In the end I did actually park in that carpark as it was the only large open parking area that had room for a big vehicle AND it was completely empty, apart from a food van. I had to pick up a parcel at the Post Office, otherwise wouldn't have stopped. Needless to say I was all prepared to have a long discussion with the local council if by any chance someone had actually booked me … unfortunately, in a way, on my return there weren't any pink slips on the windscreen.
Friends had told me about a gravel pit parking spot about 10kms north of Esperance which I ended up spending the night at. There was a lovely local man (in his 80's) spending a few nights there to see how he went motorhoming on his own after his wife's death 3 weeks before — he was a typical retired farmer, although he and his wife had obviously been extremely close he was pragmatically getting on with his life and love of the great outdoors.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi02wzw42PCVS4hzobIlpcHT2urrxr2nrJQf4CwEfWWfXb2fyyT-6INZnI6i2KgMd56kX96R9nZbOLLufAq-fyYGlZFieErh1ejoJiE0wDsR_XG1yN2aDoNrH_WwHGVAGRw3Pf0MlSdU/s400/IMG_2181+%25281%2529.jpg)
This is an enormous camping area, part of the Great Western Woodlands, well treed and with quite a few wildflowers.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAqRJn8KhDNolrhObEGAPKCcQdhtTJtPQcwTXqr46ntU0wfh5JnfMQqAWaWO8Tk5bS0DA7HGwFY-NagmDeFq22QdYc8mPz-hGRBB3igQvGubHEqbCjFA2-Ir9zRBk94cr2o2AqzfKZHc/s200/IMG_2183+%25281%2529.jpg)