Unforgettable Things to do in Esperance, Western Australia!

There are SO many amazing things to do in Esperance! South Western Australia is absolutely incredible and home to some of the most beautiful beaches and plenty of kangaroos. Be sure not to miss Esperance on your Western Australia road trip. A drive from Perth to Esperance is back is best done over 2 weeks to give you enough time to see everything and not feel as though you are constantly driving. And once you get back, if you have an extra day, head to Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth to meet the cutest animals – the quokka!

Photo credit @nomadiclio

There are incredible beaches along the whole road trip, especially near Dunsborough, Denmark and Albany. However, none of them match chilling with kangaroos on Lucky Bay, and don’t miss Wiley Bay if you have a drone too. The beaches near Esperance definitely have the whitest sand and are just perfect. Make sure to go in Australian summer, as we were there end of February and it was already getting a bit chilly as we went further south. The beaches near Albany were a but warmer in February if that is when you plan to go!

What to do in Esperance – start with Cape Le Grand National Park

Cape Le Grand National Park is just over 50km east of Esperance. It is home to some of the most incredible beaches in Western Australia. Definitely some of the most ‘instagrammable’ beaches in Western Australia. You will need a few days at least to visit these, and a whole day chilling with kangaroos on Lucky Bay FOR SURE. Then Wiley Bay is drone heaven! I also have a post on Drone Photography Ideas and Top Tips to help while you are in Australia. Some of the national parks you can’t drone so just double check the rules of everywhere you go.

Lucky Bay

Lucky Bay is the first beach on this list because it is the beach where you can HANG OUT with KANGAROOS! Within 5 minutes of arriving at Lucky Bay we had already spotted our first kangaroo, even in the middle of the day when it was boiling hot. Unfortunately we were here in February. This meant that the weather is more changeable. Pretty much we ate lunch by the van, walked down to the beach, had 5 minutes looking at kangaroos before a storm came. The water is perfect and the beach is the most amazing white sand.

Can you drive down the beach with a 4WD?

The beach is actually huge and you can drive down it with a 4WD. If you want to do this remember to read all the signs and prepare your tyres or you will get stuck in the sand. Unfortunately in a van we weren’t able to do this.

There is also no shade on Lucky beach at all, so make sure to bring an umbrella if you are an easy burner as there is no escape. The kangaroos just hop about and sometimes stop for the perfect photo. Another thing, our kangaroos though it would be best to stop in a load of seaweed while eating some kind of fish remains. Boyan stood on the seaweed and had to throw those shoes away after they smelled so bad so be warned!

Where to stay near Lucky Bay?

I would recommend staying at the Lucky Bay campsite here so that you can come down early morning as it gets busy during the day. This is one campsite you definitely have to book in advance as it gets booked up fast. Also remember you have to pay for entrance to Cape le Grand National Park. Get a national park pass if you can to keep costs down! You will want to spend the day here most likely, but if you want to see any other nice beaches nearby then read on! Thistle Cove is just nearby to Lucky Bay. Then next along the coast is Hellfire Bay.

Hellfire Bay

This next part is by Gigi from Beach Addicted (I will have to go back to Esperance one day so I can go to this beach, her photo will definitely convince you to go!).

If you are traveling to Esperance, the number one place to visit is for sure Lucky Bay. But, after taking many pictures with cute hopping Kangaroos, your next stop has to be Hellfire Bay.

I highly recommend staying at Lucky Bay campground which is couple minutes walking away from Lucky Bay Beach. The best way is to have a car so you can drive around and get to know Cape Le Grand National Park.

Just a 10 mins drive from Lucky bay you will find stunning Hellfire Bay. And this place is super beautiful. The white sand, the beautiful water and the surrounding nature. Make sure to go on the rocks which are on the right side of the bay. One of the best spots to take pictures. You can spend some time sun bathing, swimming or if you love to surf, this is the place!

Little Hellfire Bay

I (Gigi from Beach Addicted) also highly recommend going to see Little Hellfire Bay. Once you come to the parking lot you will see a small path on the right side. Make sure to go up as you will have an amazing view on Hellfire Bay as well. You will follow a path and if you come in spring there are blooming flowers everywhere. Hellfire bay is definitely one of my favourite places in Esperance and I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

Thistle Cove

I have seen some stunning photos from here!!

More amazing things to do in Esperance!

In between Cape Le Grand National Park and Esperance you’ll find this incredible beach!

Wylie Bay

This bay is definitely drone heaven! The navigation will likely take you to a beach nearby, so make sure you end up on the right one. There is a clear path towards the beach which is the wrong one. For Wylie Bay, park at the first parking you see and walk straight over the dunes to your right. Here you will see this very distinct place. We actually walked along the other beach first which is also nice, but a lot more seaweed. Both of these beaches you can drive a 4WD on. Definitely worth it here as the beaches are so long too!

This is also the spot where we shot some amazing sand dunes. You have to fly quite far and against a lot of wind but it’s amazing to see all of the dunes in the distance. There is also no shade at all as with a lot of WA beaches. I would recommend taking a towel to put over your head so you can actually see what is on your screen while you are flying your drone. Also, it’s boiling so you don’t want your phone in the sun. I have an IPhone X and it couldn’t cope very well with Australian weather, even though it wasn’t summer anymore! Another tip is that for Wylie Bay you can actually drone it from the car, so if you are tired and want to be lazy then you totally can here!

Then these beaches are all closer to Esperance!

These Esperance beaches will make your jaw drop!

Twilight Beach

By Valerie and Mik – Suitcasestories

The beaches of Esperance are out of this world. The whitest sand and bluest turquoise waters you’ll ever see. A 10-minute drive from Esperance town, you’ll find Twilight Beach. It’s located along the scenic Great Ocean Drive and one of our most favourite stops. Twilight beach is not only a great place to swim, snorkel or paddle board, it’s also very accessible.

The car park is located straight in front of the beach with only a few steps to walk down. And ow yeah: there are outdoor showers and toilets. Amazing right? Be sure you don’t miss this beautiful beach when you‘re in Esperance! – Head to @suitcasestories.be for more!

Salmon Beach

Also an amazing beach although we also couldn’t get here due to the weather!!

More amazing beaches in Esperance? 

These two beaches are even further along the coast than Cape Le Grand National Park, but still amazing to see. If you have time it is definitely worth the drive to explore these two beauties.

Wharton Beach

Madeleine from Simply Madeleine has a whole blog post on the best beaches in Esperance so she is the best person to tell us about Wharton Beach!

Wharton Beach is located in the Duke of Orleans Bay (also called ‘The Duke’ by the locals). It’s one of the most amazing beaches in Esperance. Wharton Beach features pristine white sand and vibrant turquoise waters paired with a laid-back vibe. Most of the visitors of Wharton Beach are locals that come here with their Four-Wheel Drives (you can park directly at the beach). Close to the beach you can find facilities like toilets and a spacious car park (if you don’t have a 4WD).

The beach is perfect for swimming, relaxing or learning to surf as the waves are not too big. Wharton Beach certainly is the perfect place to spend an incredible day at the beach. We had such a great time here and I can highly recommend visiting this beautiful beach. 

Duke of Orleans Bay

These amazing shots are all from @nomadiclio. I actually bumped into Lio at a waterfall in Bali and this is how we met! I was already following Lio on Instagram so like a proper stalker I had to say hello! Then I saw all his amazing Western Australia shots and new I had to include them in this post. I had a lot of people recommend this beach to me, but as I said earlier, the weather just wasn’t on our side during this trip!

I hope these shots inspire you to visit Duke of Orleans Bay!

Is there a pink lake in Esperance?

There used to be a pink lake right in Esperance! However, It hasn’t been pink for over 10 years. Remember you don’t have to go all the way to Australia even, the pink lake in the South of France is still the best one I’ve ever seen and beats Hutt Lagoon hands down! Now, to see a pink lake in Esperance you will have to fly over Lake Hillier.

Lake Hiller

This pink lake is located on Middle Island, just off the coast of South Western Australia. Apparently you can also reach it by boat but the best way to see it is from the air! The pink colour comes from algae in the water, how amazing is nature! It used to be used for salt extraction but now it is only for tourism. The flight lasts between 40 minutes and an hour and costs around $370 which is around £200. If you have the time and the money then go for it!

I hope you enjoyed this post on the best things to do in Esperance, Western Australia! Don’t miss Lucky Bay, Wharton Bay and Cape Le Grand National Park. If you are in a van or 4WD don’t miss the opportunity to camp on Lucky Bay campground. Remember to book well in advance though. Also get a national park pass so you don’t have to pay daily. The best beaches in Esperance are all here so this really is the comprehensive list! If you have any hidden gems to add to the list let me know! I can’t wait to get back to Western Australia, definitely in summer next time!

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