Esperance is a place of dreams, of deliriously delicious landscapes and beaches, of nippy cerulean waters, rainbow lakes and bold rocky outcrops of gneiss and granite. Give yourself seven days to soak it up (if you can wing 10 days, even better – the journey there and back is pretty special, too).
Here’s the best Perth to Esperance itinerary known to humankind (or so we think).
Perth to Hyden
You’re off! Meander through golden wheat fields and arrive in Hyden around four hours (or 330km) later. Hyden is a sleepy little town that is home to some showstopper sights. Top of the list? Wave Rock, a 2700 million-year-old, 14 metre high towering rock formation shaped like a giant surf barrel. Yes, you’ll need to navigate around a bunch of tourists pretending to surf it for the ‘gram, but it’s still one of those profoundly serene spots that makes you high five a higher force.
Back at ground level, you’ll find Hippo’s Yawn a short 1.4km walk away (yes, this is a rock shaped like a hippo yawning and yes, you HAVE to be photographed inside the mouth pretending you’re about to be chomped).
It’s just a one night stay here, but don’t miss the prehistoric Aboriginal rock art at Mulka’s Cave, or a dreamy float in Hyden’s Lake Magic, which is packed with more salt than the Dead Sea.
It’s icy cold on the surface but eerily warm underneath and pumped with minerals. You’ll feel a million bucks after a few laps and pumped for the five-hour drive to Esperance tomorrow.
Hot tip: Head to Hyden after a bit of rain. It’s quite lovely to splash through soggy clay puddles and watch water trickle down the rock.
Stay: One night at Wave Rock Caravan Park, where a site or chalet gets you entry into Wave Rock, Lake Magic and Mulka’s Cave.
Eat: Call into Hyden’s Bush Bakehouse for some fresh baked goodies to eat atop the rock.
Hyden to Duke of Orleans Bay
It’s almost five hours from Hyden to Duke of Orleans Bay, but along the way you’ll be entertained by a) a series of mini heart attacks from pink and grey galahs flying in front of your vehicle and b) calling into the Yummylicious Candy Shack in Ravensthorpe and straddling a giant licorice all-sort while downing sour straps.
Duke of Orleans is located a good hour east of Esperance town, and it’s the best place to start exploring this angel-kissed region. The gateway to Cape Arid to the East, and Cape Le Grand National Park to the West, it’s also home to Wharton Beach, where you’ll find the clearest azure waters you’re ever likely to see on a beach. Whartons is getting quite the name for itself after a few influencers named it the best beach in the whole of Australia. Yeah, we see it.
Hot tip: Wharton Beach is a top spot to try your hand at surfing – just remember to pack a wetsuit, because this water ain’t warm. And be mindful of rips!
Stay: Two nights at Orleans Bay Caravan Park, which is a hop, skip and jump from Whartons.
Eat: Condingup Tavern serves up BFG sized portions of old-fashioned pub grub and cakes made from secret family recipes.
Duke of Orleans Bay to Cape Le Grand
Cape Le Grand is 40 minutes west of Duke of Orleans Bay. The national park is home to some of WA’s most obscenely stunning spots and two of its most popular campsites (you may need to barter a kidney to secure one). Lucky Bay is the most famous of the lot, with miles of squeaky white and rock hard sand that even the most basic 2WD can handle, turquoise seas, ancient rock formations, bush backdrop and the occasional kangaroo. Hellfire Bay has gotta be seen to be believed, with water that’s bluer-than-your-bluest-filter and the kind of beauty defies description. Thirst Cove and Le Grand beach aren’t to be sniffed at, either.
Splendour that hurts the heart. A day in Cape Le Grand will haunt you forever.
Hot tip: Pack some hiking boots and enjoy a one-hour hike to the top of Frenchman’s Peak. The view at the top is worth every drip of sweat and there’s plenty of ice-cold water to cool off in when you descend.
Stay: Two nights at Lucky Bay and Le Grand Beach campsites. Get in early, they go like hotcakes.
Eat: There’s no cafes in here, so BYO nibbles.
Cape Le Grand to Wylie Bay
It’s a quick 30-minute drive from Cape Le Grand to Wylie Bay for a pitstop you’d be a red-hot fool to miss. Scramble up a giant rock, salivate over some epic views, then make your way down to the sheltered headland, where picture-perfect waters await. Head there at low tide and you’ll be able to walk across a sandbar and explore even more big cool rocks around 50m from shore. It’s earth-shatteringly beautiful and may ruin every other beach for you always, but we say – worth it.
Hot tip: Check the tides if you want to see that sandbar. Bring decent footwear for the rock scramble – it’s a biggie.
4WD accessible: Sure is.
Stay: We recommend heading into Esperance town after this one and staying at RAC Esperance Caravan Park, which is a primo spot.
Eat: You can’t beat the local fish tacos and a pint of Pale Ale for lunch at Lucky Bay Brewing while you’re in this part of the hood.
Esperance (town) to Great Ocean Drive
If you think the natural wonders peaked at Cape Le Grand, behold the Western block. Esperance’s Great Ocean Drive, which begins in the town centre, is a 40km loop packed with just as much drool-worthy coastline as the east side. Craggy, wild, rocky and with baby blue waters for as far as the eye can see, Great Ocean Drive delivers beaut beach after beaut beach: the towering rockface and butter-soft white sand of West beach, the colossal boulders and gazillion-dollar view at Twilight beach, the deep sapphire colours and ragged rockpools of Salmon beach, the aquamarine natural spa and ocean pool at 11 Mile beach. The drive winds past Pink Lake on the way back into town (incidentally, it’s not pink at all these days, but it’s still a worth a look).
Hot tip: Head to the left side of 11 Mile Beach if you fancy freeballing. It’s a nudie beach!
Eat: Head here on a Friday or Saturday and follow it with a visit to Bread Local, which is hands down one of WA’s best bakeries. Thank us later!
Esperance to Perth
Goodbyes are never easy but we recommend hitting the road early so you arrive back in Perth before sunset. Drive safely on your seven-hour drive home and be sure to stop in at Kulin Aquatic Centre for a big ole skid down the largest regional waterslide in Australia on the way.
*We pay where we stay and only recommend the special places. Deep Dive is put together with love and lived experience, to help you explore the beautiful state of WA and the world outside of it. If you found this article useful, consider buying us a coffee to help us survive!
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