AGO Holiday Planner 2026

TOP TO BO OM Lucky Bay Brewing, Condingup Vineyard.

And far from being alone in the pursuit of good drinks Esperance also has Lucky Bay Brewing, who source raw barley from local farmers, almost unheard of in the industry. And starting with a tiny 30L pot still Esperance Distillery craft small-batch whisky, vodka, and gin using the regions unique botanicals. First introduced to Tiff Brown’s partner simply as Tom (locally known as “Big Bear”), it was years later that I realised that Tom Smitheringale is known for many things beyond his traffic control abilities. Namely, attempting a solo unsupported expedition to the North Pole, a successful solo kayak the length of the Egyptian Nile, and other adventures. As a speaker at Esperance’s annual Grounded festival, audience members were enthralled by his polar expedition but also his life now in this remote corner of Western Australia. Esperance is home to actors, photographers, artists, and a myriad of people with a story. They’re perhaps drawn by a sense of both isolation and a strong community. Smitheringale founded Southpeak, promoting

It was a micro bakery separate from the house with a custom built woodfired oven, where Brown would produce excellent sourdough but also trays of the most magnificent cinnamon scrolls. Opening at weekends, Brown’s partner Tom would be tasked with directing the flow of traffic. While they still operate out of their home site, Little Local a small kiosk selling sandwiches and baked goods has opened on Dempsey Street in the town centre. Brown isn’t the only one pushing the boundaries in food and drink. Esperance is a place that’s fully exploiting grape and grain. At Condingup Vineyard, 70 kilometres east of Esperance, Jim Creighton planted Western Australia’s eastern most vineyard in the 1990s. A sheep farmer and self taught viticulturist and winemaker he established a local following that inspired daughter Aneeta to study oenology. Following a family illness the vineyard lay unproductive for a number of years before Aneeta took on the challenge, the second-generation winemaker reviving the label and steering it to her own tastes.

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