Belvidere campground: Camping on the Leschenault Peninsula

Belvidere campground from above

Less than 2 hours drive from Perth, Belvidere campground within Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park is an ideal option for a quick getaway from Perth. The campground is set among beautiful Tuart trees with lots of wildlife around.

Facilities

The campground is a medium size, equipped with two toilet blocks on different ends. The place is easily accessed with a 2WD, although the last 4 or 5 km is a dirt corrugated road. Campground is suitable for all types of vehicles and set ups. Having said that, please note that reversing in a caravan or trailer might be an issue due to poles separating the parking and tent area. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings.

A vehicle with tents camping at Belvidere campground

A pro-tip for future visitors: the mosquitoes are quite persistent, so definitely come prepared with repellent and maybe some coils to keep them at, especially in the evenings!

Remember, you need to book your stay online through the Parks and Wildlife website.

Activities at Belvidere Campground

Fishing, especially crabbing is a popular activity there.

There are also a few easy walking trails, varying in length. You can walk from the campground to the estuary and picnic area, along the estuary and all the way to the beach.

If your idea of leisure is a swim or a slow beachcombing wander, Belvidere Beach lies only 2.5 km away. It’s a quick five‑minute drive or a pleasant 25–30 minute walk through tuart and peppermint woodland.

Wildlife

Expect to see kangaroos hoping around the tents. They are even in much bigger numbers near the estuary, which is a fantastic spot to see these incredible marsupials grazing. You can see and, even more so, hear many parrots in the Tuart trees.

Leschenault Estuary is a haven for waterbirds, with more than 60 species recorded.

Bush birds are also abundant here, filling the mornings with cheerful birdsong.

Splendid fairywren female with an insect (above left),  splendid fairywren non-breeding male (above middle),  splendid fairywren female.

Singing Honeyeaters (top left),  Silvereye (top right)

Tuart trees

If you love flora, you will appreciate the beauty of magnificent tuart trees. This Eucalyptus gomphocephala can reach 40m high with a 25m branch span. A true giant with stunning, cone-budded flowers. Simply mesmerizing!

Photography

Apart from wildlife photography, Leschenault Estuary offers many opportunities to capture beautiful shots. The drone’s eye view showcases the stunning contrast of deep blues and earthy marsh tones, forming intricate patterns unseen from the ground. It’s a reminder of the hidden artistry all around us.

Where is Belvidere Campground

Belvidere Campground sits on the Leschenault Peninsula, about 20 km north of Bunbury. It’s part of the Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park.

Leschenault estuary

Munglinup Beach

Munglinup Beach 4WD access aerial view

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

Aerial view of 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).

Munglinup beach campsite

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.

Vehicle got bogged at Oldfield Estuary near Munglinup Beach, west of Esperance.

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.