The best things to do in Hopetoun, Western Australia

The best things to do in Hopetoun, Western Australia, are in Fitzgerald River National Park. Try the blowhole at East Mylies, camping at the Four Mile Campground, walking to the summit of East Mount Barren and snorkelling at Barrens Beach.

6 best things to do in Hopetoun, WA

The best things to do in Hopetoun are:

Pick from several kilometres of pristine beaches.
Watch birds at the Culham Inlet.
Camp at the Four Mile Campground in Fitzgerald River National Park.
Snorkel at Barrens Beach.
Walk to the summit of East Mount Barren.
See the cave and blowhole at East Mylies.

Where is Hopetoun, Western Australia?

Hopetoun is possibly the most underrated town in Western Australia. A tiny, isolated community, it lies on the south coast of the state, making a logical stop on the drive from Albany to Esperance. Or, indeed, Esperance to Perth.

Things to do in Hopetoun, WA: Beaches and Culham Inlet

The town is based around Mary Ann Haven, and the jetty hints at the town’s past – it was primarily a shipping port for the mining industry. These days, people come for the beaches.

Hopetoun’s beaches stretch for miles in either direction, but the most appealing ones are to the west in Fitzgerald River National Park.

The national park is famous for its wildflowers – 20% of Western Australia’s plant species are found here.

Before you get to Fitzgerald River National Park, you’ll encounter the Culham Inlet. This is a river estuary almost permanently blocked a dune system. The result is a somewhat salty lagoon that makes for good photography and birdwatching.

Four Mile Campground and Barrens Beach in Fitzgerald River National Park

Culham Beach and Four Mile Beach are at the ocean end of Culham Inlet. You can camp just behind Four Mile Beach at the Four Mile Campground.

Four Mile Beach also runs onto Barrens Beach, one of the most popular spots in the national park. There are interpretive displays at Barrens Beach, explaining the ecology of the area, but you can have fun snorkelling and exploring the rockpools without them. There’s also a decent chance of seeing sheltering southern right whales – they come into the national park’s bays to calve.

Things to do in Hopetoun: East Mount Barren summit walk

East Mount Barren rises just behind it, and you can either take in the views from the Barrens Lookout or walk to the summit.

The East Mount Barren summit walk is 3km long and fairly difficult. From the top, though, you can see several peaks in the Eyre Range, plus the Culham Inlet and Hamersley Inlet.

Hamersley Inlet and Mylies Beach

The Hamersley drive continues to the Hamersley Inlet, where there’s another popular campground. But it’s worth stopping at Mylies Beach along the way – not least for the cave and blowhole at East Mylies.

If you’re not camping in the national park, there are two main Hopetoun accommodation options. The Wavecrest Village and Tourist Park is a better bet than the Hopetoun Motel and Chalet Village.

White sand beach in the Fitzgerald River National Park near Hopetoun, Western Australia. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

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