Date of Visit: 9-25 Mar 2021
Cape Le Grand National Park
Cape Le Grand National Park is accessible by 2WD vehicles and is a 40-minute drive east of Esperance. This 320 km2 national park near Esperance is known for its glaringly white sand beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, and stunning scenery where you can go swimming, beach-walking, bush-walking, hiking up granite peaks, picnicking, boating, fishing, camping, sunbathing, or just chilling out at the beaches enjoying the ocean views over the many islands of Recherche Archipelago.
Many visitors regard Cape Le Grand National Park’s stretches of beaches to be one of Australia’s most beautiful. Come here to see them yourself.
For the keen hikers and bush-walkers who want to walk the full or part of the 20-km trail from bay to bay to enjoy the spectacular scenery, click to read more about the 20 km Cape Le Grand National Park Coastal Trail.
Lucky Bay
The well-known Lucky Bay is the most popular beach in Cape Le Grand National Park. From Esperance, it is a 40-minute drive on a sealed road to the huge sealed Lucky Bay car park.
The white sand of Lucky Bay beach is so white like snow that Lucky Bay was voted the winner of the whitest beach in Australia. Combined with crystal-clear blue waters, Lucky Bay is unbelievably beautiful. Some visitors say Lucky Bay is Australia’s most beautiful beach.
Lucky Bay is well-sheltered and is ideal for swimming, snorkelling, fishing, surfing, and launching small boats. What is more, Lucky Bay has a very gentle gradient that it is so pleasant to walk on the beach or in the shallow water.
Very often, visitors see a group of kangaroos relaxing at or near the beach area. Apparently, they are the residents here.
The beach is popular for 4WD driving, it is very common to have a long line of 4WD vehicles parking on the beach.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a coffee at the Lucky Bean Café, located right on the beach during the warmer months. It is literally a café on the beach.
Thistle Cove and Whistling Rock
Thistle Cove is just a 5-minute drive from Lucky Bay and also a sheltered beach with stunningly blue water and snow-white sand. Thistle Cove is, however, a smaller beach compared with Lucky Bay.
At Thistle Cove, visitors will find Whistling Rock – a huge rock amazingly crafted by nature to have a concave surface that reflects surrounding ambient sounds. Stand close to the rock to hear the sound echo.
Hellfire Bay
Hellfire Bay is just a 10-minute drive from Thistle Cove. A family favourite, Hellfire Bay is just as beautiful and is a perfect spot to swim and have a picnic lunch or BBQ.
Le Grand Beach
Le Grand Beach is a 10-minute drive from Hellfire Bay. This is a very long 20 km beach stretching to Wylie Bay. With 2WD vehicles, visitors can park their vehicles at the car park to access the southeast end of the beach. The beach is a popular 4WD driving spot, like Lucky Bay.
Frenchman Peak
Just a 5-minute drive from Le Grand Beach, Frenchman Peak, with its distinctive cave at the peak, can be seen from most parts of Cape Le Grand National Park.
How was the cave formed at the peak? The cave was created by wave and current motions millions of years ago when Frenchman Peak was below sea level.
Hiking up the 262 m high Frenchman Peak is a fascinating experience. It is like walking on the slope of a huge bare rock. When it is windy, you will feel a need to hold your balance.
The 3 km return Frenchman Peak Walk Trail is well signposted. At the summit, you will be rewarded with magnificent views of Cape Le Grand National Park’s coastline, the ocean, and the Recherche Archipelago.
Hyden
Hyden, a small Wheatbelt town, has a population of around 430. The renowned Wave Rock is the main reason tourists come to Hyden. Wave Rock is located around 4 km east of Hyden.
Wave Rock
At a 4-hour drive each way between Perth and Esperance, Wave Rock is an attraction well worth the visit if you are on your way from Perth to Esperance or from Esperance to Perth.
At 15 m high and 110 m long, Wave Rock is shaped like ocean waves. Standing under Wave Rock can make you feel like a huge 15m ocean wave towering over you. It is such an amazing and unique piece of work by nature over many millions of years.
Wave Rock is part of the Hyden Rock, one of the many granite rocks found in this region. Visitors can follow a walking trail to walk up to the top of Wave Rock to appreciate how huge this granite rock is. There is a reservoir on Hyden Rock that forms part of the water supply to Hyden.
Hippo’s Yawn
Hippo’s Yawn is only a 3-minute drive or 800m away from Wave Rock car park. As the name suggests, Hippo’s Yawn is a 13 m high rock that looks like a Hippo’s Yawn.
This Part 5 is the last part of the Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip which started from Perth, travelled along the coastline in Western Australia’s South West Region, Rainbow Coast, South Coast to Esperance, and returned to Perth via Wave Rock.
The distance travelled was at least 3,800 km.
Click to read Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip Part 1 – Perth to Gracetown.
Check out “Travel and Destinations Blogs” for more travel blogs on a wide range of destinations from popular, exotic, unique to obscure.
At a 4-hour drive each way between Perth and Esperance, Wave Rock is an attraction well worth the visit if you are on your way from Perth to Esperance or from Esperance to Perth.