Lucky Bay Archives - Travel nut

Local history

It was named Thistle Cove by Captain Matthew Flinders who, while surveying this area in 1802, found much needed fresh water. He decided to name the place after the ship’s master John Thistle. These freshwater sources were also important to traditional Aboriginal people who camped here during seasonal journeys to and from the coast. Thistle Cove, as well as Frenchman Peak, is part of Aboriginal Dreaming Story. According to Nyungar Aboriginal People, when the wind blows amongst the rocks you may hear ancestors crying for their two children who were carried out to sea by mother walich, the eagle. She was angry that the children had stolen her eggs, disobeying their parents and elders. Every time the children tried to swim back to the shore, their mother walich picked them up and carried back to the sea. This story teaches children a very good lesson.

A good lesson to learn

Whistling Rock

Another attraction there is Whistling Rock. It is an interestingly nature sculptured granite boulder that captures the sound of the wind and it actually whistles!

The walk from Thistle Cove to Lucky Bay is an easy (Class 3) 1 hour walk (one way). It offers stunning views of the bay. At some high points you can see Thistle Cove, Lucky Bay and other bays at the same time. It is a beautiful place to visit.

Anyone who visits Lucky Bay gets lucky 😊. How can you not be lucky when you find yourself in a paradise like this! Lucky Bay is a beautiful white sandy beach in Cape Le Grand National Park, 630km south east of Perth. This place is renowned for its turquoise coloured waters. Friendly kangaroos often visit the beach. You can see them lazing around and interacting with visitors.

We saw this kangaroo near the picnic table

Lucky Bay

Lucky Bay beach is quite long (about 5km long) and wide. If you have a 4WD vehicle, you can drive on the beach. Just be mindful of people, especially kids, walking and playing on the beach.

There are two places two camp in Cape Le Grand National Park – Lucky Bay and Cape Le Grand campgrounds – both providing excellent camping facilities. There are flushing toilets, solar powered hot showers (really hot), sheltered kitchen (with bbq and gas stove), picnic tables and only a few minutes of walk to the beach. The good thing is that the sites can be booked (up to 180 days in advance) which guarantees you a spot. Keep in mind that you need to be fast enough to act if you are booking for popular seasons like Christmas-New Year break.

The view of the Lucky Bay from the car park

We prefer to camp in Cape Le Grand campground but we always visit Lucky Bay for a day to enrich our camping experience during our stay at the park. Lucky Bay also boasts the only one in the National Park beach café, which serves hot drinks and light meals on the beach.

After a swim in the turquoise waters, run on the white sand, lunch right on the beach and then a drive on the beach to enjoy the experience, we decided to visit a different beach in the park, hoping it would be less windy than Lucky Bay on that particular day.

Hellfire Bay

Our choice was excellent. Hellfire Bay was a lot quieter, both in number of people and the wind. Offering equally breathtaking views, this beach also had some rocky foreshore. This is where our older son Ariel found some crabs and we watched them having a feast while hiding under the rocks.

Hellfire Bay has excellent picnic facilities with large tables in undercover sheltered area and clean bush toilets. After a quick afternoon tea there we decided to go for a walk to Little Hellfire, which was a pure delight.

Initially the path goes up the hill offering stunning views of the bay. Then it goes downhill and the vegetation gets richer and denser.

Eventually we reached large rocks among which this sheltered and calm beach is nestled.

Kids played for a while on the beach, while I occupied myself trying to take a picture of a red ant. It turned out to be a difficult task! The ant was running faster than my camera could keep a focus on it. This is the best shot (edited) I could get of it.