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Where the beach lies like boomerang

Christopher Naunton Morgan

A dramatic start to an adventure to be sure. I woke in Perth to the first stormy weather we have had in a while which was at first a pleasant surprise. This was until I quickly discovered my 5am wake up was in vain! The wet weather had delayed our flight to sunny Esperance by two and a half hours. Sat in horrific traffic on the way to the airport I began to question if this trip was even worth it.

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Boarding our flight, I couldn’t settle my nerves. I don’t like flying at the best of times and this was the smallest plane I have ever been on – just look at it! One hour later and we finally landed in Esperance. From here we drove 47km to our Koolark or ‘place of rest’. After a quick tour by our generous host Robyne we took to the road to our next destination – Hellfire Bay.

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At Hellfire bay, we met Wanika and Annie from Dabungool Cultural Experiences. They took us on a walking tour of Hellfire Bay opening our eyes to the wonderfully diverse flora and fauna in the region. We learnt about the Melaleuca trees used to treat headaches, Sheoaks that can be used as foot massagers and Lambertia inermis (Chittick) a plant with bright orange flowers that produces sweet nectar (great for eating!). Finally, we learnt about the devastation caused by the Dieback disease. It was a stark reminder for me about the impact of humanity the environment and the importance of our role as custodians of the land.

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Day 1 has set the stage for what should be an incredible trip – I cannot wait to share it with you all!