The Idyllic Campsite

Whilst travelling around Australia, you get the opportunity to visit a lot of different campsites. Our idea of the most idyllic campsite is one that is a true bush camp, is 'off the grid', is in harmony with nature, offers peace and quiet, has a nice view of some natural feature such as a beach, forest or mountain, is off the beaten track and is not crowded. The 'off the grid' criteria enables our Offline Domino Camper Trailer to really shine and is one of the key factors in our purchasing decision. In the section of coast between Esperance and Albany, we found all of this whilst camping at Starvation Bay and Mason Bay and visiting the Fitzgerald River National Park near the lovely little village of Hopetoun.

Starvation Bay

Our camping experience in Starvation Bay came about as a result of a bushfire and subsequent accident involving a Boeing 737 Coulson Air Tanker that crashed into the Fitzgerald River National Park the day before our campsite booking in the park! So, our camping plans had to be quickly adjusted.

[Thankfully, no-one was seriously injured in this accident.]

It's not every day that one of these crashes next to your proposed campsite!

As luck would have it, there was a nice camping spot available for us at Starvation Bay, about 70km east of the National Park. It turned out to be a little gem of a campsite, located on a pristine coastline, which ticked all of our boxes. Three glorious days of R&R followed, where we swam in the crystal clear water, climbed the rocky headlands and checked out the local flora and fauna. The notable birds were the Reef Heron, a Caspian Tern and a Curlew. It was lovely to listen to the sound of the ocean at night as we drifted off to sleep each night. Not a bad 'accidental' campsite.

Mason Bay

After leaving Starvation Bay, we moved west to our planned destination of Mason Bay. As we headed out, we wondered if it was possible to top the last campsite, and the answer was YES! Our site at Mason Bay was exceptional, with views of the beach, direct beach access, an abundance of great natural beauty, lots of birdlife, seclusion and shady trees to sit under as we lazed away another few days camping off the grid. Amongst the many bird species that we saw, the special birds included a magnificent Osprey and a Fire-Tail Finch. This really was an idyllic campsite.

Fitzgerald River National Park

Although we didn't get to stay in the National Park as originally planned, it did re-open to visitors on the last day of our stay at Mason Bay, so we were at least able to visit before moving further west. Words cannot describe the breathtaking beauty of this place. The Park boasts a rich diversity of native and rare plant species. It is home to 75 species of endemic plants, found nowhere else. For this reason, the Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve is recognised by UNESCO as one of the most important areas for plant biodiversity in the world (ranked up there with the Galapagos Islands). It has the only remaining example of wet and dry sclerophyll forests remaining on the planet. It was truly inspiring to be able to walk and drive around this magnificent region and take in a part of its dramatic beauty. We visited West Beach, Barren's Beach, Four Mile Beach, Barren's Lookout, Cave Point, Hammersley Beach, Hammersley Inlet and Fitzgerald Inlet. Now that would be an idyllic campsite! A must see again on a future trip.

Next stop - Peaceful Bay, in between Denmark and Walpole.