Esperance

Esperance sits on Western Australia's southern coast, where white sand beaches and turquoise water stretch in both directions. Ships anchor offshore and tenders bring you to the pier, where a free shuttle runs into town. Cape Le Grand National Park is the big draw. Lucky Bay, inside the park, regularly appears on lists of Australia's best beaches, and kangaroos often sit on the sand there. Frenchman Peak, also in the park, has a steep but short climb rewarded with wide views over the coastline. The Recherche Archipelago, a chain of 105 islands offshore, has boat tours for spotting seals and sea lions. The Esperance Museum is worth a look, partly because it houses debris from NASA's Skylab, which crashed here in 1979. Fresh crayfish is the local specialty. The town is small enough to walk, though renting a car opens up the Great Ocean Drive, a scenic loop along the coast. Bring sunscreen.