ESPERANCE, WEST AUSTRALIA – Our six-seater plane is swooping and soaring over perhaps the most striking coastline I’ve ever seen.
The water is an insane shade of aquamarine that I’ve never imagined, with beams of navy blue and bands of brilliant green running along the coast. Under a brilliant Australian sun, the sand is a dazzling, pure, blinding white, and nearly deserted on a beautiful day just three weeks before summer.
After a good 20-30 minutes of enjoying the heck out of our bird’s eye view of the southern coast of Western Australia, our pilot with Fly Esperance, the young but seemingly well-seasoned Ben Wensley, steers us back over land and points out a dirt runway on a scrubby bit of land with low-lying trees.
A bird’s eye view of the Western Australia coastline near Esperance. Tourism Australia Photo
This is apparently where we’ll be landing.
“We’ll make a pass to scare off any cattle or kangaroos,” he says. The plane, a six-passenger Cessna 206, noses downward and we pass low over the landing strip, making enough noise to send any curious ‘roos scurrying tor cover.
After a successful, slightly bumpy (hey, it’s not Heathrow Airport) landing, we’re met by a couple of cars and taken to the Condingup Tavern, a spot that Ben tells us is popular with local ranchers and farmers.
We nod hello to what appear to be some regulars at the bar and find a table on the shady patio. I tuck into two massive pieces of fish and a small mountain of chips as a local singer and guitarist dips into his repertoire of James Taylor and The Eagles.
It’s the first of three pub stops on Fly Esperance’s “Flying Pub Crawl,” a delightfully scenic and thirst-quenching tour of the highly underrated and under-visited southern coast of the vast Western Australia state. Putting aside any jokes about an Australian tour that includes the local pub, it’s without doubt the most unusual tour I’ve taken in my 15 years as a full-time travel writer.
Along the coast of Western Australia, near Esperance. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Our journey begins at the tiny Esperance Airport, where I had arrived the previous day to find nobody was staffing the Budget Rental Car counter. A quick phone call and a lovely woman named Hope came driving out from her home to give me my keys, before rattling off to a gender reveal party.
There are only three other passengers. Russell and Deb are so-called “grey nomads” who have rented a motor home (sorry, “caravan”) and are traipsing about the country. A woman from Argentina who is working temporarily in Esperance also has heard the call.
PINK LAKES AND AQUAMARINE OCEAN
Ben eases the plane off the runway and quickly has us zipping over a series of dozens (probably hundreds) of small pink lakes.
There’s a large lake near Esperance called Pink Lake, but that’s only on a map. In fact, the weather conditions have changed over the past few years and the lake is now more of a deep purple, Ben tells us.
No matter, we’re seeing dozens of small, rounded lakes in all sorts of shades of pink. I spot salmon pink lakes and pastel pink lakes and even borderline Barbie-pink lakes. It’s like looking down the line of the lipstick counter at your local drug store.
Pink lakes near Esperance, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
We also spot some lakes that are vivid green and even brilliant yellow.
It’s a tad bumpy over land due to rising heat (even from the trees, Ben tells us over our intercom system), but as we get out to the ocean it’s suddenly as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
We glide over truly spectacular beaches, such as Twilight Bay, with its offshore rocks that looks like the Seychelles, and the long, luxurious sand at Blue Haven. We also pass some of the rocky Recherce Islands, named by French explorers who came here in the 1700s.)
At one point I spot what looks to be a large shark patrolling the waters, but it’s not unusual to see them in the Southern Ocean, and I only saw one. I also spotted swarms of fish and what I thought were some lively manta rays.
As we glide along, Ben regales us with stories about the area’s history and colourful characters, including Blackjack Anderson, an American pirate who set up shop on Middle Island and terrorized the local community. Anderson was murdered and is buried on the island.
We also pass over lovely Lucky Bay, where you occasionally spot kangaroos on the beach, and Frenchman’s Peak, a rugged, cone-shaped hill with a natural, oval gap near the top.
A TERRIFIC LOCAL BREWERY AND AN HISTORIC PUB
Our second stop is at Lucky Bay Brewing, a popular spot on the outskirts of Esperance. It’s a busy day and there’s tons of people packing the patio. Kids are scampering about in a grassy playground dotted with picnic tables and barrels you can climb into and ride down a small, grassy slope. Over to one side a woman with a guitar is playing on a small stage.
We sample a variety of great, local beers, including Surf Juice Lager, Shipwreck Stout and, as a nice demonstration of Aussie COVID humour, a Lockdown Dark Lager.
Beers at Lucky Bay Brewing in Esperance, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
From there we take a short flight back to the Esperance Airport (two gates!), where we hop in a car for the three-minute drive to historic Gibson Soak.
It’s an historic, old-time pub built in the 1890’s as a stopping point for folks heading to the gold fields north of Esperance, with a natural water spring. It’s a charming, pale yellow/gold building with a pub that features walls decorated with shiny, silver hubcaps, AC/DC paraphernalia, a pool table and a throwback jukebox.
When we stop in, locals are gathered at the bar in the late afternoon, talking about everything from the weather to farm injuries.
“What happened to your finger, mate,” one fellow asks a friend.
“Aw, it’s nothing.”
Outside on the shady patio I sip a Carlton Dry beer. We don’t have time for a meal, but Ben tells me the lamb shank here is legendary.
Our small group of four visitors sip our brews and go back over the highlights of the day.
The historic Gibson Soak pub in Esperance, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
“I was a little nervous about being in a small plane, but I loved it,” Deb tells me.
“I felt the same way,” I confess with a grin.
“Smashing” is the adjective of choice for her husband Russell. “It’s lot of money ($899 AUD, about $800 CAD) but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I don’t regret it all.”
FEAR OF FLYING? TRY A 4X4 BEACH RIDE IN W.A.
Flying Pub Crawls might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Or in everyone’s price range. Luckily, Fly Esperance also offers a wonderful 4×4 ride along the white-sand beaches east of the city, taking you 50 km’s or so from Esperance to Cape Le Grand National Park and back.
We ride over pure white, rolling sand dunes and later over a fairly steep granite outcropping. We also enjoy a nice picnic lunch at Lucky Bay and admire the smooth, pale rocks lining the impossibly bright, aquamarine waters of Hellfire Bay, which might be the prettiest beach I know with the least welcoming name.
A young boy takes in the scenery at Hellfire Bay in Western Australia on a 4×4 beach ride with Fly Esperance. JIM BYERS PHOTO
My four travelling partners for the day are a family from England, a friend husband and wife with a boy of around 10 years and a teenage girl. The boy, who some might expect to have his nose buried in a video game, is particularly taken with the scenery.
As we walk out to admire the glittering white sand and shiny bright water at Hellfire Bay, he turns to his father.
“Dad, this is AMAZING!”
A WONDERFUL ABORIGINAL TOUR IN ESPERANCE
Another great tour to take in the Esperance area is an aboriginal tour with Dabungool Cultural Experiences. My guide, Annie Dabb, was a wealth of knowledge and passed along tons of interesting bits as we walked over a massive dome of granite just west of the town’s Rotary Park.
Dabb points out some acacia trees, with small pods covered with red and black dots. They don’t look like much, but they’re tiny seeds you can eat (not bad) or grind into flour.
Annie Dabb leads aboriginal tours in Esperance, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
“A lot of plants here have medicinal qualities or can be eaten,” she tells me. She then pauses. “But some are just plants.”
The plants and animals in the area were critical to aboriginal people’s way of life.
“There were no chemist shops (drug stores), so we used what we had.”
She also points out small trees that witchety grubs like to burrow into.
“They’re yummy,” she said. “You can fry them in butter, and they taste like scrambled eggs. Or you can eat them raw. They’re very creamy that way, with vitamins and antioxidants.
“Just don’t eat the heads,” she said. “Your stomach won’t like it.”
She also points out some spiky plants and warns me not to sit on them as they’re quite uncomfortable.
“We save those for cheeky grandkids,” she says with a smile.
On a more serious note, Dabb tells me there’s a building in the area with chains on the wall where aboriginal people used to be hung.
“We weren’t considered humans back in the day. We were put in the category of flora and fauna. Now we have rights under the Australian constitution.
“Besides,” she tells me, “I’m no flower.”
VISITING ESPERANCE
Don’t feel like signing up for a tour? You can easily visit the area on your and try Gibson Soak, Lucky Bay Brewing or the Condingup Tavern (provided you have a car, as taxis are rare in Esperance.)
The Great Ocean Drive is a short but memorable trip west of Esperance that takes you past truly stunning beaches such as Blue Haven, Twilight Bay and Observatory Point (great for sunsets).
Blue Haven Beach in Esperance, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Esperance is only a 90-minute flight from Perth. But it feels at times like the end of the earth, with just 14,000 full-time residents and no town of any size for miles (Albany, with a population of 35,000, is nearly 500 km’s away). It’s a popular spot in summer, but that’s a relative thing. There might be another 10,000 residents at the height of the season. When I was there in early December of last year, I often walked gorgeous beaches only a five-minute drive from town and found myself utterly alone.
The surfing here is pretty good, but the water is cool. And you do need to be mindful of sharks.
WHERE TO STAY
Esperance Chalet Village is a super-quiet, nature spot with lovely A-frames of various sizes. Mine had a very comfy bed, a kettle for coffee or tea and a mini fridge, as well as a spacious shower/toilet area and a couple chairs out front to watch the stars at night. There’s a communal kitchen with a coffee maker and toaster, and also a pizza oven. Lovely owners. Outside of town, Yirri Grove Olive Farm has two cottages in the olive groves, with outdoor tubs, large patios and barbeques. There are also a couple small hotels, including a Comfort Inn by the water.
WHERE TO EAT
33 Degrees is maybe the trendiest spot in town, with both indoor and outdoor dining. I had good calamari and tender pork belly. Taylor St. Quarters is a bit more old school and features a nice patio. I had good pulled lamb and ceviche that could’ve used a kick of spice. Try the scallops in olive oil and a dish of bacon-wrapped shrimp at the Loose Goose, a casual/family spot intown. Yirri Grove Café serves lunch, including a nice charcuterie plate with tasty, home-grown olives. Back in town, Cloud Eleven is a nice spot for coffee and a light bite, such as teriyaki chicken on rice with a side salad. I loved the flat white coffee and funky ambience at Downtown Espresso Bar.
NOTE: My trip was paid for by Tourism Australia. They did not see this story prior to publication.
