WHO: The Smith Family – Carol, Adam, Logan & Luke @barefoot_and_breastless
VAN: Jayco Journey Outback Pop Top
LOCATION: Esperance Region, WA
We have all seen images of the stunning beaches of Western Australia and being unable to get into WA last year we spent almost 12 months seeing posts of Esperance itching to experience it for ourselves! Following our time in Kalgoorlie in early March, we ventured down the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway to finally tick it off our list!
Esperance is a coastal town approximately 720km south-east of Perth. We spent four weeks in and around Esperance which was plenty of time to explore the area for a travelling family on the move. The area has several holiday parks, national park camping, and free camps. For the purpose of this blog, we will break it down below with each place we stayed, including the free camps we attended which are suitable for caravans.
RAC Holiday Park Esperance
We stayed four nights at the RAC Holiday Park using this as a base whilst we stocked up with groceries, checked out the local beaches, and had a walk into town.
The local Woolworths is very busy but has plenty of parking either opposite the centre or down the side streets for us venturers who are towing our caravans.
The location of the park is a 15-minute leisurely stroll into the centre of town along the beach frontage opposite the park providing a convenient location with many sites having water views.
Being one of the more affordable parks in the area for the travelling family with kids, it is worth becoming a member with RAC whilst visiting WA which gives you loads of member benefits to choose from including stays at RAC holiday parks. The sites are spacious, and the place was very busy at this time of year. The amenities are dated but clean and served their purpose. I believe the park is closing for winter for an upgrade to the facilities with plans to reopen in Dec 2021 according to their website.
WHERE: RAC Holiday Park Esperance
COST: $38.35 per night – 2A 2C – Powered Caravan Site (inclusive of 15% RAC discount)
FACILITIES: BBQ & camp kitchen area, pet friendly, laundry, dump point, onsite cabin accommodation, powered grassed caravan and tent sites, some sites with concrete pads.
NOTE: There are several drinking water taps available at the local foreshore recreation parks where you can fill up your drinking water supply if you are passing through Esperance prior to heading east out to the national parks.
Dunn Rocks Beach – Free Camp
After several days in the town of Esperance, laundry done, groceries stocked, and caravan water tanks full, it was time to head east to Cape Le Grand National Park.
The national park is home to arguably some of the best beaches in WA, beaches such as Lucky Bay, Dunn Rocks, Hellfire Beach, Thistle Cove, and Rossiter Bay. The only campground in this area we had a booking for was Lucky Bay for a five-night stay which was in two weeks’ time, so we used the next two weeks to explore the area except for Lucky Bay.
After a morning spent at Cape Le Grand Beach, we headed to Dunn Rocks Beach Camp which we found on Wikicamps. Although some mixed reviews regarding the road leading to the beach, we took off for a short drive to Dunn Rocks.
The road into Dunn Rocks is a dirt road and turned out to be quite a simple drive with the caravan. The last two kilometres became a little slow going prior to arrival to the beach to dodge several potholes and some minor corrugations, but really nothing to worry about especially for our semi-off-road Jayco caravan. The track leading onto the beach through the dunes is a well compacted track and as you enter onto the beach you can head over to the right near the headland or to the left of the entry for a few hundred metres where the sand is well compacted to drive on. We chose the corner near the headland which included a great walk up the hill for a great view of the bay. We spent several nights here and just really soaked up the place which included a great bushwalk and fishing to name a few. One thing we have learnt during our travels is to slow down and appreciate where we are and really enjoy our family time. Anyone with a bit of confidence towing their caravan on dirt/sand tracks can make it onto this beach no problem at all.
WHERE: Dunn Rocks Beach Camp
COST: Free!
FACILITIES: Drop toilet, 4wd tracks, swimming, fishing, bushwalks, caravan accessible for confident travellers (walk down to the water first to check out the entry and check the tides. Parking with your caravan is also available behind the dunes in addition to the beach itself). Bring your drinking water with you.
Condingnup Community Hall – Free Camp
The Condingnup camp is located adjacent to the local sports oval and community hall of the very small town of Condingnup approximately 60kms east of Esperance and around 20kms north of the coastline. We used this area as a base to explore all the surrounding beaches and walking trails following our stay at Dunn Rocks Beach.
The camp is a large, maintained paddock and is looked after by local volunteers. Each night there were at least 20 to 30 caravans at the camp which made it great to catch up with other travellers and have the kids running around together. It is a camp where you feel safe to leave your caravan for the day and head off to explore and return in the evening. The camp has toilets, but it does not have drinking water for the purpose of filling up your caravan. The local Tavern is a five-minute walk from camp, it has great pub meals, acts as a small convenience store during the day for essentials, and is one of only two places to purchase fuel in the area. If you need to fill up your water tanks in your caravan with drinking water you can do this at the Tavern, just ask at the bar.
We were lucky enough to be staying here whilst the Condingnup Annual Festival was held over a weekend, such an enjoyable day with local farmers coming in from all areas with displays of large farm machinery and equipment for sale, food stalls, and fundraising for the local school, and our favourite the dog high jump! Yes, the sheepdog high jump, where the dogs jump up over a timber board wall into the back of a ute. The highest jump wins $500! The crowd were right into it.
The beach camps in the area can become quite windy during this time of year and for some quite uncomfortable when camped on the beach with your caravan. Condingnup is a great camp to get out of the foreshore wind but conveniently close enough to drive out for the day to the coast to experience the beaches and walking trails.
WHERE: Condingnup Community Hall
COST: Free!
FACILITIES: Toilets, caravan accessible, rubbish bins, loads of room for the kids to run around and a great tavern close by, drinking water available at the tavern.
Lucky Bay Campground
Planning our travel destinations, we had read and heard of the hype around Lucky Bay, one of the most famous of the Esperance beaches. This is the beach with the kangaroos, located within the Cape Le Grand National Park. We were fortunate enough to snag a five-night stay at the Lucky Bay Campground to soak up the place for ourselves.
We rocked up mid-morning to a very busy campground. After reading the notice boards at the entrance to the camp we found the camp host that you are required to meet prior to setting up, find yourself a site that is empty, and make yourself at home. We chose site No.6 which has a great view over the bay. The campground has a total of 53 sites, each spaced out nicely and surrounded by shrubs. You do not feel like your neighbour is on top of you. There are two amenities blocks with hot showers which is great after a day in the ocean. There are two camp kitchens with stovetop cooking facilities and sinks to wash up. It’s a great place to catch up with fellow travellers who mingle around having a chat late into the evening. One tip regarding your site; make sure you bring with you screw in tent pegs if you want to secure any shade awnings with guide ropes as the ground is hard. In addition, you will need to bring your drinking water with you. There is water available however it is recommended to boil this water for a period prior to consumption. Check out the notice boards adjacent to the campground entry which provides you with all the info you need regarding boiling the water, in addition to walking trails, campground layout, and the national park dos and don’ts.
The reason travellers come to this area is to see the beach, the colours of the sand and ocean, bringing with it a chilled vibe. We spent a good five to six hours each day on the beach. We drove down onto the beach, rolled out the awning for some shade, setup our chairs and spent time just soaking up the feeling of being free with not a care in the world. We had awesome weather each day, so we were fortunate to see the beach in all its glory with clear blue water against the white sand, it really is a pretty beach. We all enjoyed getting out onto our newest member of the family, “Bluey” our inflatable paddleboard. The only real challenge each day was trying to pry the kids away from the beach to head back to camp for dinner.
The beach sand itself is compacted hard on the western end where you enter the beach. A two-wheel drive vehicle can easily park up on the beach to set up for the day which many do. The far end to the east can get quite soft with a bit of right foot required in a 4wd.
A café van sets up on the beach near the entry most days during the busy periods. You can purchase ice-creams, a variety of coffees, damper with jam, muffins, and drinks. The kids did get a little spoilt with an ice cream each day!
During our time here the salmon run was starting up and the water was full of schools of fish. We spotted the local Bronze Whaler shark cruising up the beach of a morning which was the talk whilst mingling around the café van waiting for your coffee. The rocks on the western end are a good spot for a fish where we managed to get a few squid.
We were very impressed with the campground and the cleanliness of the place. The camp hosts do a great job, and the local rangers are in the area each day attending to emptying the rubbish bins and keeping the amenities clean.
Within the vicinity of Lucky Bay there is Cape LeGrand Beach, Frenchman’s Peak, and Rossiter Bay, all worth checking out, all within a 5-to-10-minute drive from Lucky Bay.
A few key points to consider if you are venturing this way to stay at Lucky Bay Campground
- Book well in advance of your stay especially during peak seasons. We booked our March stay back in January.
- Upon arrival check-in with your camp host prior to choosing your site. In the late afternoon, the camp host will do the rounds and give you a rundown of the place.
- Bring your own drinking water.
- There are no gas bottle refills or ‘swap and go’ in the area so make sure you bring enough gas for your stay for cooking and to keep your caravan fridge operational.
- Bring screw-in tent pegs as the ground can be quite hard.
WHERE: Lucky Bay Campground
COST: $15.00 per adult per night, $3.00 per child (over 5 and under16 years of age), 5 and under free.
FACILITIES: Toilets, caravan accessible, BBQs, rubbish bins, loads of room for the kids to run around. Great for snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, bushwalking, diving, fishing.
Bathers Paradise Caravan Park Castletown
A true gem of a park for travellers wanting friendly and attentive hospitality from a family-owned business.
We stayed here for 3 nights prior to leaving the Esperance region. We were greeted by the owner and shown to our site along with a walkthrough of the facilities. The service was some of the best we have experienced on our travels, the park was spotlessly clean, the grass was green and lush, it was just a really pleasant place to stay. You could see the care and pride the owners put into their business.
The park is not big which makes it quite personable, and the owners do a great job getting to know you and offer any assistance you may require. The location is a few kilometres from the main town centre and a few minutes’ walk from the Castletown Quays swimming beach. For those travelling with their four-legged furry companions, the park is pet-friendly and located near a dog friendly beach.
WHERE: Bathers Paradise Caravan Park Castletown
COST: $62.00 per night – 2A 2C – Powered Caravan Site
FACILITIES: BBQ & Camp Kitchen area, Pet Friendly, Laundry, Dump Point, onsite cabin accommodation, powered grassed caravan and tent sites, playground, drinking water.
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