Day 6 Peak Charles to Norseman via Beehive Loop

Wednesday, 23rd December 2015

We had a leisurely breaky then packed up and were back on the road by 8.30am. We’re heading into Noresman but we’re not going via the Esperance – Norseman Road. The plan is to pick up the Beehive loop and follow it through to it’s northern end where it meets back up with the Esperance – Norseman Road.

About 9.50am we start along the southern end of the loop but it’s not long before we hit an obstacle. We get out and have a better look, the track has been washed away and there is a large “crack” in the track, about 30mts wide with a reasonable sharp drop off. We notice what appears to be a go around on the right hand side so we head down that track.

Sometimes you never really know if the detour you’re taking will get you to your destination. When your driving off the beaten track you’ll see tracks everywhere and they don’t always show up on the map or the Hema. Anyway our detour got us to Beehives Tank 🙂 As we approached we could see 3 emus in the distance and think we may have startled them.

The tank was larger than we were expecting and it was full. There was a hose and tap plumbing running from the tank. Although the name suggested we would see plenty of bees here we didn’t. We did however see quite a few Potter Wasps. Three of them seemed to be engaged in either mating or fighting. At one point two flew away joined and the third flew after them and picked them up mid air and took them back. It was fascinating to watch.

 

After leaving Beehive Tank we continued on to Norseman. Closer to Norseman we could see the impact of the recent fires that had raged through the region about 4 weeks ago. The landscape looked like something out of movie after a nuclear blast. At one point the black skeletons of the once green shrubs stood out eerily from the light gray sand.
By 1.05 pm we came to the end of the Beehive Track, it took us just over 3 hrs to travel the Beehive Loop, approx 70 kms. We turned onto the the Esperance to Norseman Road and headed to Norseman. We checked in to the Great Western Motel, we’d previously stayed at the other Motel. We have to say the Great Western Motel was a great place to stay and it’s new owner was a great bloke. We enjoyed a meal at the restaurant and retired to our room.

 

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