Trip to Esperance in Western Australia
South West Australia
The city of Esperance, with a population of about 10,000, is located in the south-west of Australia, in the state of Western Australia, about 720 km south-east of Perth, the state capital.
The city's economy is based mainly on tourism, agriculture, and fishing. The city's beaches and surroundings are known for their clear turquoise waters and white sand. Its beaches have been selected as the best beaches in Australia with the whitest sand.
Along its shores are scattered 105 islands surrounded by clear waters, which are a major attraction for divers. Close to the city, there is a route for car or bicycle trips along the ocean coast and a pink-colored lake.
About 50 km east of the city lies the Cape Le Grand National Park, known for its beautiful beaches.
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From the city of Esperance to Margaret River
The Great Ocean Drive route
From the city, there is a circular travel route that goes first along the western beaches of the city and returns via the Pink Lake.
At the beginning of the route, you climb a hill on top of which an observation tower has been installed, from which you can see the beautiful bays with turquoise-colored water, the nearby islands, and the city itself.
A view of the bay where the city is located and the long jetty inside it:
Further along the route, there are observation points over the beaches and parking lots from which you can set out to hike on trails along the coast or go down to the beach itself and walk on the soft white sand or climb on the large granite rocks.
This is one of the few places in Western Australia where you can watch kangaroos resting on the beach.
At the end of the route along the coast, there is a wind farm for generating electricity. In this place, there are hiking trails near one of the tall columns that generate electricity, and along the path, there are explanations about how electricity is generated from wind.
On the way back, we pass near a lake with a pink hue, Pink Lake, which received its special color from an algae residing in it.
Tanker Jetty
In the bay in the heart of the city, a long wooden jetty (670 m) was built which was used in the past by the tankers that arrived at the place. Today, it is an attraction for tourists and fishermen, and you can see sea lions nearby that also feed on the remains of the fishermen's bait.
Wave Rock
Anyone arriving in Esperance by car from Perth passes exactly halfway along the road in a place called Hyden, located about 380 km north-west of Esperance. Near this settlement, there is a huge and amazing rock in the shape of a big wave about to break onto the shore. The height of the rock is like a 3-story building – 15 meters, and its length is about 100 meters. Every child would love to surf on such a wave.
Around the rock, there are fairly easy hiking trails, and above the rock, there is a beautiful lookout over the surrounding expanses. It is worth being here in the evening hours and watching the beautiful sunset. The colors of Wave Rock change according to the hours of the day, and for those who are able, it is worth seeing it at noon and in the evening at sunset.
In the area, there are other interesting rocks, for example, a rock that resembles the yawn of a hippopotamus, Hippo's Yawn.
Keep in mind that most of the road between Perth and Esperance, which takes about eight hours of driving, is very sparsely populated, and when you reach such a settlement, in the best case, it has a gas station with a meager buffet. In parts of the way, you see sparse forests with usually low trees or shrubs, and in the part closer to Esperance, there are agricultural fields with cows and sheep. It is not recommended to drive at night or in the evening towards sunset because there is a greater danger of colliding with animals such as kangaroos, which could end in the best case with damage that will disable the vehicle in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest settlement. In most of the way, there is also no cellular reception. Here is a photo of a certain section of the road that has no settlement near it.
