Last Updated on April 29, 2024 by Sam
The scenic Great Ocean Drive in Esperance is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Western Australia, boasting incredible views as it winds along the coastline. Spanning 40 kilometres, the road leads past some of the best beaches in Esperance and several amazing scenic lookout points. As soon as you see the stunning turquoise seawater and the fine white sand of the beaches, you will understand why the Great Ocean Drive is one of the best things to do in Esperance. It’s not to be confused with the Great Ocean Road just outside Melbourne in Victoria – although this incredible coastal route does rival it thanks to the area’s stunning natural beauty. In fact it’s so beautiful that it’s well worth the additional journey time to visit on a road trip to or from Perth! This post covers the best things to see and do along the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance, as well as covering how long the route takes, the walking trail, and more!
Check out our guide to the best accommodation in Esperance – and make sure to book ahead as there is limited accommodation and it regularly sells out in advance!
Great Ocean Drive in Esperance Information
The Great Ocean Drive is a 40 kilometre scenic loop along the Esperance coastline, starting and ending in the town centre. Encompassing many of the best beaches in the area, it’s considered to be one of the most beautiful coastal drives in Australia.
Along the route you get stunning ocean views, as well as passing a number of brilliant viewpoints of the area’s beautiful beaches. It’s possible to do the entire Great Ocean Drive in under an hour, but realistically it’s best to allow longer so that you can take your time to stop more often and visit several of the beaches along the route.
The Great Ocean Drive in Esperance has sealed roads and is therefore suitable for two-wheel-drives, and generally has a speed limit of 60 or 70 kilometres per hour. It’s possible to do the drive in a campervan, although it can be harder to find suitable parking spots for larger vehicles.
Best things to see on the Great Ocean Drive
There are 23 different points of interest along the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance, but even if you’re making a full day trip of it then it’s best to only visit some of these so that you can enjoy them properly. We’ve covered the highlights on this coastal drive below!
West Beach
One of the first beaches you will come to on the Great Ocean Drive is the lovely West Beach. Located just outside of Esperance, the beach boasts beautiful blue water and fine golden sand – a taste of what is to come on the rest of the drive!
A path along the top of the beach offers brilliant views from above, but if you have the time it’s worth heading down the stairs to the beach itself. It’s one of the best beaches for surfing along the Great Ocean Drive, and is also a safe place to swim thanks to a reef just off shore.
It only takes around 5 minutes to reach West Beach from Esperance town centre, so you don’t have to drive long before making your first stop. There is a convenient roadside car park near the steps to the beach, but if you’re driving a campervan or larger vehicle then you may have to take up multiple spaces in order to park.
Blue Haven Beach
The idyllic Blue Haven Beach is one of the most stunning beaches along the Great Ocean Drive, Esperance. Situated in a sheltered cove, this small beach boasts pure white sand and dreamy turquoise water.
It’s one of the best beaches in the area for sunbathing and swimming, making it a brilliant place to stop and relax. The beach is fairly small, but there should still be space to find a spot even if it’s a bit busy.
Blue Haven Beach is also one of the better spots to go snorkelling along the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance. That being said, in our experience there isn’t too much marine life to be seen unless you’re quite lucky. If you want to find some better snorkelling spots in Western Australia then check out our posts on the best places to snorkel in Perth and the best snorkelling spots on Rottnest Island!
If you don’t have time to stop at the beach itself, then make sure to quickly pull over at the Blue Haven Lookout on the roadside of the Great Ocean Drive. This lookout gives you a little glimpse at how beautiful this beach is, so it’s well worth to stopping for a couple of minutes to enjoy the view.
The car park at Blue Haven Beach itself requires turning off to your left slightly further along the road – which is signposted Salmon Beach and Blue Haven. After turning off the main road, take the next two lefts and this road will lead you to a car park by the beach.
It’s only possible to access Blue Haven Beach via staircase, so if you have mobility issues then it’s best just to view from the aforementioned lookout point.
Twilight Beach
The first section of the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance is situated along Twilight Beach Road, which takes its name from the remarkable Twilight Beach. As is typical of the beaches along this stretch of coast, the beach is home to pristine white sand and dazzling turquoise waters.
It’s one of the most popular beaches along Esperance’s Great Ocean Drive – and it’s easy to see why. If you’re looking for a beautiful beach to sunbathe or go swimming, then it doesn’t get much better than this.
Just off shore from the beach is a unique rock formation, which it’s possible to swim out to. Some people opt to climb the rock and dive into the sea, but there have been a number of accidents over the years – so we suggest giving this a miss!
There is a free car park at one end of the beach, and the turning is clearly signposted along the Great Ocean Drive. As Twilight Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Esperance, the car park can get quite busy. We actually couldn’t find space to park when we were here so didn’t get to visit the beach itself – but hopefully you will have more luck finding a parking space!
Observatory Point
Observatory Point is perhaps the most spectacular lookout along the Great Ocean Drive along Esperance’s coast. Offering stunning views of Esperance’s coastline all the way to Cape Le Grand National Park, this is a stop not to be missed!
The viewpoint allows you to look back over many of the beaches you have just passed, giving sweeping views of the ocean. From here you can appreciate the many shades of blue and turquoise in the water, which makes for incredible viewing!
From June until October it’s even possible to see migrating whales if you’re lucky. Southern right whales migrate up the coast of Western Australia at this time of year, and if you’re extremely lucky you might even see a humpback whale – although these are less common.
One thing to note about Observatory Point is that the road there involves a steep descent, so isn’t suitable if you’re towing a trailer or caravan. There is plenty of space to park at the end of the road, and then it’s a short climb up some stairs to this wonderful lookout point.
Ten Mile Lagoon
One of the last beaches along the Great Ocean Drive is the lovely Ten Mile Lagoon. There is a rocky reef just off shore that provides a sheltered pool, making this a great beach to stop at for a swim.
A section of the beach here is a nudist beach, so it’s important to be aware of this before you visit. Clothing is optional, but if you’re travelling with young children then this may not be the most appropriate beach to visit.
It’s still a lovely beach in its own right, but thankfully there are plenty of other great beaches to visit in Esperance and along the Great Ocean Drive.
Pink Lake
The Pink Lake Lookout is one of the final stops along the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance. Unfortunately the lake is no longer pink, and the misleading name does sometimes cause confusion and disappointment amongst visitors.
In fact, Pink Lake hasn’t been pink for over 10 years – with the colour having faded due to salt harvesting and changes in water flow. There are signs in the area explaining in detail why the lake no longer appears to be pink.
One of the main sources of confusion for visitors is when they see pictures of Lake Hillier – an incredible bright pink lake on Middle Island. This lake is located over 100 kilometres away from Esperance, but scenic flights to the lake do depart from the town. As a result, some images of this pink lake appear in the Google Reviews section for Pink Lake due to tourists not realising they are reviewing the wrong lake.
There is a chance Pink Lake may become pink once again in the future, and scientists have even been looking into whether they can help restore it to its previous colour.
The best way to stay up to date with whether the lake is pink is to check the latest Google Reviews. Of course, be wary of reviews of the wrong lake – and if there are multiple current reviews saying it’s not pink, then it probably still isn’t!
Tips for the Great Ocean Drive in Esperance
Rent a car – If you don’t have your own car or campervan then it’s well worth renting one during your time in Esperance. Not only will this allow you to do the Great Ocean Drive, but also means you can visit the incredible Cape Le Grand National Park and other spots too.
We recommend checking out the Discover Cars website to find the best prices for renting a car in Esperance. Click here to get a quote in seconds on the Discover Cars website!
Great Ocean Walk trail – If you want to walk or cycle along the Great Ocean Drive, then you can follow the Great Ocean Walk trail. The trail starts near to West Beach, which is accessible on foot from the town centre.
From there you can walk along the coast all the way to Twilight Beach before turning inland and cutting through native bushland until you reach the Pink Lake Lookout. The remainder of the trip back to town is done by following Pink Lake Road, and in total the trail is around 28 kilometres – so make sure to bring plenty of food and water with you!
Take your time – Ideally you will want to have around half a day to enjoy the Great Ocean Drive properly. If you just want to do the drive itself then it can be done in under an hour, but this means you barely get to stop to enjoy the views and beaches of the Esperance coastline.
Car parks – Most of the points of interest along the Great Ocean Drive have designated car parks. The more popular spots have larger parking areas, but at other points the parking is quite limited – which may mean you won’t be able to stop.
If you’re travelling in a larger vehicle like a campervan then you may also struggle to find space, and may in some instances have to park across multiple bays if your vehicle can’t fit in a regular sized bay.
Go on a sunny day – It might seem obvious, but the Great Ocean Drive is more impressive on a sunny day. When the sun is shining the stunning blues of the sea make this scenic drive even more special, and of course it’s much nicer to be at the beach in good weather too!
Looking for inspiration to decide where to go next in Western Australia? Read our day trip to Rottnest itinerary as well as our guide of how to get to Rottnest Island.
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