From Hardship to Heaven

Crossing the Nullarbor plain had been hard work. I had been relatively lucky with the winds, which historically blow from west to east at that time of year. But in saying this, it was still a long, lonely road.
One of the motivations that kept my legs turning over was the promise of paradise at the finish line - or at least very close to.
'Esperance' - even the name sounds fresh and welcoming.
It had promised some of the most spectacular beaches in Australia. It also promised grocery stores, a bicycle store, water from taps, quenching ale from taps, PEOPLE, national parks, caravan parks and... you guessed it... McDonald's.
The last 200km's of road before Esperance was characterised by ugly farm-land, ugly head-winds, and an ugly mood to match. To top this off I ran out of light about 30km's before the town, and was therefore forced to sleep in some bushes near the road. It was a poor camp spot, and a terrible sleep.
When I arrived in Esperance bright and early the next morning, I visited the bakery and took a stroll down the jetty - pie in hand. The bay was gorgeous. Every shade of blue glinted back up at me from the water below. The jetty was alive with anglers boasting bucket-fulls of fish, squid and crabs. The local thug was even sleeping under the jetty undisturbed by excited passing tourists - Sammy the Sea Lion.
After long days on the bike, it was time to relax. So I decided to head for the caravan park to tinker with my bike, make a few calls to loved ones and maybe have a quiet beer.
As I made my way up the drive-way into the caravan park, who should I bump into but Kel! He was staying there for a week, and invited me to stay with him. The benefits of this offer were two-fold as I was able to avoid the $30 per night camping charge, and I was able to relax in great company and talk to a friend once more. I would like to take the time here to thank Kel for his incredible generosity and invaluable friendship. I could not imagine my time in Esperance being any more memorable thanks to his relaxed, trusting, fun nature.
We spent the next two days sight-seeing, 4WD'ing through the sand dunes, relaxing and drinking beer. It was ace.
We had met many couples within the caravan park who had formed a great social community, and I was lucky to meet many of these characters later on down the road.
Next I took the 67km road out to the Le Grande National Park to camp the night at Lucky Bay. As I peddled into the national park, I was left truly speechless by the unique beauty of the scene. Giant granitic structures stood towering stark over the white beaches. The ocean horizon was broken by countless stony islands. There were plants and animals of every colour. Kangaroos relaxing on the beach. Blue sky mirroring blue water. It was stunning.
I took the time to climb 'Frenchman Peak', a towering granite out-crop. It was difficult to climb in my riding shoes with attached cleats, and I was left with painful blisters.
That night again I struck luck, and bumped into a coupe I had met at the Esperance caravan park - Ross and Jo. They were staying there for a few nights in their caravan. I was treated to a delicious meal, cold beers and even some cheeky chocolate for dessert. I was on top of the world that night with a full stomach and a satisfaction having seen some of the best scenery yet.
From Lucky Bay it was back to Esperance for one more night of beer and luxury before it was once again time to put in the hard yards. Every luxury had to be earned.