Photography – Helen Janneson Bense

Location – Esperance with My Holiday

Stay – Esperance Island View Apartments

Tours – Le Grand 4X4 Beach Adventure + Pink Lakes Scenic Flight

I’ve found the ultimate holiday experience just a short flight from Perth in the peaceful and breathtaking town of Esperance/Kepa Kurl in Western Australia. With kms of pristine coastline and friendly kangaroos roaming on white sand beaches, it’s understandable why so many beaches in this region have been voted as the best in the world by travel experts.

Picture endless crystal clear blue waters interrupted by a multitude of steep granite boulders and islands that stretch across 230kms. Off the southern coast of Esperance you’ll find the Recherche archipelago made up of 105 islands and 1200 rocky outcrops. Woody island is one of the only islands in the region with public access. It’s a great spot for snorkelling, swimming and spotting marine life. The best way to see the magnificence of these views is by plane. You’ll get to enjoy that incredible birds eye view, snap a million pictures, spot marine life, and gain a greater understanding and perspective of this amazing region. All of this can be effortlessly organised by the travel experts at My Holiday.

Utilising the amazing travel knowledge and skills of the team at My Holiday, I was on a plane, checked in to my resort, with a hire car ready to explore, all with effortless ease. They seamlessly take care of all the details – all you have to do is show up. It’s a perfectly packaged holiday created to impress even the most discerning travellers with some great inclusions. You’ll always enjoy something a little extra.

They organised some incredible local tours in the region. The 4WD tour to Cape Le Grand national park is a must. You’ll cruise along long stretches of white sand beach, exploring Lucky Bay and the local friendly kangaroos, have thrill seeking adventures in the white sand dunes and drive up giant boulders at Wylie beach, all while swimming and spotting wildlife along the way.

I stayed at the lovely and very convenient Esperance Island View apartments. My self contained apartment had a beautiful spa bath to enjoy after long days of adventures. It was perfectly situated along the Esperance foreshore with ocean views, food trucks, restaurants and shops all within walking distance. Right on my doorstep were e-scooters allowing me the flexibility to venture a little further.

Within walking distance I enjoyed some delicious plant based food at Siam Thai restaurant, Taylor St Quarters and amazing acai bowls at Sir Juice food truck on the foreshore. A short drive out of town you’ll find Lucky Bay Brewery, perfect to visit for a Sunday afternoon sesh of live music.

My days were filled with ocean adventures, peaceful moments, connections with locals and travellers, wildlife encounters, great food, and wholesome nature experiences. My must visit recommendations are –

• Lucky Bay – a stunning white sand beach visited by friendly local kangaroos and dolphins.

• Hellfire Bay – a beautiful beach for some boogie boarding and swimming. It has a lovely scenic hike to Little Hellfire Bay that can’t be missed,

• Esperance Stonehenge – an exact replica of the original Stonehenge from 2000BC. This is an impressive sight made of 137 stones.

• Frenchman’s Peak/Mandooboornup – hike the peak when the winds are low and take in some scenic views over Cape Le Grand National Park. It’s a grade 5 level hike with some very steep parts and takes approx. 1-2 hours.

• Twilight Beach – a popular swimming beach with unique boulders for some rock jumping fun. This beach is one of the easiest to access without a giant staircase, so good for anyone with mobility issues.

• Blue Haven – this is one of my favourite local spots for a swim. I often see dolphins here and in whale season it’s a beautiful spot to keep an eye out from the top of the steps.

• Eleven Mile Beach – a protected lagoon ideal for swimming and watching the sunset.

• West Beach – a great spot for surfing, long beach walks and watching the sunset from Rotary Lookout.

• Wylie Beach – a stunning scenic spot where two bays merge surrounded by white sand dunes. This is a great spot for some 4Wding.

• Observatory Point – a breathtaking elevated spot to watch the sunset. Best enjoyed when the winds are low.

There is one more place that deserves special mention and I highly recommend. Wharton Beach is what I believe to be the most beautiful beach in the world. It’s located just an hour out of Esperance and well worth the extra effort to stray from the beaten path. To many of the locals, Wharton Beach is their absolute favourite too. And I totally understand why. Its crystal clear waters, whitest sand imaginable and perfect waves set against a jaw dropping giant granite backdrop make it a mermaid’s playground. While you’re exploring this way ensure to pop into the Condingup Tavern, a local spot built by a resident Esperance family, rich with history and stories.

These are the kind of untouched places that are harder to access yet provide a richer and even more beautiful travel experience. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of My Holiday. They organised a hire car for me so I could have the freedom to explore at my own pace and seek adventures close to my heart. They provided me with their travel expertise and suggestions for places to visit which helped guide my entire trip. I had so much fun exploring this region and discovering so many gems like this.

As many of you know I’ve been battling chronic illness for almost a year now. When it comes to planning trips, I need all the help I can get these days. The endless planning and researching can take a lot of time and energy. My Holiday created an amazing flexible itinerary with loads of suggestions specifically suited to my needs. From experience I know not all holidays are created equal, and sometimes there are important things that can be missed. It’s always helpful to talk to a trusted expert to create an experience that aligns with your needs and wants and will be unforgettable. This way you’ll get the holiday of your dreams without compromising yourself in any way. And that is what this holiday was for me. Effortless, easy, enjoyable and one I’ll never forget. I’m so grateful for the team at My Holiday for making it so easy for me and ensuring I still got to see and do everything I wanted.

Esperance is a wild place and it definitely left a deep imprint on me. Even just that small glimpse into local life made me fall in love and even picture myself living here one day.