Journey details: 7 days, 6 nights – 3 national parks, 4 towns Tue 27^th April to Monday 1^st May. From Esperance east to Duke of Orleans Bay and Cape Le Grand National Park (80km) then west to Hopetoun and Fitzgerald River National Park (296 km) then north  to Hyden (265km) then south west to Bremer Bay. (348km) Total 989 km.

See the video here

Tue 27^th & Wed 28^th April Esperance to Duke of Orleans Bay via Stonehenge

Three things to tick in Duke of Orleans Bay area are:

1. One of WA’s most famous beaches: Wharton Beach. This perfect curve of white powder wrapping around the turquoise ocean is incredible. The sand is hard and wide enough to drive and ride bikes on and there’s a massive rock hill to climb for views over to Little Wharton and Duke of Orleans Bay. We swam, read, walked, rode, ate lunch, had sunset drinks and even dinner here it was that good.
2. The Duke of Orleans Caravan Park which is a basic, sprawling park full of friendly characters on the tidal, seaweed strewn Duke of Orleans Bay about 3kms from Wharton beach.
3. Stonehenge, on Merrivale road about 15 km out of Esperance as you head east, is an exact replica of Stonehenge as it looked in 1950BC (before it crumbled). There’s 38 stones each weighing 50 tonnes and rising around 8 metres. We pondered how the original was constructed without the help of the mining cranes that put the modern stones in place.  

Thur 29^th April Cape Le Grand National Park to Stokes National Park and Quagi Beach

We spent the day exploring Cape Le Grand National Park but the campgrounds were booked out (need to book months ahead apparently) so we stayed on Quagi Beach which has about 20 campsites ($15 in an honesty box) with clean drop loos, picnic tables and a rugged beach. Three things to tick in Le Grand National Parks are:

1. The Cape Le Grand smooth, well signposted roads that took us to 4 of the 5 beaches and had great lookout points, picnic tables, loos and shelters.
2. The Cape Le Grand beaches, in order of favourites were Thistle cove – cute and cosy, Le Grand beach – side and sweeping, Hellfire bay – a perfect semi-circle of sand and sirf and Lucky Bay – the park’s most famous but also most popular beach with loads of tourists, cars but also the best sheltered swimming! which we checked out to determine our pick for the day.
3. Cape Le Grand walks from the 18km coastal trail to the 4 shorter trails between the beaches and the steep Frenchman’s Peak scramble

Fri 30^th April Hopetoun & Fitzgerald River National Park

Our National Park Trifecta ended in our favourite so far – the sweeping rocky, ‘biodiversity hotspot’ of Fitzgerald River National Park. We drove via Ravensthorpe, a mostly shut down abandoned service town that had tried to attract visitors with a nice sculpture walk and art silo, then Hopetoun down on the water, also suffering from the effects of Covid close-downs but still sporting a good pub, pier and nice beach. All three things to tick in this area are in the Fitzgerald River National Park:

1. Hamersley Drive a new, smooth road that takes you from Hopetoun to Hamersley inlet and across the top ridges of this rocky National Park with plenty a[of pullouts, lookouts and walks to show off the colourful, quirky flora.
2. Walks and lookouts including Cave Point with its views over the big cave below and West Beach with its jagged rocks and crashing surf
3. The campgrounds with their neat bush settings, clean new facilities and picnic tables in all the right places

Sat and Sun 1^st  and 2^nd May Hopetoun to Hyden

Heading inland from the coast you soon hit the wheat belt and sheep grazing with wide flat expanses and bizarre granite outcrops rising out of seemingly nowhere.  The silos are painted but it’s the rocks that attract the attention and none more than the iconic Wave Rock in Hyden which is what gets all three ticks for this area:

1. Hyden town with its history depicted in colourful, whimsical sculptures made from old farm machinery  
2. Walking around and over wave rock at sunset, sunrise, and out to the Hippo’s yawn and Magic Lake
3. The Humps and Mulka’s Cave – another magnificent set of colourful rocks about 15 km north of Hyden.

Monday 3rd May Hyden to Bremner Bay

A four hour drive through flat wheat-fields punctuated by the now familiar rising granite outcrops (Sterling ridge NP) brought us to the coast at Bremer Bay. This sprawling peninsula ridden area has so many bay beaches, curves, points and and outlying lands that it is very easy to get lost. It’s quiet with few services and many surf breaks and the three things to tick are:

1. The 5km snail trail bike/walk trail from town to Wellstead museum
2. Ride/walk drive out Cuneo drive to the Cairn for amazing lookouts over Bremer bay and down to the south coast -perfect to watch the sunset
3. Bremer Bay Resort Hotel for a great feed by the fire if cold or out on the west sunset facing deck if warm.