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Esperance to Isralite Bay
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Esperance
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730 km
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The tracks east of Esperance offer a
range of terrains. Beach driving can be hazardous and
coastal tracks are generally soft sand with some rocky outcrops
in places. Kennedy's Beach and Balladonia rd may become
impassable in winter. Access to Thomas River and Poison
Creek beaches may closed if the creeks are in flood.
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StreetSmart
® Travellers Atlas 9th Edition
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Map 46
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Grid Ref D / 5
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The track into Alexander's Beach
has been improved by the Esperance Shire council allowing camper
trailers/boats easy access.
The track that takes you to Kennedy' Beach
at the intersection of Merrivale rd and Exchange rd has had
gravel dumped at the first two mud sections (ES41 & ES42) and
is a lot easier now. The track is still pretty chopped up as
you get closer to the coast. There are small water holes
that you may have to negoiate around also. Some of the
gravel sections towards the coast require you pick your way over
washed out stretches.
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Kennedy's Beach (west)
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General track conditions
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Looking east across Kennedy's Beach
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Thomas River has two main camping
areas. The first one is the National Park site that lies at
the end of a side road on the right after the Little Tagon Bay
turnoff. The area itself is situated on the side of a hill,
providing shelter and views of Yokinup Bay and Cape Arid.
The second is the Shire campsite which is setback from the
beach near the banks of the Thomas River. Both sites are
excellent spots.
Tagon Beach can accessed by turning into the track at
ES67. The track will take you to Tagon Creek where you will
have to enter and follow the creek bed (ES68) to the mouth which
spills onto Tagon Beach. There is only walking access to
Dolphin Cove and Little Tagon Bay.
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Tagon Creek mouth
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Entering the creek bed
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Tagon Point
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Yokinup Beach can be accessed by
crosing the Thomas River mouth. During winter the mouth
maybe closed. The beach is best driven along at low tide
only. There is a coastal dune face that runs for about 10kms
and does not allow any way off the beach at all.
The first feature along here is Point
Jedacorrudup. Following the beach further brings you to a
series of small headlands. The track leaves the beach and
then travels over rocky terrain back onto another
beach. Some of the headland tracks require a degree of
ground clearance. Eventually the track ends at Arrid
Bay.
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Point Jedacorrudup
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Small rocky outcrop
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Thomas River
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The tracks into Thomas Fisheries and
Hill Springs are easy to negoiate. The track runs along the
base of Mt Arid and is generally hilly. There is camping at
Thomas Fisheries, Jondee Creek and Seal Creek. The
beaches east of Poison Creek can only be accessed by crossing the
creek mouth and this may be closed in winter. The right hand
side of the creek offers the best access, the middle can get
quite deep. Upon crossing the creek, follow the wheel tracks
along the beach until they swing left and up onto the ridge
(ES82) that runs parrallel with the beach.
Following the track east will bring you to the
rock climb at ES84 and there looks to be a detour around the
climb on the left just before ES84 for vehicles with low ground
clearance. The track will then follow the coastline for
awhile until you come to a small beach at ES85. There is a
track that runs up the hill just before you get on the beach, and
is probably not a good idea to take if your vehicle lacks good
ground clearance. From ES85 you will have to drive over or
around a small rocky area to get onto the beaches east of this
point.
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Poison Creek
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Rock climb
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Rocks at ES85
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Poison Creek beach
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Beach break
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Beach run
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Israelite Bay can be reached via
Fisheries rd or The Telegraph Track that starts about 5km into
Poison Creek rd. The Telegraph Track may be closed during
winter. Fisheries rd can be muddy along sections of it
during winter. The Telegraph Track is the better of the two
options. The track to Bellanger Beach has very soft white
sand with sections of capstone.
Point Malcom has a camping area setback from the
Point itself behind a hill providing shelter from the prevailing
wind. From the camping area you will see the track to Point
Malcom go over this hill, if you look to your left there is
another track. This sidetrack will take you onto the beach,
where travelling a short way another track will take you off the
beach and back onto the track to Point Malcom. Beawre that
the small section of beach you have to travel, can become blocked
with seaweed and turn into a bog.
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Telegraph Track
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Enroute to Bellanger Beach
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Pt Malcom
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Travelling from Pt Malcom to Isralite
Bay takes you past the ruins at ES124 and then onto the mud
flats, bringing you to the Telegraph Station at Isralite Bay.
There are a collection of tracks in front of the
Proffesional Fishing camp that takes you to the coast.
(ES84)The entry to the track through the cutting and onto
the beach in front of the old jetty can be hazadous.
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Telegraph Track
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Across the flats
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Old Jetty
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Israelite Bay telegraph station
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Israelite Bay telegraph station
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Israelite Bay telegraph station
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Gora rd is a sandy track at the
Israelite Bay end, changing to rocky terrain about half way to Mt
Ragged. Gora rd intersects with Ballodonia rd and the Mt
Ragged turnoff is about 100m due north of here. Balladonia
rd starts at Fisheries rd, as a series of waterholes in the
track. There are detours towards the end of this terrain
starting at ES169 and ending at ES175. From here the
Balladonia rd changes to limestone running into gravel towards
the Gora rd junction. Balladonia rd can be risky in the
wet. Balladonia rd north of the of the Mt Ragged junction
(ES183) is a rough track to Balladonia.
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Mt Ragged in the forground
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Typical track at water sections
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Balladonia rd
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