Friday 5 September (WA)
Dudinin to Esperance

accommodation: at Ian Stewart's property, 6km out of town towards Ravensthorpe. Ian and Billie will be providing dinner. Depending on what time we arrive, Ian will take us  on a tour of Esperance.

Directions for the day:
From Dudinin we head south for about 40km, then turn east onto the Lake Grace Road, through Newdegate and onto Lake King. Turn southwards towards Ravensthorpe (70km to Ravensthorpe). At Ravensthorpe we pick up Highway I - also called the South Coast Highway - and head due east for 188km to Esperance.

Esperance
Elevation 365m
Climate in September
Max 19°C
Min 10°C
Rain 58mm
Raindays 14

Some history
Ravensthorp has a population of 390, and is the centre of the Phillips River Goldfield. Copper mining reached a peak in the late 1960s and the last copper mine closed in 1972.
Esperance is named after the French exploration vessel L'Esperance, when the French survey team took shelter there from a storm in 1792. They named the Bay, Esperance. Matthew Flinders mapped the coastline in 1802. The first land holding was taken up in 1863. When the township was settled, they named it Esperance, after the Bay. It has a population of 14,000 and is a popular holiday destination for Kalgoorlie people.

Things to see

• The town of Ravensthorpe has many historic buildings (the Community Centre was once the Commercial Hotel). In September here they have aWildflower Show, featuring over 700 local species.
• Ravensthorpe Range 3km north gives good views
• Old smelter 3km south of the town - gold and copper ingots were poured here until 1928
• Wind Farms at Esperance

Visitor Information Centre Ravensthorpe 08 9838 1277 Esperance 08 9071 2330