20 Apr Esperance, Cape Le Grand National Park

Distance from Perth: 700km’s (750km’s to Cape Le Grand NP) approx 8-8.5hrs driving from Perth CBD

How do I even collect my thoughts about Esperance and spending time in Cape Le Grand National Park. You will just have to go see it all for yourself.

Esperance is a pretty special part of the world because it will ruin every other beach experience you have ever had, in a good way though.

The beaches look like the postcard.

Turquoise water. Crystal clear ocean. White squeaky sand. Clean. Rolling hills and boulders in the background. 

Esperance has some of the most stunning beaches I have experienced, icy cold water, but stunning. It is an unforgettable place.

Each beach along the coast of Esperance has the same insane turquoise, clear water and the most blindingly white sand. Boulders of granite sticking out of the landscape creating the bays edges.

** Image: Thistle Cove **

Esperance town is quite large so if you need supplies, food, fuel or even a trip to Bunnings, Esperance has you covered. The harbour is quite nice if you want to enjoy some lunch with a view in town. We recommend Taylor St Quarters which has a lovely view of the town bay, as well as some playing equipment for the kids.  OR if you want more of a pub vibe head just out of town to Lucky Bay Brewery to experience some of the local brews on the grass. 

We camped at Cape Le Grand National Park, this National park is just 45km’s out of Esperance so if you are not camping or if you can’t book a campsite within the park the drive into the park is a good 30- 40mins. I would highly recommend hiring a van or camping in the national park for the full experience. The campsites are so close to the beach so you really get to experience a different part of Esperance because Esperance is all about the stunning beaches. If you choose to stay out of the national park there are plenty of places to stay in town like the RAC Caravan Park or the boujee Esperance Chalet Village. 

Camping in the national park books out well in advance because there are limited campsites so you have to be organised. There are 2 campsites. 1) Cape Le Grand and 2) Lucky Bay. We stayed at Cape Le Grand because that’s all we could book however both campsites are lovely and we were very happy with the clean and relatively new facilities. Flushing toilets and a solar shower for a touch of luxe on your camping trip. 

** Image: Cape Le Grand Beach and Campsite **

Lucky Bay campsite is a lot bigger offering over 50 campsites. Cape Le Grand is a lot smaller, only offering 15 sites… so naturally it will be quieter, which we preferred. Both are nestled in the scrub and suitable for tents and campers with bbq’s, and a small camp kitchen. Both within walking distance to the beach. There are literally no facilities in the national park so you will need to bring adequate food and drink (including drinking water) but Esperance town isn’t to far if you do need to pick up supplies.  So stock up for a few days, pack the car and just enjoy the national park.

** Image: Wharton Bay **

We mentioned that the beaches and they truly are stunning, I’ll let the images do the talking. Let the car do the driving and honestly try and explore as many beaches as you possibly can, weather permitting. They are all similar however unique. If you have a 4wd you can enjoy driving on a few of the beaches Cape Le Grand, Lucky Bay, Wharton Bay. Its great because you can set up the car in a prime beach location without having to lug everything to the beach for the day. You can just have everything you need in the back of the car like food, beers, wine and water.

The sand is very hard on Lucky Bay beach so most cars can drive along the beach. You can drive on Cape Le Grand beach and Wharton beach but they are probably more suited to capable suv’s and 4wd. One really cool experience is driving from Wyllie Bay in Esperance town all the way to Cape Le Grand Bay, 22km all the way along the beach. This is a massive time saver driving the beach vs the road… 22 km vs 45km. Win win.

** Image: Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove, Wharton Bay **

Another main attraction of the National Park is climbing to the top of Frenchman’s Peak. Its a large granite rock with a cave at the top which is a great activity for the day if you are not afraid of heights.  

You don’t need to be super fit but it’s a steep climb, just take you time. If you are afraid of heights, maybe give it a miss. I imagine it would be quite dangerous if its super windy or wet because it honestly is very steep. There is also a hike to Mount Le Grand, which is much less known but still a high point in the national park you can explore. We didn’t have time to do it but it definitely looks worth a look.

** Image: Frenchman’s Peak **

There are loads of coastal walks if you enjoy a hike or 2. You can hike between most of the bays if you are an avid hiker or if you want some exercise or maybe its not an idea beach weather day. Definitely put this on the list, most of the bays have distinct tracks to follow and the occasional lookout platform to soak up that turquoise water.

Final thoughts. 

Just book. 

Go!! But we would highly recommend going in summer. We absolutely jagged a magic week of hot warm weather. Esperance usually has a cooler climate however we managed to enjoy 30-40 degrees weather… which is unheard of apparently. We weren’t complaining though. We were warned it gets cold at night so in Winter, Spring and Autumn could be iffy months. If it’s raining you can’t enjoy the amazing beaches. 

We would also recomend you make the effort to camp or hire a van so you can enjoy the national park. Driving back and forth from Esperance town to the park would get quite annoying or clock a fwd km’s. Being able to walk to the beach from your camp is honestly a super great way to rest and relax and enjoy the vibe.

WHERE WE STAYED

• Cape Le Grand Campsite, in the National Park $30 p/n. You have to book well in advance.

OTHER PLACES TO STAY

• Lucky Bay Campsite, Duke Of Orleans Caravan Park, RAC caravan park Esperance.

WHAT TO DO /SEE

• Hike Frenchmans Peak, Fish off the beach, 4wd, Surfing and hiking.  

ROAD TRIP IDEAS

• Day 1: Perth to Albany (via Bluff Knoll), Day 2: Albany to Bremer Bay, Day 3: Bremer Bay to Esperance, Day 4-6: Enjoy Esperance, Day 7: Home time via Wave Rock.

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