Duke of Orleans Bay Caravan Park (our favourite!)

On our 3 week trip down south, we had planned on leaving Thomas River and heading to Lucky Bay, one of the most widely regarded beaches in WA. However, a quick phone call to the ranger put a stop to that, as there were no sites available, and they were filling up every morning very quickly.

We had planned on calling in on Orleans Bay anyway, to see what it was like, so the decision was made to check out the caravan park and see what their pricing was like.

We were met with outstanding customer service, and invited to drive through the caravan park to see if we liked it. The birds were out and chirping, the grass was green, the camp kitchen looked good and the place looked inviting! After finding a few sites that we liked, we made the booking and moved in.

Since then, we’ve been back a number of times and rate the Duke of Orleans Caravan park as one of the best locations in WA. We did 10 days over Easter a few years back and absolutely loved it; there’s so much to do in the area, and regardless of the weather you’ll have fun. 

Instead of staying in an Esperance Caravan Park, consider heading here; its much quieter and the beaches are even better!

Accommodation options

The caravan park has powered and unpowered camp sites (which are on average 7 x 10 metres; a very generous size) and cabins for rent.

What facilities do they have?

Kids Playground

There is a reasonable sized playground for the kids to enjoy in safety, but with the incredible beaches around here there’s no reason why you’d need it!

Camp Kitchen

The camp kitchen is pretty basic; a BBQ, sinks with running water and a few tables. Really, you don’t need much more than that!

Mini Golf

If you are looking for a bit of fun around the caravan park, you can hire golf clubs and play a game of mini golf. We never did this, but it would be good to relax for a bit!

Wood fire burners

It can get pretty cold here, and you can hire wood burners with the wood. From memory it was about $20 per night, so pretty costly so we avoided it. Still, some nights a fire makes all the difference!

Tennis courts

You can hire the tennis courts out for a game too, but we spent our days enjoying the area, not playing tennis!

Washing/Drying facilities

Like any good caravan park, you are able to wash your clothes and dry them using gold coins. There are a number of clothes lines, which means you can save a bit in allowing them to dry outside (rather than the dryer!)

Several toilet/shower blocks

There are two main toilet/shower blocks, which are reasonably well looked after and always appreciated after a days fishing and swimming at the beaches

Direct access to some amazing beaches

You can literally walk out one side of the caravan park and onto the beach. The beaches are truly magical, and the primary reason for most people to visit

Local shop

The shop at the front of the caravan park has everything you would ever need; snacks, food, fishing gear, rope and your general odds and ends. It is very well stocked, and will usually get you out of trouble!

What are the costs?

Off peak, the sites are $40 per couple per night (unpowered) or $42 (powered). Chalets can also be rented, but I’m not sure about the pricing. Please double check pricing though, as it does, and will change.

Motorbikes

I was amazed to see the regulations regarding motorbikes and ‘unlicensed’ vehicles within the area. Quad bikes, 2 wheelers and Canam buggies were commonly ridden through the caravan park and onto the beaches in the area. Providing you have an offroad number plate they seem to be tolerated, which is great to see.

Locals at Orleans Bay Caravan Park

There are a lot of people that live at Orleans Bay Caravan Park. Most have their own little houses, and some live in vans that are permanently there. They all seemed friendly enough, and love the place!

Our review

We’ve always enjoyed our stays at the Duke of Orleans Caravan Park.  We were made very welcome from the moment we walked through the door the first time, and shown different places to do the activities we wanted to.

The caravan park is clean, has plenty of places to camp, a number of toilet and shower blocks and had everything we wanted to see.

Interestingly, I have read a number of reviews that state this caravan park has gone down hill, and is expensive for what you get. Whilst it was nothing fancy, I don’t have a bad word to say about this place, and would comfortably recommend it to anyone. So much so, that its one of our favourite Beach Camping WA options, especially with a group of people.

The toilets and showers are older, but well maintained and clean. The camp kitchen had everything we needed, and you have direct access to a beach. I can see some people would complain about the motorbikes, but for most people it is a great place to rest your head. You can read more about Orleans Bay here; its an awesome place.

If you want to see more, here’s our YouTube series that we filmed: 

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