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Cervantes and Jurien Bay: The Ultimate Duo
Meet rare sea lions, discover world-class national parks or simply relax oceanside along WA's Turquoise Coast.
Published
5 min read
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Explore
5 min readExplore
Meet rare sea lions, discover world-class national parks or simply relax oceanside along WA's Turquoise Coast.
Published
5 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
By Jessie James
From scattered corrugated iron fishman’s shacks on ‘Kakka Alley’ in the early 1950’s, to a world class bustling lobster industry and Pinnacle phenomenon - Cervantes and Jurien Bay are the coastal duo that’s a breath of fresh Indian Ocean air.
Watch the full Small Town Spotlight on Jurien Bay and Cervantes on the Horizons by RAC YouTube Channel.
Starting with the closest to Perth, just two hours north and under 200kms, this small remote settlement has done big things around the world since the 1960’s. Named after an American whaling ship, Cervantes, that was wrecked off the coast in 1844, the town was hot on the heels of Jurien Bay’s success, after David Thompson Senior and his sons began commercial rock lobster fishing in 1966. Four decades later, the world-renowned Lobster Shack was opened in 2010.
To truly gauge the scale of this million-dollar industry, the Lobster Shack offers unique behind-the-scenes experiences. The Factory Tour is where you can see how a live processing plant operates. The Lobster Catching Tour is ‘a day in the life of a lobster fisherman’ experience onboard a working vessel to pull pots, learn all about the famous Western Rock Lobster, and then enjoy an intimate dining experience with a private chef cooking up your fresh catch. There’s also the opportunity to swim alongside rare, wild Australian Sea Lions (Sept-April) on their Sea Lion Tour.
Checking in at The RAC Cervantes Holiday Park you’re faced with a tough decision – beach or pool side? Located on the stunning turquoise coast with direct beach access, you really are spoilt for choice.
From 2–3-bedroom villas (including assessable), various powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites (pet friendly), a resort style heated pool, BBQ facilities, nature playground, recreation room, deluxe camp kitchen and guest laundry, and from 8am every morning, the Seashells Café serves up great coffee and delicious breakfasts.
For the early explorers, you can find Troy on the tools at the Bettyvan Pop-up coffee shop. The drive through caravan is parked along Cervantes Road from 6am.
Fully caffeinated and fed it’s only a 5-minute drive out of town - past the Giant Weathervane that starts the town’s 23-stop Street Art Trail - to Lake Thetis. This rare natural wonder is one of the few places on Earth where living stromatolites and thrombolites coexist, offering a glimpse of life from 3.5 billion years ago.
View the ancient formations from a 300m custom boardwalk or explore further via two scenic tracks: Lake Thetis Loop: a 1.5km loop trail around the saline lake (30 minutes) and Hansen Bay Trail: A track continuing to the lookout or back to town in just 25 mins.
To end a big day, it’s the best until last. A mere 20 kms south of town is the Pinnacles Desert - one of Australia’s most unique landscapes set within the Nambung National Park. Featuring thousands of ancient limestone pillars rising out of shifting yellow sands, the Pinnacles were formed a hundred thousand years ago when the receding ocean left behind rich seashell deposits. Try and find two the same – I couldn’t!
Entry costs $17 per car ($10 motorbikes/concession) and grants 24/7 access to the 4km Pinnacles Desert Loop drive and the Pinnacles Discovery Centre (daily 9:30am-4:30pm). Self-drive, explore by foot or book a guided excursion. Jurien Bay Adventure Tours offers a Pinnacle Sunset Tour featuring local insights from guide Kassandra, complete with a sunset cheese platter and beverages.
The next morning, an easy 20 minutes north of Cervantes along Indian Ocean Drive brings us to Jurien Bay, where the region's story began. Once a quiet lobster fishing village, it’s now a vibrant coastal playground for ultimate thrills and experiences. You can Skydive from 14,000 feet with Skydive Jurien Bay, go deep sea fishing, snorkel the abundant Marine Park, or swim with rare Australian sea lions (the puppies of the sea) with Jurien Bay Oceanic Experience all year round!
For motorbike enthusiasts - or anyone who appreciates meeting a true local icon - a visit to Ian Boyd’s private motorbike museum is an absolute must to see the World’s Largest Collection of Vincent Motorbikes.
As one of Jurien Bay's earliest pioneers, Ian arrived in 1965 as part of the very first family to live in the town year-round. "There was nothing here back then - just a few shacks and great fishing," recalls the ex-cray fisherman of 45 years. What Ian casually calls a “hobby" began with his first bike at age 16. Today, at 85, he keeps a flawless collection of 82 bikes inside his home, and some are valued in the millions. Bookings $10 per person via 0407 993 347.
Up the road in Jurien Bay’s industrial area is the quirky maritime themed microbrewery Kakka Alley Brewing Co. Named after the town's original fishing strip Kakka Alley, owner Steve McLeary hand-built the rustic venue using upcycled timber from the town’s original old jetty, creating a relaxed space serving cold home-brewed craft beer and amazing woodfired pizzas.
Chasing the sunset once again, with wildflowers in bloom, the Lesueur National Park is a picturesque biodiversity hotspot certainly worth the 23km drive from Jurien. Home to an abundance of flora, fauna and wildlife, there’s a variety of walking trails to explore like the 3.5km Lesueur Trail and the huge 26km Yonga Trail that takes 1-2 days. By car, immerse yourself completely in Yued Noongar Country and cruise the Lesueur Scenic Drive on a one-way bitumen loop starting and finishing on Cockleshell Gully Road.
Finishing the day with a glorious glow over one of WA’s most beautiful national parks, my heart (and stomach) is full. Make sure this dynamic duo is on your next WA road trip!
