Why you should visit Esperance, WA

By Emma Pitcher, University of Western Australia Perth, Australia

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Some of the best beaches in Australia are in WA, and Esperance is home to a few of them.

In the south-west of WA, Esperance is a fairly isolated coastal town, about 8 hours drive from Perth. In Semester 2 of my year abroad, I spent my break in Esperance. With a couple of friends, we drove straight there and stayed at a friend’s who lived there.

If you drive straight there, you can make a quick stop at Wave Rock in Hyden:

The drive there is pretty chill, it is quite a rural part of WA so you get to see how Australia differs away from the coast! Only thing to note is that south of Perth is usually colder, so at the end of summer it can be a bit cold. Best time would probably be earlier in the year (we went in April) , although by avoiding peak time the beaches etc are quieter.

Things to do:

• Cape Le Grand National Park – several beaches here. You need to buy a ticket to enter the park and visit the following locations.
  • Frenchman’s Peak
    • This is a 3km hike up the summit. Steep so requires some level of fitness. Best to do when it hasn’t rained as it can get slippery and you want minimal clouds for the best views!
  • Lucky Bay
    • Probably Esperance’s most famous beach. You can drive along the sand and find kangaroos here on the seafront.

• Hellfire Bay
  • My personal favourite. We came here on a hot day to have a fun beach day. Less crowded than Lucky Bay with beautiful views.

• Great Ocean Drive – scenic drive
  • Twilight Bay
    • Another favourite of mine. Popular for swimming and for climbing and jumping off the rocks.

• Blue Haven Beach
• 11 Mile Beach
  • Popular for driving if you have a 4WD!

• Pink Lake – not actually pink. It used to be but due to salt mining it lost its colour. However, this place looks unreal during sunset.

We also walked along the jetty and visited the town. Highly recommend Xing’s Sushi & Noodle for takeout. Lucky Bay Brewery is also a nice food & drink spot. Plus, there are loads of lakeside walks you can do.