Where White Sand Meets Wild Sky
We kept to our early schedule and, after a yummy breakfast and some lunch prep and a quiet stop outside a recommended antique store, began the fairly long drive to Esperance. The road itself was uneventful in the best way — good audiobook, steady scenery, and I even made some progress on my Sashiko project :)
When we finally reached Esperance, we were blown away by how delightful it is. The town is small but has a world-class harbour and a perfect white-sand beach that looks almost unreal. We checked into our accommodation early and wandered around town for a bit. Still adjusting to local hours, we arrived at the grocery store exactly at closing time — so tomorrow will be a “fingers crossed” situation for supplies.
I could definitely live here, though it’s so far from everywhere that I doubt we’d get many visitors! There’s a fun, creative vibe to the place — calm but full of character. We’re excited to explore all the nearby gorgeousness tomorrow.
Just before we even made it onto Lucky Bay, we had a close kangaroo encounter right in the parking lot — a very Lucky Bay welcome. From there, we walked the entire length of the beach, where the sand shifted from perfectly white to occasional darker, grittier patches. The brightest stretches come from incredibly fine, pure quartz grains, while the darker areas show where heavier minerals, shell fragments, or less-weathered grains have mixed in, creating subtle, natural variations along the shore. As we walked, we also collected a sad amount of plastic trash — small pieces here and there that added up quickly. The weather shifted too, from cloudy to sunny, then back to cloudy, with a light rain beginning just as we reached the car.
From there, we checked out Thistle Cove and Hellfire Bay, both stunning in their own ways.
We also stopped by Pink Lake, which is no longer pink. Its colour faded after salinity levels dropped too low for the pink-producing microorganisms — Dunaliella salina and certain halobacteria — to survive. Changes in water flow, reduced seawater intake, and freshwater dilution shifted the lake’s chemistry, so the pink colour disappeared.
Afterward, we continued west to Stokes National Park, stopping at Stokes Inlet for a peaceful walk among the coastal flora — so many textures and colours even this late in the season. We also explored Lake Monjingup with a gentle loop trail, quiet and calm except for the breeze moving through the heath.
By the end of the day we were tired, sun-kissed, and completely in awe of how much beauty is packed into this corner of Western Australia. Three small days here will never feel like enough.
We started the day early to check out the simply gorgeous Wharton Bay. I think it may have won my heart over all the others — though honestly, they’re all so good it feels impossible to choose. Wharton Bay’s charm was its wide open beach, powdery white sand, and the blissful absence of humans. We were even lucky enough to spot a kangaroo with its joey — not in the pouch, just hopping along beside it :)
On the way back toward Lucky Bay we somehow missed the shortcut, which put us into a slightly precarious petrol situation again. Once we finally reached Lucky Bay, we were sad to discover the coffee cart had already packed up. Cotty went to bask on the sun-warmed rocks while I opted to play in the gentle, lovely swell. The water was surprisingly warm, even though the day itself wasn’t overly hot.
After that, we stopped by Thistle Cove — another beauty, of course. Eventually it was time to tear ourselves away from this stunning corner of the world and continue onward. We drove halfway back to Perth, inland this time, and are excited to see what the morning brings.