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ESPERANCE
A truly unique place
The Aboriginal name for the Esperance area is 'Kepa Kurl' - the place where the water lies down like a boomerang. Roughly translated, 'Esperance' is French for hope and its the French that are credited with the towns discovery, naming it and other local landmarks whilst the French ship 'Recherche' and 'L'Esperance' sheltered from a storm in this area in 1792.
A decade later Matthew Flinders sailed the waters of the bay, discovering and naming gems such as Lucky Bay and Thistle Cove.
Whalers, sealers and pirates followed, as did pastoralists and miners, keen to cash in on free land and a gold boom to the north at Kalgoorlie.
Today, tourism, agriculture and fishing steer the economy of this stunning coastal community.
Esperance is a beautiful coastal town located 720 kilometres south east of Perth and about 4.5 hours from Albany. Esperance has the most stunning coastal scenery with squeaky white sand and turquoise water. There are 5 national parks around Esperance. The Cape Le Grand National Park is only 56kms from the town centre and this is where you can see kangaroos lazing on the beach. Further east is Cape Arid, which is also a popular park for camping, fishing and hiking.
A great scenic drive from the town centre is the 38km tourist loop called the Great Ocean Drive, which takes in the beautiful surfing and fishing beaches, the wind farm and the Pink Lake. Some of the main attractions in the town are the museum, the historic museum village where the visitor centre is located, and the tanker jetty where our resident sealion “Sammy” lives.
There are over 100 islands in the Archipelago and you can view quite a lot of them from the Great Ocean Drive and the town lookouts. Wildlife Cruises around the bay area and out to the islands are available. On this cruise you step off at Woody Island, which is fantastic for swimming, snorkelling, fishing, diving and bushwalking. Safari huts are dotted amongst the eucalypts for eco stays on the island.
Esperance is a very popular spot for fishing. The tanker jetty is a good spot, which is a walking distance from the town centre. There are fishing charters; two of these also offers dive charters.
Between the months of June to October Southern Right whales can be spotted from the bays close to the town and they particularly love all the sheltered coves within the national parks.
Esperance is a beautiful place to visit. Visitors are always amazed at the sheer beauty of the place. It is clean, safe and friendly and a great spot to unwind and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
One of Esperance's greatest assets is its National Parks. There are four in the region which comprise one-fifth of the total Shire area. Also, there is the Archipelago of the Recherche, more than 100 islands, protected by the status of an A-class reserve.
The town has a complete range of services including all shopping, educational, medical, social and recreational facilities. It is a popular tourist resort, its coastline is spectacular and unspoilt.