Esperance is home to some of Australia's most beautiful beaches, located on the southern coast of Western Australia, straight south of the end of the famous Nullarbor.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
For thousands of years, the Kepa Kurl Wudjari people of the Nyungar nation lived on this land. Kepa Kurl is the Aboriginal name for Esperance meaning "where the waters lie like a boomerang" named for the shapes of the bays along the coast.
The coastline around Esperance was first sighted by Pieter Nuijts and Francois Thijssen, Dutch sailors aboard the Gulde Zeepaard, in 1627. Different parts of the coast were explored and mapped in the years following: King George Sound by the English Captain George Vancouver in 1791, Observatory Island by French Captain Jean-Michel Huon De Kermadec in 1792 and the Bay of Isles by Captain Matthew Flinders in 1802. A British military settlement was established in 1826.
→ Read the complete history of Esperance.
Today, Esperance is a town of about 13,000 people, mostly surviving on tourism, fishing and agriculture.
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Useful Information for Esperance
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Esperance. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Esperance, the traditional language of the Kepa Kurl Wudjari people of the Nyungar nation is Wudjari.
→ Learn more about the language of the Kepa Kurl Wudjari people of the Nyungar nation.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Free WiFi is available at Esperance's library, Visitor Centre and along the foreshore between the Whale Tail Sculpture and the skatepark.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Esperance, situated on the southwest coast of the country, south of Perth in Western Australia, can get very hot in the summer and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: We spent just a day beach-hopping in Esperance but could easily have spent more time here if we had spent a few days having proper beach days. I'd recommend about a week to thoroughly enjoy the coast.
How to Get to Esperance
By flight: The closest major airport is in Perth, a seven-and-a-half-hour drive northwest.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Perth!
Esperance also has its own smaller regional airport which connects daily with Perth. The airport is only about a 20-minute drive from town, so you could fly into Perth and transfer to a smaller flight to Esperance. There is no public transport from the airport to town but you can rent a car or take a taxi.
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to Esperance is with your own wheels. This gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, stopping whenever and wherever you like.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Perth.
You might want to start in Perth as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Perth with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By coach: Transwa runs a bus connecting Perth, Albany and Kalgoorlie to Esperance.
By guided tour: You can join a multi-day guided tour from Perth to Esperance via Margaret River, a great option if you don't have your own vehicle or simply want to go the guided route.
How to Get Around Esperance
On foot: The town of Esperance is fairly small and walkable. However, you're going to want to get to the beaches which are further out of town.
By car: The main thing people come to Esperance to see are its gorgeous beaches. These are best explored with your own wheels. We are traveling around the entire country in our campervan for a year and it gives so much freedom to get around.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Esperance.
By bike or ebike: If you don't have a car, a bike or ebike could be a super fun way to get around town and some of the local beaches and coastal paths.
→ Rent an ebike with Esperance eBikes.
→ Rent a bike with Down to Earth.
By scooter: You can rent a purple Beam scooter to get around Esperance using the Beam app. It costs AUD $1 to start and then $0.45 per minute of usage.
By bus: There is a local bus in Esperance which runs on weekdays between town and West Beach, Castletown and Nulsen.
By guided tour: There are a few interesting guided tours available in Esperance, including a 4x4 adventure in Cape Le Grand National Park, a nighttime tour learning about the sky and stars of Esperance and an Aboriginal-led walking tour of Lake Monjingup.
Where to Eat in Esperance
We spent just a day beach-hopping around Esperance (but could have stayed much longer for some proper beach days!). Before our beach day, we stopped in at Bread Local, a sweet outdoor bakery and cafe just outside town serving up freshly baked bread, sandwiches, salads, pastries and fantastic coffee (including gluten-free options!). There is also a small nursery with plants for sale on site and plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy your meal.
Best Beaches to Visit in Esperance
We spent just a day beach-hopping around Esperance (but could have stayed much longer for some proper beach days!). Here are all the spots we visited and loved:
Wharton Beach
Wharton Beach is the furthest east beach we visited in the Esperance area and while it's a bit further out to visit from town, it is absolutely worth the drive.
It's about an hour from Esperance and probably the most beautiful beach in the area. The sand is so white and squeaky, the water is stunningly clear and the surrounding rocks are so photogenic.
It's dog friendly and you can also drive your car on the beach here (which can sometimes be a shame because then the pretty sand is full of tyre tracks, but an experience nonetheless).
Lucky Bay
Lucky Bay is one of the most famous beaches in Western Australia as it is where kangaroos often hang out and this makes it a very photogenic destination which you've most likely seen on Instagram.
Unfortunately, the kangaroos typically are only active early in the morning here so we didn't get a chance to see them when we visited. Regardless, it's a beautiful beach with white sand and bright blue water.
There is also a campground here which books out well in advance because it's right on the beach with gorgeous views and prime kangaroo viewing chances.
Lucky Bay is in Cape Le Grand National Park so incurs a $17 day pass fee (or you can visit if you hold a WA annual national park pass).
Frenchman Peak, a hike on the way to Lucky Bay
Thistle Cove
Thistle Cove is next to Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park but much quieter than its famous neighbour. Whistling Rock overlooking the beach offers gorgeous views but can get quite windy - hence the name, as Whistling Rock catches the wind and makes whistling sounds!
Thistle Cove is in Cape Le Grand National Park so incurs a $17 day pass fee (or you can visit if you hold a WA annual national park pass).
Driving down Thistle Cove Road
Looking back towards Frenchman Peak
From windy Whistling Rock
Hellfire Bay
Hellfire Bay is a stunning beach in Cape Le Grand National Park, smaller than Lucky Bay. It has squeaky white sand, beautiful rocks to wander over and the clearest water imaginable. It's my second-favourite after Wharton Beach.
Hellfire Bay is in Cape Le Grand National Park so incurs a $17 day pass fee (or you can visit if you hold a WA annual national park pass).
Wylie Bay Beach
Wylie Bay Beach is a pretty little beach just outside Esperance. It is surrounded by the pure white sand of the Wylie Bay Sand Dunes, a popular off-roading destination for 4WD vehicles.
Firsties Beach
Firsties Beach is the first beach along the Great Ocean Drive, Western Australia's smaller version of Victoria's Great Ocean Road. This beautiful short drive stretches from Esperance west along the coast to 11 Mile Lagoon and is seriously beautiful. I can really recommend spending time at each of the different beaches, but the best time to do the entire drive is at golden hour when the light hits the beaches so beautifully.
Photogenic wooden steps lead down to Firsties Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand and protected water from West Beach Cove.
Blue Haven
Blue Haven is located along the Great Ocean Drive and we stopped for photos from the lookout overlooking the beach, especially beautiful at golden hour.
Salmon Beach
Salmon Beach is a small, protected beach along the Great Ocean Drive. It's smaller than the other beaches and tucked in to a little cove just after Blue Haven but it is just as beautiful as its neighbours and well worth a stop, especially for its photogenic wooden steps leading down.
Observatory Point
To reach Observatory Point, drive off the main road down a steep incline to a small parking lot where a set of wooden steps leads up to a viewpoint with fantastic panoramic views over all the beaches of the Great Ocean Drive and out to Observatory Island.
Eleven Mile Lagoon
Eleven Mile Lagoon is the last beach along the Great Ocean Drive and, in our opinion, the prettiest beach along the entire drive. Wooden steps lead down to a natural lagoon with shallow pools in and amongst the rocks. It's especially stunning at sunset.
Pink Lake Lookout
Okay, this isn't a beach but it's worth a quick stop along the Great Ocean Drive!
This lookout is inland as you return from Eleven Mile Lagoon towards Esperance overlooking Pink Lake which is actually no longer pink. There is even a descriptive information sign which explains why the lake is no longer pink! It's because the salt content is much lower than it used to be and so it no longer has its former bright bubblegum pink colouring.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
