Things to Do in Esperance: Lucky Bay, Kangaroos & Camping

After weeks on the west coast and a long drive through the outback, we rolled into Esperance in mid-April, right on the southern edge of Western Australia. We spent three nights there, two of them at the campground in Lucky Bay, where kangaroos were hanging out right in front of our camper every morning.

In this guide to the best things to do in Esperance, we share which beaches in Cape Le Grand National Park are worth your time, how to snag a spot at the campground at the famous Lucky Bay, where to grab a good breakfast in town, and why we wouldn’t go this late in the season again. You’ll find our full route in our Western Australia road trip itinerary.

Esperance Quick Facts

📍 Location: South coast of Western Australia, about an 8-hour drive from Perth or roughly a 1.5-hour flight.
🗓️ Our stay: 3 nights in mid-April (2 at Lucky Bay, 1 in town). We recommend 3 to 4 nights.
☀️ Best time to visit: November to early April
🎟️ Cape Le Grand National Park entry: AU$17 (about €10) per vehicle per day
⛺️ Lucky Bay camping: AU$20 (about €12) per adult per night, plus park entry
🛒 Groceries: only in Esperance, there’s no store at Lucky Bay
📶 Cell service: often patchy in the park, so download your maps ahead of time

Prices according to Parks and Wildlife WA, as of October 2026.

Lucky Bay: Kangaroos and One of Australia’s Whitest Beaches

Lucky Bay sits about 50 km (31 miles) east of Esperance in Cape Le Grand National Park and is the region’s most famous photo spot. It’s often called one of the whitest beaches in Australia, and once you’re standing there, you’ll believe it.

Honestly, though: Lucky Bay is stunning to look at, but we liked other beaches better for actually spending the day. It gets busy, and the sand isn’t the most comfortable for lying down. If you want to stay a while, bring camping chairs.

🦘 Kangaroos: They live here, especially around the campground. We didn’t spot any on the beach, but plenty at our campsite. They come really close, but please keep your distance and don’t feed them. It’s for their own protection.
☕️ Coffee on the beach: The Lucky Bean Café is a small stand right at Lucky Bay with coffee and sandwiches. It isn’t always open, though, and it was closed when we were there, so don’t count on it.
🚙 Driving on the beach: Lots of day-trippers drive right onto the sand. Parks WA warns that vehicles get bogged here easily, so we’d skip it without a 4WD.
⛰️ Lookout: Climb the rocks at the beach for a great view over the whole bay.
🚁 Drones: Keep at least 30 m (100 ft) from people and never fly over them. Rangers do check.

Lucky Bay Campground: How to Get a Spot

The Lucky Bay campground is beautiful, which is why it’s often booked out months in advance. When we checked three months ahead, it was already almost full. Sites are released 180 days before arrival and can only be booked online via Parkstay.

🔄 Keep checking: People cancel all the time, so it’s worth checking back often.
🧩 Book single nights: If two nights in a row aren’t available, try booking each night separately. That worked for us. You pick your exact site when you arrive, first come, first served.
🎟️ Don’t pay park entry twice: The booking also asks for the park entry fee. Make sure you only pay it once, or choose “on arrival” if you already have a park pass.
🚿 Facilities: Toilets, showers (solar hot water, so not guaranteed), camp kitchens with gas BBQs and sinks. No power and no drinking water.
🛒 Shop before you go: There’s no store at Lucky Bay. Stock up in Esperance and fill your water tank. Groceries cost about the same as in Europe, sometimes more.

Our favorite part of the campground: the kangaroos, little joeys included, right in front of our campervan.

One night in town: We spent one night right in Esperance at Bathers Paradise Caravan Park. Powered site, good bathrooms, about AU$65 (about €39) per night. Handy for filling up on water, taking a proper shower and grocery shopping before heading into the park or moving on.

For all our WA travel tips, from WikiCamps to costs, check out our Western Australia road trip tips.

Hellfire Bay & Thistle Cove: Our Lucky Bay Alternatives

If Lucky Bay is too busy for you, just drive a few minutes further. Hellfire Bay and Thistle Cove are also in Cape Le Grand National Park, and for us they were the better beaches to hang out at:

🏄‍♀️ Hellfire Bay: The sand is much nicer for lying down, and people were even surfing when we were there. Walk to the far end of the beach and you’ll have it almost to yourself.
🌊 Thistle Cove: A quiet bay with great coastal views, known for its “whistling rock.”

We didn’t climb Frenchman Peak (262 m), the park’s best-known lookout. If you like hiking: the trail is about 3 km round trip and climbs steeply up a granite slope.

Which beach is right for you?

📸 For photos and kangaroos: Lucky Bay. You’ll see the kangaroos mainly at the campground, but it’s also the busiest beach.
🏖️ For lounging and surfing: Hellfire Bay. It’s quieter at the far end.
🤫 For peace and views: Thistle Cove with Whistling Rock.

Esperance Town: Cafés, Bakery & a Bookshop

The town itself isn’t exactly a beauty, but it has a laid-back vibe, a few shops and restaurants, and jetties on the water. It’s definitely worth stopping for coffee or breakfast:

🥤 Sir Juice: Our pick for breakfast to go. The bowls are delicious. Expect a short wait in the morning.
🥖 Little Local: Great bread and pastries, even sourdough. After weeks in a camper, that was a real treat.
☕️ Downtown Espresso Bar: For good coffee.
📚 Dear Village: A cute little bookshop.

Tip if the weather’s good:
The Great Ocean Drive is a roughly 40 km loop that starts right in Esperance and runs west of town along the coast, past Rotary Lookout, West Beach and Twilight Beach. On the way back you pass Pink Lake, which is barely pink anymore these days. The road is sealed, so no 4WD needed.

More Things to Do in Esperance

We didn’t do these two ourselves, but they’re at the top of many people’s lists:

🩷 Lake Hillier: The famous pink lake sits on Middle Island off the coast and can only be seen on a scenic flight or helicopter tour. Flights leave from Esperance and take about 1.5 hours.
🐬 Woody Island: About 15 km off Esperance, reachable by boat or helicopter, with walking trails and snorkeling.

Best Time to Visit Esperance

Esperance is in the far south of WA, and you’ll notice it in the weather. We were there in mid-April, and it was already cooler, windy and often cloudy. Our take: mid-April is almost too late if you’re after beach weather. Plan Esperance earlier in your road trip if you can. The best time to go is November to early April.

Around Christmas and Easter, though, all of WA gets really busy. Campgrounds book out fast, and a lot of things cost more because restaurants and other businesses add holiday surcharges. More on that in our Western Australia road trip tips.

Sharks in Esperance: Is It Safe to Swim?

Sharks are a topic along the entire WA coast, and the Esperance area has seen several fatal shark attacks in recent years, most recently at Wharton Beach in March 2025. That sounds scary. At the same time, incidents like these are rare compared to how many people are in the water.

📱 SharkSmart app: Download the SharkSmart app to see current shark sightings and warnings.
🚫 Respect beach closures: Beaches get closed after sightings. Follow the signs and the rangers.
🌅 Avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, and don’t swim far out alone.

We only went in briefly in Esperance, partly because it was cool and the water was really cold. Our take: don’t let it stop you, just go in informed.

Final Thoughts: Is Esperance Worth It?

For us, absolutely. The beaches in Cape Le Grand National Park are stunning, and we won’t forget those kangaroos outside our camper anytime soon. But give yourself enough time, book your campsite early, and try to come before mid-April for the best chance of sunshine.

From Esperance, our route continued west to Bremer Bay and Albany. You’ll find every stop in our 5-week Western Australia road trip.

Esperance FAQ

Esperance is on the south coast of Western Australia, about an 8-hour drive southeast of Perth.

Yes. The beaches in Cape Le Grand National Park are some of the most beautiful in all of WA, and waking up to kangaroos next to your camper doesn’t happen every day. The town itself is fairly low-key but great for groceries and a good coffee.

3 to 4 nights. That gives you enough time for Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove and a day in town, even if the weather doesn’t play along.

Yes, definitely. Sites are released 180 days ahead and often book out quickly. Bookings are online only via Parkstay.

AU$17 (about €10) per vehicle per day. If you’re visiting several national parks, a park pass pays off from about three parks.

Yes, like everywhere along the WA coast. The SharkSmart app shows current sightings, and you should always respect beach closures.

Things to Do in Esperance, WA: Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand & Local Tips