Download GPX file for this article
-33.861111121.891944Full screen dynamic map

From Wikivoyage
Jump to navigation Jump to search

An ocean beach near Esperance.

Esperance is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It's a popular travel destination for locals, noted for magnificent coastline, spectacular beaches, outdoor activities and fine fishing.

Understand

Esperance was first named by the French who sheltered in the bay here in 1792.

History

Pirates roamed the nearby islands during the 19th century, harkening back to a period when the west was indeed wild.

Parts of the NASA Skylab space station fell close to town when it dropped from orbit in 1979.

Esperance has the necessities for a prosperous town - a deep-sea port, airport and railroad junction. Esperance is awakening, slowly and surely, as more people discover the natural wonders of the town. The weather is very changeable.

Get in

Esperance is located 720kms south-east of Western Australia's capital, Perth, by road. It is approx a 7 hour trip from Perth. The nearest major towns are Albany, to the west, and Kalgoorlie, to the north.

When travelling from eastern states, across the Nullarbor using the Eyre Highway, the first notable junction is that at Norseman - the road to the north goes to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, the road to the south is to Esperance.


Get around

See

  • Historic Museum Village, Dempster St. Old buildings of various vintages whose former life as a Police Sergeants quarters, school house, doctors surgery, courthouse or hospital has been relocated and repurposed as cafes, Art galleries and retail shops. Oldest of the bunch is the tiny wood and iron Methodist Church built in 1895.
  • Esperance Museum, Cnr James St and Dempster St, +61 8 90711579. daily 1:30PM-4:30PM. A rambling array of objects stacked almost up to the hefty timber rafters of the old goods warehouse that houses the collection. Nautical flotsam, domestic ephemera and antiquated machinery are intermingled with all kinds of social curios drawn from a lengthy timeline of Esperance history. The 442 tonne steam train dominates, but debris from the 1979 crash of Skylab are the arguable highlight. There is a lot to see, so the short opening hours demand a second visit to fully explore every corner.
  • Pink Lake, Pink Lake Rd. Not particularly pink nor lake-like, it's a large salt pan that is either white and crunchy or grey and muddy depending on how much it has rained recently. The northern side has built up dam structures used to harvest the salt that may exhibit a pinkish tinge caused by the concentration of algae.
  • Wind power turbines (19km west of town). Massive propellers slowly spinning in the breeze look attractive from afar but are quite intimidating up close as the blades slice through the air with a low growl.


Cape Le Grand National Park - less than 50km from town to the east - a mix of rugged wild coast and views of the Archipelago of the Recherche.

Do

  • Have a swim. At many of the fine beaches are located near town, like Twilight Beach.

Eat

  • Jax Snax, 3 James St, +61 8 90711601. daily 11:30AM-2PM, 5PM-8:30PM. Decent Fish and Chips


Drink

Buy

Sleep

  • Pink Lake Tourist Park, 113 Pink Lake Rd, +61 8 90712424, toll-free: 1800 011 311, . The park has all the usual facilities and an jumping pillow to keep the kids happy. The neat one bedroom self contained cabins are an alternative to a hotel. Many think the tent and caravan sites are a bit too small and close together. Cabins: $115, Tent: $32.

Go next

    • East
  • Norseman and the Eyre Highway to the east
This city travel guide to Esperance is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!