The winds dropped slightly for our last four days in Esperance allowing us to spend a bit of time enjoying the beaches. The waters of the Southern Ocean though are freezing so it’s not easy to get into the water, but with the help of a boogie board I did manage 15 minutes or so. Not sure why, but trying to catch a ride on the waves on a board seems to distract the mind from the freezing cold, and is the only way I can manage to get in above my knees.
There’s a fabulous little Thai restaurant in Esperance, Siam Thai, unfortunately though no outdoor seating so not dog friendly. Kaye and Brian went one night, then minded Tills for us the next night so as we could go too. The joys of travelling with a dog…… It would have been lovely to have shared the meal and the experience with our friends, but never mind, at least we managed to try it out. It didn’t disappoint.
There was a lot more we would have liked to see in Esperance, but having Mr Tilly with us prevented us from a lot of the experiences on offer. Never mind.
After Esperance we made our way around the coast to Bremer Bay, a lovely little seaside town with the Bremer River flowing through it to the East, and some stunning bays to the West. There’s not much of a town there, just a general store, a brewery, a museum, and accommodation really. It boasts two caravan parks though, and both are huge, and both were full.
After Bremer Bay we were supposed to finish our trip in Albany. However, we decided to conclude our holiday in Bremer Bay and headed for home. A few reasons – the weather was better in our home town of Busselton, it was hard to do anything much with Mr Tilly especially as he tends to get anxious when he’s travelling, and last but not least, we have a terminally ill friend in Perth whom we wanted to catch up with.
It was an ok trip, but I have to say I’ve had much better. We had a good talk whilst we were away about our travels, and have realised that much as we wanted to include Mr Tilly in most of our travels, it’s just not working. When away he gets anxious, sometimes to the point of being physically sick. We’re very restricted in what we can do anyway having him with us, and even more so because of his anxiety. Prior to committing to a dog our daughter had volunteered to look after him when we wanted to go away, even knowing some of those trips could be as long as three months. However, we’ve never wanted to leave him for that long. We felt a week or two would be okay, but thought he’d be fine with us for longer caravan trips. This trip has made it clear to us though that if we’re to enjoy our caravan trips we have to leave him behind in good care.
We’ve been planning our winter trip up to Broome without him. If the holiday’s as good as the planning, it’s going to be a ripper. I feel a bit guilty but gee I’m looking forward to this trip without a pesky puppy in tow, and being honest with myself, the last few trips haven’t been that much fun.
Life of Riley - on whatever 
All the best for a wonderful trip, Chris. Good to read that you are touring once again.
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We haven’t really stopped. Feeling like we need some time at home for a while. Next trip is to Broome (again). This one without pesky puppy though – leaving July. May have another short trip away in late Autumn, but only if we feel we’ve had a good break at home.
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I am a behind reading in the blogsphere.
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I know that feeling!
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Bremer Bay looks fabulous Chris. Would love to get in that water, you soon get used to the cold although I bet it’s warmer than most of the sea around us.
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We managed to get in the water in Scarborough on one of our UK trips, and yes it was colder than any water I’ve swam in before. I don’t think I’d ever get used to that, I don”t think I’d even want to try… I’ll leave that to you two brave souls.
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If he’s happy to stay with your daughter it sounds like the best of both worlds to me. You’ll enjoy your trip much more knowing he’s comfortable and being well cared for. Isn’t it great to have holidays to look forward to this year.
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We’ve had no problems with holidays throughout the Pandemic as long as we’ve stayed within WA. Being such a big state, that’s given us lots of freedom. Definitely looking forward to a trip without Mr Tilly though. It gives us so much more freedom, and he’ll be happier at my daughters than he is in the caravan.
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Esperance lives up to its reputation of that turquoise melt your heart ocean. I wonder if more of our oceans were like that before urbanisation changed their fabric?
The trials of travelling with a dog who has anxiety. Has he always been anxious? Or was it since that reaction to the flea treatment? I live with an anxious dog, the result of a dog attack 6 years ago. It isn’t always easy to manage, even with a new pup in the house. We manage but I empathize with our you are feeling. You want to include them, but wonder if it more stressful for them to come along. Mine wakes me up every few hours in the night just to make sure that I am there. Holiday sleep deprivation isn’t fun!
When you have a trusted person willing to look after your beloved pet, I would certainly take that opportunity. I can sense your excitement to being in Broome. Is it still as busy as last year?
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I don’t know if Broome will be quieter this year. I hope so, but it may even be busier…. I’m hoping some of the people who came there last year instead of going overseas will go back to their overseas destinations, but I suspect that’s going to be a year or two away yet. Mr Tilly has always been a little headstrong, which I suspect may be a little anxiety related. He’s an intelligent dog that requires lots of mental stimulation and without it his anxiety shows through. I think when we’re away he needs more mental stimulation, and we’re in a situation where it’s natural to give him less than usual. We have been hoping he’d chill down a bit as he aged, but that hasn’t happened. Anyway we’ll see how this goes.
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Such gorgeous beaches.
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They are indeed Peggy, but really cold water.
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