the worst problem with Esperance is there is a National Park nearby that has beautiful white sand that squeaks as you walk on it and tropical blue water - real heaven.

Then the reality hits. There is Lucky Bay - where tents and vans etc are so packed in that if one person coughs at night, everyone gets woken up - its a terrible place to want to stay.

Then theres the other which everyone wants to get into - Le Grand. This one only has about 13 sites and one is occupied by the camp host.

You cant pre-book (and sorry, but Im a great fan of pre-booking having used this for the National Park at Exmouth and after a 2 hour drive through the park, I knew that a site was booked already for it). People stay in the CPs in Esperance and drive the 1.5 hours (if towing a van) out to Le Grand only to find that either no-one has left so the sites are still full or that people turned up at 6 bloody am to try and be at the front of the queue.

We recently spent a week there in a CP and I drove out each morning for 6 days to be there at 6am and didn't score a site.

All in all, we had a poor holiday experience at Esperance because of the rip-off and run down CPs and the stupid system being run at the National Parks. Parks ( a typical govt dept) are working on making most of their parks on-line pre-booking but of course 100 public servants need to carry around one piece of paper each day for a year until the system is progressed.

I reckon each State should employ tourist trained staff to run their Parks. That doesn't mean the prices have to go up, but it will mean that they get things happening, for the better, are responsive to what people want and get it fixed pronto.

When I stayed in the Exmouth Park, the Govt Dept sent me 3 long on-line questionaires - each one was the same as the previous one. I spent the 15b mins or so to fill out the 1st one, then after I had got the 3rd, phoned their head office up and launched into them about how incompetent they were. They didn't give a stuff - didn't even get an explanation or apology for all the repeat questionaires - wonder what happened to all the info they gathered and the cover letter inviting participation was signed off by a lady who had a science doctorate. Get rid of her and other tree huggers like her and get a mix of environmentalists and commercially aware and switched on people to get the right balance. Preserve our flora and fauna and also improve access and the way they run it to the public

Feel better now - will toddle off and put my soap box away under the table till next time lol

The Phantom wrote:

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Stay away. I'm sure the people of Esperance won't give a rat's A if you don't turn up.

I'll make up my own mind where I go without being influenced by others.

 

The Phantom

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 I agree. There is so much to see in Australia.I am not going to miss it because there isn't a free camp or some says to boycott the town

We visited esperance a few years ago and it wasnt an experience i would repeat, love the scenery , hate the unfriendly van park near the harbour. rude on the way in and out . there were no other places available, on above advice we will bypass the town.

vic

Phantom, if you are never influenced by others, and your invariably negative comments don't influence us...why do you hang around?....just to drop a turd each time on someone's post who has posted in good faith and with positive good will to other members....if you can't improve on silence, why bother making a non contributory comment each time....

Goldfinger wrote:

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Phantom, if you are never influenced by others, and your invariably negative comments don't influence us...why do you hang around?....just to drop a turd each time on someone's post who has posted in good faith and with positive good will to other members....if you can't improve on silence, why bother making a non contributory comment each time....

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That's the really good thing about forums, views can differ. The forum would die if we all agreed with each other. It would become an exercise in obsequious.

Perhaps you need another dose of James Bond.

 

The Phantom

I certainly would not boycott this town, it is just too beautiful an area to miss and you would be the loser.  This includes both the town and suburban coastline and the National Parks.  

I was lucky enough to get into Cape Le Grande ranger camp and in town as some other Grey Nomads have done also stayed at the Bushlands CP near the Pink Lake, very basic but has power, drinking water from a water tank (filled by contractor) but only bore water for showers/laundry etc.   Because the sand is so fine (clean white sand) there some gets sucked up in the bore water and into your laundry, but there is a laundry not far away in the nearest shopping centre if this worries you.

The place is a bit run down but very friendly and lay back owners and dogs allowed on leads.   Approx 5 kms from the centre of town.   There is also a free or low cost camp north of town on the way to Kalgoorlie, I think it may be called Gibsons Soak in the camps book.

The boat tour over to Woodies Island is also well worth the money for those who can afford it, nice café on the island with open verandah as well.   A walk on the island is included but is a bit up hill and down dale, so we opted for a short one and coffee at the café (which overlooks a beautiful bay) instead.

All I can say is miss out on Esperance and you miss out on one of the gems of Oz....take any negatives in your stride.

 

-- Edited by Weevil on Monday 6th of April 2015 11:50:26 AM

-- Edited by Weevil on Monday 6th of April 2015 11:51:39 AM

The Phantom wrote:

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Stay away. I'm sure the people of Esperance won't give a rat's A if you don't turn up.

I'll make up my own mind where I go without being influenced by others.

 The Phantom

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Gday...

Rather than reading the above as a 'negative' post/comment - I read it for what it said. 

I read the post to suggest the following -

If you don't like the way a town/place operates and the attitude of the accommodation/service providers, then simply don't stay there.

If people do not visit their region/town then the majority of the locals will not notice, or perhaps even miss, your non-attendance.

I know the places I like to visit and/or camp at and I am rarely influenced by the opinion of others.

I think, despite the 'direct' way the view was presented, it is simply that ... a view.

I can certainly relate to the opinion expressed.

Cheers - John

it seems many of you have missed the point completely in my comments about Esperance. Some (identified by Goldfinger) seemed to be rude in their responses.

My comment was not about Esperance, but about its tourism and how it handles it so poorly. For those who say the locals couldn't care if tourists went there or not - you obviously haven't been there recently. Many businesses have closed down, not only in the town centre, but in the smaller suburb shops because of the lack of trade - that perhaps more tourists would have saved.

This is The Grey Nomads FORUM. Forum is where people express their opinions - right or not or you agree or disagree. Don't start to get unpleasant and nasty with others who you disagree with. Try to disagree or give an alternate opinion in a pleasant way. Thanks

thank you technogypsy. You said about Phantom what I really wanted to say (and a bit more). I thought it had been decided after the big bust up last year that we were all going to be helpful, pleasant and not nasty with slag off remarks. Seems I was wrong............ Guess I should do what you do and be thick skinned and ignore "people" like this

It's a shame that we brand a a town that dose not have free camping there is often more to it than caravan park owners , Look at what has happen in St. Lawrence north of Rockhampton lots of grey nomads camp at the free camp there , The community there who vote for the councillors took to the media to complain at the cost to the resident to supply free camping and business complain there was not a lot of money following into there tills , Another of the residents concerns was water and sewerage cost , I love to free camp and take it has a privilege when given not a right and will pay to visit a worthwhile area .

We are great advocate for bush ... free camping. But if we want or need to see a place and the C.Park is the only option. Yes!!! Then we support the C.Park.
But our rathers is bush camping.
I am more concerned about the campers who abuse the the free camp sites, and then make it difficult for the ones who
"Do the right thing"
Freedom Camping is a benefit we wish to preserve for many decades to come.
Jay&Dee

Weevil wrote:

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sandsmere wrote:

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Thanks for the pics Vic.

Looks like a good fishing spot.

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I'm not a fisherman, but there were a few fishing down there.   I just love that area, and the town, it has a very relaxed atmosphere about it.  

Ellie & Mike, when at Fitzgerald National Park, did you visit or stay at this place, Quaalup Homestead ?

http://www.whalesandwildflowers.com.au/ 

 

-- Edited by Weevil on Tuesday 7th of April 2015 09:13:00 PM

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 That's where we stayed,  with our 4x4 club.      Doing the tracks around there.   We were supposed to be on the Holland track  but it was Closed because of rain.  Surprisingly it was not packed with campers over Easter.

We have camped  a lot over the years in Fitzgerald NP.   The new NP facilities are great after the big fire they had a few years ago wiped the place out.  

 

-- Edited by elliemike on Wednesday 8th of April 2015 11:11:19 AM