Is Esperance worth visiting in winter?
YesEmpty white beaches, kangaroos at dawn and whales offshore.
Yes. The beaches are at their emptiest, and the things you go for do not change with the season. The kangaroos come down onto the sand at Lucky Bay early morning and late afternoon, year round, whales pass offshore between roughly June and October, and from September the wildflowers start. Esperance averages 17 to 18°C by day from June to August, about the same as Perth, with 80 to 97mm of rain a month against Perth's 119 to 154mm. Nights are 8 to 9°C, so bring something warm for camp. Our trips camp two nights at Lucky Bay, from $1,299 for six days from Perth.
Checked on 28 October 2026.
Esperance is planned as a summer beach trip, and summer is lovely. But the sand at Lucky Bay is the same colour in July as it is in January, the kangaroos are on it at the same hours, and in winter you share it with far fewer people. Add the whales offshore and it is a different trip, not a lesser one.
Esperance in winter, against Perth
| Month | Esperance day | Esperance night | Esperance rain | Perth day | Perth rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 21°C | 11°C | 70mm | 22°C | 96mm |
| June | 18°C | 9°C | 80mm | 19°C | 154mm |
| July | 17°C | 8°C | 97mm | 18°C | 154mm |
| August | 18°C | 9°C | 87mm | 19°C | 119mm |
| September | 20°C | 10°C | 60mm | 20°C | 72mm |
| January, for comparison | 26°C | 16°C | 24mm | 32°C | 10mm |
Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Esperance (station 009789), from 57 years of records, and Perth Airport (station 009021), from 82 years.
What winter in Esperance gives you
- The kangaroos on Lucky Bay are not seasonal.They come down onto the sand in the early morning and late afternoon all year, and the hour matters far more than the month.
- Whales offshore.They pass between roughly June and October.
- The beaches to yourself.Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove and Le Grand Beach in Cape Le Grand National Park, about 50km east of town, are at their emptiest.
- Wildflowers from Septemberwith October the peak.
- Walking weather.17 to 18°C suits the climb up Frenchman Peak, around 45 minutes to a cave near the summit with a view over the whole park.
The trips that camp at Lucky Bay
| Trip | Length | Starts and finishes | Where you sleep | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Day Margaret River & Esperance Tour | 6 days, 5 nights | Perth / Perth | 5 nights swag camping with amenities — Four Mile Campground in Fitzgerald River, two nights at Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand, Tozer's Bush Camp near Bremer Bay, then Hamelin Bay Holiday Park on the beach. | $1299 |
| 10 Day Perth to Adelaide Tour | 10 days, 9 nights | Perth / Adelaide | 9 nights in single swags — Fitzgerald River, two nights at Lucky Bay, a night bush camping on the Nullarbor, Fowlers Bay, Coodlie Park Farm Retreat, Camp Nyroca, then two nights at Mikkira Station. All have showers and toilets except the Nullarbor. Bring your own sleeping bag and pillow. | $3000 |
| 10 Day Adelaide to Perth Tour | 10 days, 9 nights | Adelaide / Perth | 9 nights swag camping — Mambray Creek, a swag hut at Coodlie Park Farm Retreat, Penong, a night bush camping on the Nullarbor, two nights at Lucky Bay, then the Stirling Ranges, Quinninup and Margaret River. All but the Nullarbor night have showers and toilets. | $3000 |
All three camp two nights at Lucky Bay, inside Cape Le Grand National Park. Prices update on their own.
- Two nights at Lucky Bayis the detail that matters in any season. You are on the sand at dawn, when the kangaroos are, rather than arriving mid-morning when they are in the shade behind the dunes.
- The 6 day loop from Perthtakes in Margaret River on the way, with five breakfasts and five dinners included.
- The 10 day crossingscarry on across the Nullarbor between Perth and Adelaide, with all but the Nullarbor night at camps with showers and toilets.
- Pack for 8 to 9°C nights.All three sleep in swags, and on the Perth to Adelaide trip you bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.
So, is it worth it?
Yes. Esperance is roughly 720km south-east of Perth, so almost everyone comes as part of a longer trip, and a winter trip gets you the same white sand, the kangaroos at dawn and the whales besides, with less rain than Perth. If you can choose freely, December to March is the warm-water season, and the whole year is on our best time to visit Esperance page. What fills the two days is on what to do in Esperance.
6 Day Margaret River & Esperance Tourfrom $12996 days, 5 nightsCamping under the stars6 days. Perth, Margaret River and EsperanceView trip
10 Day Perth to Adelaide Tourfrom $300010 days, 9 nightsBush Camping10 days. Perth to Adelaide across the NullarborView trip
10 Day Adelaide to Perth Tourfrom $300010 days, 9 nightsCamping and Farmstays10 days. Adelaide to Perth across the NullarborView tripPeople also ask
- When is the best time to visit Esperance and Lucky Bay?
- What is there to do in Esperance?
- Best time to visit Margaret River
Where this comes from. Temperatures and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology long-term monthly averages for Esperance, station 009789, from 57 years of records, and Perth Airport, station 009021, from 82 years. Cape Le Grand's beaches and the Frenchman Peak walk are WA Parks and Wildlife's published notes. Where each trip camps, what it includes, its length and prices are that trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own.