Driving west across the Nullarbor, skirting the bight, your first true taste of Western Australia coast line emerges. Esperance, gateway to the Cape le Grand National Park.
The town itself has many amazing beaches such as Blue Haven and West beach, though as a photographer, I found the further west from town you go the quieter the beaches get. Places like Observation Point and Twilight Beach are perfect for drone photography.
Drone photography with such vivid colours and contrast can be difficult. Shooting in low light conditions around golden hour is one way around this, but to get the truly striking turquoise waters you want to be shooting in the middle of the day as this will help with shadows along the coastline. If you’re lucky you might just see a whale with her calf rest in these tranquil waters, which they frequent between May and December.
We travelled here during the winter, not only was the accommodation cheaper, but the beaches were practically deserted.
Twilight Beach
West Beach Lookout
We started our delve into the park at Cape le Grand beach and followed our way along the coast from there.
Hellfire Bay, despite its name, is one of the most pristine coves you will even see. I spent an hour just photographing the crystal clear waves just rolling in. Trying to compose shots with the water and dramatic landscapes surrounding the cove was actually quite difficult. There is just so much you want to get in frame. On our first day we were blessed with perfect blue skies, unfortunately, this made wide angle shots over saturated with high contrast. To combat this, I adapted my camera setting to shoot at a much lower exposure, and light graded the images in post using Adobe Lightroom.
Continue driving through the heathlands you next arrive at Thistle Cove. Another rocky cove, littered with wildflowers, filled with those endless turquoise waters. Stunning.
Then comes the main attraction, Lucky Bay. In 2017 it was scientifically tested as having the whitest sand in Australia, possibly the world. For drone photography, it simply doesn’t get any better. The transition from beach to water is seamless. Again, hours were spent chasing the waves as the light bounced off them on entry. If you’re ‘lucky’ you might even spot some kangaroos on the beach. Travelling during the winter here definitely pays off, as this is an extremely popular destination for 4WD and caravaners during the summer months.
Lucky Bay
The following day we decided to head up Frenchman Peak. Anytime you look inland from the coast, this mountain dominates the skyline. Look closely enough and you will spot the large cave that sits just below the peak. The initial part of this climb is actually quite steep up bare rock surfaces. Good shoes and dry weather are handy, though we only had the shoes as it had rained the night before. Still, with a bit of persistence, you will reach the cave without too many problems. From here you get an uninterrupted view of the whole National Park. A wide-angle lens up here, which for me is the Sony 14mm GM, was brilliant to show the depth and scale of the cave. Watch your footing on the way down and before you know it your back at the carpark.
South West WA, this is just the beginning. Next stop Hopetoun, the Fitzgerald River Nation Park and onto Albany.
