If you think you’ve seen beautiful beaches, you’ll be forced to think again when you experience Esperance’s magnificent coastal scenery.
Esperance, otherwise known as the Bay of Isles, is located on the southern coast of Western Australia, about 720 km from Perth. This increasingly popular town has some of the best coastal scenery in Australia, with its dazzling white beaches, perfect bays, gentle cliffs, acqua waters and nearby, the lovely islands of the Recherche Archipelago.
You’ll be amazed by the soaring sand dunes, sculpted over time by the famous ‘Esperance Doctor’, the Southern Ocean wind that runs along the country's south-west shoreline. Nature has shaped idyllic bays and beaches into the granite cliff faces creating endless pockets of astonishing beauty.
For picture-postcard perfection, pack a picnic and take a drive west from Esperance along Twilight Beach Road, which becomes Great Ocean Drive. This 38-kilometre loop drive will take you past a string of stunning beaches, each seemingly more lovely than the last, including West Beach, Chapman’s Point, Blue Haven Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Twilight Beach. If you’re a surfer, you’ll be in heaven as you ride some of Australia’s best waves along this stretch.
The drive also takes you past Pink Lake, named for the high concentrations of salt-tolerant algae. Be on the lookout for waterbirds here as well as at the Lake Warden Wetlands.
Stretch your legs at the Rotary Lookout, where there’s a circular loop walk that gives you sweeping views across the town and the islands of the Archipelago.
If the white sand blowing across the road hasn’t given you a clue as to the wind power of the ‘Esperance Doctor’ in this region, check out the six huge Westwind windmills, just over the road from Salmon Beach.
Spend a day or camp overnight at Lucky Bay, the main drawcard of the Cape Le Grand National Park. Located 50km from Esperance, this is one of the most picturesque bays in Australia. If you have your boat in tow, this is the best launching spot for it. The bay has over five kilometres of unspoilt beach with sparkling clear blue waters for fishing and swimming. And there’s an abundance of wildlife here too: keep an eye out for pygmy possums, bandicoots, and grey kangaroos on the beach.
It’s also worth exploring another natural gem in the area, the coastal islands of the Recherche Archipelago. You’ll get the best view of the 110 islands by cruise boat, and the tour operators will point out the best spots for snorkelling and diving.
A popular stop is at Woody Island, where you can fish, swim, snorkel, bushwalk or fire up the barbecue. There is do-it-yourself camping or onsite tents – some with a few added luxuries like a private deck and good beds. There’s no shortage of wildlife on the islands – be on the lookout for dolphins, sea lions and the occasional New Zealand fur seal in the bay, and there’s plenty of birdlife here too.
Divers will also want to explore the Sanko Harvest shipwreck, 42 metres underground and float among colonies of sea dragons.
Helicopter rides are also on offer in Esperance. So when you’ve played in the region’s aqua waters, wandered its magnificent shores and taken its scenic drives, you might be tempted to take to the skies. As one of the true beauties of the Australian coastline, you’ll want to explore Esperance from every angle.
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