Munglinup Beach is a beautiful beach, 130km west of Esperance in Western Australia. With its white squeky sand and crystal clear waters, it is tempting to want to camp right on the beach, but to protect this pristine environment, camping is allowed only in designated areas. We stayed at Munglinup Beach campground and found it quite good.
Munglinup Beach campground
Munglinup Beach campsite is a bush campsite, managed by the Shire of Esperance. The campground has 14 sites of various sizes. There is a direct access to the beach, which is quite beautiful and calm. The outer reef, a few meters from the beach, creates a natural lagoon, making it a safe place for swimming, kayaking and fishing.
Facilities at the campground include 3 clean drop toilets, bins and non-drinking water. The cost is $15 per site per night. The sites operate on a first come, first served basis (the staff from the nearby Munglinup Caravan park come around 5pm to collect fees). Munglinup Beach campsite is quite popular and arriving early during peak season is best to avoid disappointment. We were lucky to get the last empty ( #1) site on Boxing Day (probably because it was too small and only enough to fit a vehicle and one tent).
So, what’s the best thing (apart from it being affordable) about the campground? Undoubtedly, it was the white sandy slope on the left just opposite the entrance to the campground. Kids enjoyed going up and down, sliding, running or crawling on it. Adults climbed there to take pictures, greet the rising sun, gain internet transmission of simply to get fit 😊.
Dogs and cats are allowed on lead, within the camping area. Access to the campsite is via Munglinup Beach road, which is a gravel road, suitable for a 2WD.
Lake Shaster Nature reserve
There are plenty of things to do and see, apart from swimming or fishing at Munglinup Beach. Lake Shaster nature reserve occupies a large area either side of Munglinup Beach. The access to the reserve is 1km from the campground (we visited the eastern part). It is 4WD only. The tracks are soft sand and easy to navigate with some rocky sections closer to the beach.
Lake Shaster reserve is a great place to see wildflowers, including orchids, in season, spot rare birds and enjoy beautiful and secluded beaches.
Brown Honeyeater (above left), Splended Fairy-wren (above middle), Carnaby’s black cockatoo (above right).
We visited one of those beaches and had a ‘bumpy’ encounter with a friendly kangaroo on the way there (luckily, we didn’t drive fast!). Watch the reel here!
The beach delighted us with interesting finds, including shells, rocks and crabs.
It is a really beautiful beach that you can spend the whole day exploring.
Oldflied Estuary
Oldflied Estuary is another great place to visit and explore while you are at Munglinup beach. In fact, Lake Shaster nature reserve surrounds the estuary on both sides. The access to the estuary is just minutes from Munlinup Beach. It is another 4WD track with soft sand and overgrown shrubs. The track gets even softer closer to the beach. While it is possible to drive on the sandbar separating the beach and the inlet, it is wise to check the terrain first. We did get bogged and so did another vehicle that tried to go to the beach. Reducing tyres down to 14psi and using max tracks did the trick.
We had a nice time at the estuary – picnic behind the dunes, followed by exploration of the beach on foot. There are no facilities in that place, subsequently, it is important not to leave any trace to keep the place pristine.
It is worth mentioning that the Oldfield Estuary is a heaven for water birds and it is a pleasure to watch them.
Without a doubt, Oldflied Estuary is an awesome place to visit and spend some time, despite that you can’t bring your dog or camp there.
