view across the bay for a final time before readying the Jayco for the road once again.
We meet up with Joy and Johannes at the appointed time. Weโve been invited to โpop out to the farm for a look around itโs only 50 kms up the wayโ as Johannes puts it. Itโs on our way north-west and we feel honoured to be offered a guided tour. We follow J+J out to the turn off for the farm, park the Jayco and continue on the last few kms with them.
Weโve spent a bit of time in Johannesโ Toyota Hybrid something or other. It provides Johannes with heaps of good advice like slow down, youโre not watching where you are going and youโre talking too much. Perhaps that last bit was from Joy.
Johannes explains the farm is small by local standards, the block is only 18 kms long. The technology involved in farming today is amazing. The tractors are fully computerised, multiple display screens manage the tractor, the implements, fertiliser and seed using GPS and laser for guidance. In harvesting itโs all about humidity and moisture content.
A local butchery service is visiting today and everyone is nervous.
The farm is now managed by Johannesโ son, wife and grandson so itโs a real family enterprise. We say goodbye to J+J thanking them for making our visit to Esperance so special and continue on our way to Hopetoun.
Hopetoun has a lovely free RV stop backing onto the 12 mile beach only 500 metres from the centrum. It has a break wall and small jetty which has been all developed as part of the need to process gold rich ore early last century.
Itโs a peaceful place well located to explore Fitzgerald National Park, but thatโs tomorrowโs post.
It appears we arenโt alone in appreciating Ravensthorpe Council generosity in allowing free camping here. The RV stop is full now we scored the last spot.
We walk 4+ kms around Hopetounโs Streets stumbling upon the best garden in town. The old fellow is bumbling around sweeping up leaves and I call out hello a couple of times to congratulate him on his garden. Eventually his wife pops up from under a bush and tells us โheโs as deaf as a postโ so we pass on our thoughts through her.
That was our dayโฆ
Michael + Pam
One thought on “Hopetoun, Western Australia. 2023”
Nice that you got to see the local of Johannes, I feel like I know of some of his travels from his posts on your blog.