Squeaky sand at Lucky Bay, Esperance, Western Australia

@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.
15 people like this
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?
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@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
I'm sure it would be much busier in summer but we haven't been there in summer for years and years.
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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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@YrNemo (20272)
29 Jul 18
Looks very peaceful, that view. I am interested about the plants they collected from there. Must be interesting.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
There were probably a lot of hakeas, banksias and eucalypts.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jul 18
@YrNemo We have some really lovely native flowers.
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@YrNemo (20272)
29 Jul 18
@JudyEv (thought there were some exotic stuff around instead of just trees. I will have to go search wiki for hakeas and banksias . Wow, hakeas are pretty!)
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@LadyDuck (455021)
• Switzerland
28 Jul 18
We experienced the same "squeaky sand" in Panama City in Florida. It is quartz sand.
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@LadyDuck (455021)
• Switzerland
29 Jul 18
@JudyEv Yes it does, it's funny when you walk on the beach early in the morning and there are no other noises.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
It really does squeak doesn't it?
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• 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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• Eugene, Oregon
1 Aug 18
@JudyEv Nice beach!
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jul 18
There are no sharks there - not that I've ever heard of. There are signs warning of undercurrents but I think it would be okay if you didn't venture too far out.
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@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jul 18
That sounds like a lovely beach. Does it hurt the feet to walk barefoot on it?
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@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
31 Jul 18
@JudyEv Interesting you don't sink into it. I'm glad it's soft.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jul 18
No, the sand is still soft although you don't sink into it.
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@Hannihar (129111)
• Israel
29 Jul 18
@JudyEv Looks like the place has grown.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jul 18
The caravan park has certainly grown a lot. There was virtually nothing there the first few times we visited.
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@Hannihar (129111)
• Israel
31 Jul 18
@JudyEv That is good.
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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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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
Do you know why the snow squeaks?
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@rebelann (110778)
• El Paso, Texas
28 Jul 18
Wow, how beautiful. I could see myself living there and have to wonder why you'd leave?
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@rebelann (110778)
• El Paso, Texas
29 Jul 18
You're right @JudyEv it looks so tranquil and beautiful
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
I think if you lived there you'd never want to leave.
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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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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
No-one lives very close to this area. It is now a National Park.
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@1creekgirl (40184)
• United States
28 Jul 18
That sounds like paradise!
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
It is just the perfect beach. The sand is incredibly white and the ocean a beautiful blue.
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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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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
That must have been an interesting place to visit.
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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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@Ronrybs (17795)
• London, England
28 Jul 18
Another fine view, even to one who is not keen on beaches!
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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.
@Icydoll (36725)
• India
28 Jul 18
Wow very beautiful Judy
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
It is a really lovely area.
@RasmaSandra (72527)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Jul 18
Lovely view. Interesting about the beach. Never been on squeaky sand.
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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
It is very firm and you can drive your car on the beach without any worries about getting bogged.
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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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@JudyEv (323720)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
We were there in the off-season but I can imagine it is crowded in the summer.
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