ENTICING ESPERANCE

Soft white sand, clear blue waters and views that will blow you away, Esperance and Cape Le Grand are simply magnificent!

WORDS BY MICHELLE SERGEANT, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON DELEEUW

ESPERANCE

For many travellers, a stop in Esperance represents one of their last opportunities to enjoy some fabulous Western Australian beaches before heading up to the Nullarbor and making the trek over to the eastern states. If it’s crystal clear blue water, and silica white sandy beaches you’re after, then this is the place for you.

We arrived in town around lunchtime, towing our 21-ft Jayco Heritage, and decided to head into the tourist information centre to find out a bit more about the town’s caravan parks. The staff on hand were very helpful and able to provide us with a listing of all the parks in town, with current pricing and any special offers available. We were determined to enjoy our stay in Esperance and knew we would be here for at least a week, so we didn’t necessarily just want to stick with the cheapest option.

We did a drive by of most of the van parks and ended up making our way towards the Pine Grove Caravan Park, which is only a few minutes drive from the town centre. After speaking with resident managers Zane and Kylie, we decided this was the best fit for us. They were offering a flat rate of $30 per night (no extra charge for the kids!), if you stayed for at least two nights. In addition, the park was lovely and grassy, with many trees and a peaceful feel to it. Finally, they provided free WiFi!

I was also pleased to notice that, unlike many van parks, if they are not busy they don’t cram everyone in on top of each other. Instead, they spread everyone throughout the park, allowing maximum space and privacy.

After checking in for an initial two nights, we set up camp and I then made my way back into town to load up on groceries at the local Woolworths. We were also pleased to find the local Coles Express service station was offering 9kg gas bottle swaps for only $25.

The next morning, the start of our first full day in town, we decided to jump in the car and check out a few of the local beaches. After a few minutes we arrived at Twilight Beach and decided to stop for a spot

of morning tea in the shelter at the top of the sand dunes. Twilight is by far the most popular surfing and swimming beach in Esperance. As we were here in late May there were no swimmers about, but there were a few surfers enjoying the one and- a-half-metre swells.

Our next stop was only slightly up the road, further west, at Ten Mile Lagoon. The bay here is quite shallow and the waters very calm.

We all had a great time clambering over the headland and inspecting the marine life in the many rock pools.

Moving on from the lagoon, we went to Observatory Point. Our visit provided us with a very informative history lesson, as it was here we learned how Esperance got its name. On December 9th 1792 two French ships sought shelter in the waters immediately offshore from this point – The Recherche, under the command of Antoine D’Entrecasteaux, and The Esperance, under Captain Huon de Kermadec. As they say, the rest is history.

When we got back to the caravan park I stopped in at reception to pay for a few more nights. We were having such a lovely time it seemed only right to stay a little longer. I couldn’t believe it when Zane and Kylie handed me a basket with my dry laundry in it! Turns out I had forgotten to take our washing off the line overnight, and the heavens had opened up whilst we were out. These fabulous managers had taken our washing and put it in their own dryer to get it dry for the family. Talk about customer service!

Esperance also has one of the most vibrant and beautifully manicured foreshores of any city in the nation. There are lush green lawns, walking and cycling pathways, BBQs, tables and chairs, and one of the most awesome playgrounds your children (or grandchildren) will ever see. There is a huge xylophone the kids can have fun with, not to mention the towers and trapezes for them to climb on. During our week in Esperance our kids spent many hours playing here, giving Mum and Dad some much needed rest time, and an opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and the wonderful amenities.

Jutting out directly from the main foreshore, the Tanker Jetty was built by the Western Australian Government in 1934/35, and was originally created for commercial use. However, the last tanker to unload onto the jetty was in 1977. The structure then fell into a state of disrepair until the local Apex club stepped in to raise funds for the repair in 1988. The State Government also chipped in and the Tanker Jetty has now been restored and has become a local tourist attraction, as well as a venue for recreational activities such as fishing. The jetty itself has created an artificial reef and attracts many varieties of marine life, with squid fishing becoming one of the most popular past times.

You can also find most things in Esperance that you would find in any decent-sized town. I managed to get my hair coloured at one of the local hair dressing salons. Not only did they do a great job, but also the price was very reasonable. While we were there we stumbled across Taylors Beach Bar and Café on the waterfront. The venue provides outdoor tables and chairs in a beer garden setting, and is even set up with heaps of fun activities on the grass for the kids to play, such as a seesaw and a tea party! There’s also an indoor dining area and gas heated fire!

Esperance is one of those places that has a lovely sense of community. The locals take a great deal of pride in their beautiful hometown. We know we will come back here one day – but next time we’ll be here in summer to enjoy the beautiful beaches just that little bit more!

CAPE LE GRAND

After our thoroughly enjoyable week in Esperance we decided it was time to head over to Cape Le Grand and check out the famous Lucky Bay. This location is now well known thanks to the cover of the local Esperance tourism information magazine. The image on the front depicts a kangaroo sunning itself on a pristine white beach – and yes, you will see kangaroos on the beach when you visit. Just beautiful.

If you are planning on visiting Cape Le Grand, don’t make the same mistake we made. You can camp at Lucky Bay but it is cash only. We had forgotten to get funds out of the bank in Esperance, so we had to move on. However, if you do stay, there are toilets and solar showers with a limited supply of hot water. The ranger there will collect your camp fees.

Even though we were not able to camp there, we were pleased to be able to use the facilities in the day use area. Right on the beachfront there is a camp kitchen-type area with a free BBQ, bins and tables. We had left Esperance early that morning so we grabbed some bacon, eggs and coffee from our van and enjoyed the sights of Lucky Bay while cooking and having our breakfast. A couple of inquisitive kangaroos came down to check us out while we were eating and we managed to get a few photos of this amazing sight.

Once we had finished our meal, we decided to unhitch the van and leave it in the day use area for a couple of hours (with the tow-ball lock in place of course). We then set off to check out Thistle Cove and Hellfire Bay. From the car park area for Thistle Cove you can choose to head down to the walking track. This can take you back towards Lucky Bay and all the way over to Rossiter Bay, or you can walk in the other direction over to Hellfire Bay and on past Mount Le Grand. The entire walking trail spans 15 kilometres and is for experienced walkers only.

As we had the children with us we gave the big walks a miss, but we did wander over to Whistling Rock. This huge wave shaped rock creates a rather unusual phenomenon. As you get closer to the rock you can hear the loud sounds of water rushing, but the sound appears to be coming from the rock. As you move closer and closer, the sound finally disappears and all is quiet; but then as you move back away from the rock, the sounds again become audible. The rock itself has created some unusual natural acoustics and is responsible for the reverberation of ocean sounds up into the sand dunes where it sits.

After having some fun listening to the Whistling Rock we were off to the ominous-sounding Hellfire Bay. The area is thought to be named after Saint Elmo’s fire – a flame-like electrical discharge that can sometimes occur above a ship’s mast. Again, this is another point at which you can choose to head down to the Le Grand Coastal Trail and do a section of the walk. Hellfire is a gorgeous stretch of white sandy beach, nestled between two rocky headlands at either end. It would be an ideal swimming location in summer. Unfortunately we were here in winter so had to be content with taking photos and enjoying the view.

The next item on our agenda was to stop and get some photos of Frenchman Peak. Named by surveyor Alexander Forest in 1870, the peak got its name because of its resemblance to the shape of hats worn by French troops in the 1800s. A large cave near the summit makes for some spectacular photos, and is thought to have been caused by wave action when the peak was under water some 40 million years ago. There is a 262 metre walking trail you can do to take you up to the summit, which will reward you with panoramic views of Cape Le Grand and the islands in the Recherche Archipelago.

As the tides were now going back out, our final stop was a trip back down to Lucky Bay to 4WD along the beach and do a spot of fishing. We didn’t land the big one, but when you’re sitting on one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, you can’t complain.