Get to know Australia’s best kept secret, Esperance – a sleepy coastal town in Western Australia with pristine beaches and sparkling waters. Tyger Lyons of @tygerlyons shares his favourite things about this hidden paradise, and why it’s one of his top locations in the world!
Well, there ain’t no place like Esperance… and, I like to pronounce it in a very dodgy French accent for some reason – so it’s more like Espewance!
Although it’s quite a trek to reach this dreamy location, there’s not a second of doubt in my mind that it’s worth every minute of the journey. Hyper white, flour-like sand contours the coast, which also happens to boast every shade of blue you could ever imagine.
It’s quite remarkable that a place as heavenly as this is still so low key! The locals are friendly, and if you play your cards right with the seasons and timing, there are very few tourists. I would recommend heading there in autumn, because the summer crowd is gone, but the sun is still hanging around, meaning that the icy cold temperature of the water becomes a very refreshing dip as opposed to a dip in the Antarctic!
A true highlight for me has to be Lucky Bay. As the name would suggest, this place has something quite unique to offer, with kangaroos playing in an entertaining manner right on the edge of the ocean.
I also love Duke of Orleans, which is roughly a 45 minute drive out of town. There is nothing but a caravan park there to confirm that you have hit the zone. It’s just a cozy little nook that seems to always be protected by the wind. If you are in a 4WD, as we were lucky enough to be, then driving along the water’s edge is honestly like a moving postcard, a tourism ad waiting to happen!
The vibe around town is rad too – everyone’s super friendly! It kind of feels like what I think it would have been like to live in Australia in the 1970’s… Everyone knows everyone, everyone lives in a beach shack with a long rolling front yard and only a white picket fence ladles the in-between of the next door neighbours backyard cricket pitch.
I’m a big fan of coffee shops, and there are a couple that are epic. My favourite from my last visit was Downtown Espresso Bar. We’d stop by on our way through to also grab some fruit supplies for the day out at the beach.
All round, this is the very definition of an Aussie oasis, and one hundred percent one of my favourite places in the world – let alone Australia.
Happy exploring,
