Squeaky sand at Lucky Bay, Esperance, Western Australia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (323720)
Rockingham, Australia
July 27, 2018 5:59pm CST
While in Esperance in south-east Western Australia we revisited some of our favouite places. We lived in Esperance for seven years and the coastline in the area is stunning. Lucky Bay has often been credited with being Australia’s most beautiful beach. There is an iconic photo of a kangaroo lying on pristine white sands with a turquoise sea beyond.
Lucky Bay was given its name by Captain Matthew Flinders (1774-1814), who visited this area in 1802 during his circumnavigation of Terra Australia on HMS Investigator. Although he normally rode out the nights at sea on this particular night, surrounded by reefs, rocks and islands, he decided to seek shelter closer to shore. He considered himself very luck to find this sandy bay.
They stayed four days at anchor and in that time the natural historian on board, Robert Brown, and his assistant, Peter Good, collected over 130 plant specimens, the vast majority of which were new to scientists.
The beach sand at Lucky Bay is a very fine quartz. Under a microscope, the grains have a rough surface which is why the sand look so white. Quartz is very hard and when the particles rub together, as when you walk on them, they create a squeaking sound.
When we lived at Esperance from 1973 to 1980, there were no facilities at Lucky Bay. Now there is a nicely appointed caravan park but no electricity. The picnic tables and gas barbecues which have been installed are very popular during the summer months.
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16 responses
@moffittjc (118221)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 18
I would love to visit a beach like that. From the photo, it looks very pristine and unspoiled. In the summer, does the beach get crowded with people, or is still very peaceful?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118221)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Jul 18
@JudyEv I'm sure Australia's beaches are far less crowded than America's beaches! So, even during your busy summer season, I would probably enjoy your beaches far more than I would ours!
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jul 18
@moffittjc The ones near the capital cities wouldn't be much different to many of America's I guess but the more distant beaches would be less populated even during peak seasons.
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@JamesHxstatic (29232)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jul 18
I have heard that squeaky sand in California too. That is a beautiful spot. Is the water in the bay safe to swim in or is it an area where sharks hang out?
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@snowy22315 (168439)
• United States
27 Jul 18
I have walked on squeaky snow..but never on squeaky sand.
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@caopaopao (12398)
• China
28 Jul 18
This place is so beautiful. The people who live nearby are the luckiest.
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 18
It looks really beautiful. We have such a beautiful world.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
We do indeed and we saw many lovely sights - and sites - on our travels.
@Deepizzaguy (93661)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
27 Jul 18
Nice looking beach in your neck of the woods. The beach that my relatives and myself went to in Panama which translated from Spanish to English is called River Sea which is not closed since the owners have added housing near the Pacific Ocean.
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@Deepizzaguy (93661)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
31 Jul 18
@JudyEv It was a good place to spend a weekend for a few hours.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
We're not beach people either but the beach is very 'white' and the sea very 'blue' so you have to admire it.
@RasmaSandra (72527)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Jul 18
Lovely view. Interesting about the beach. Never been on squeaky sand.
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@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Jul 18
It does look like a lovely and appealing place.
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