BEAUTY BY THE BEACH

YOU DON’T HAVE TO VENTURE FAR FROM THE CITY TO FIND YOURSELF IN ANOTHER WORLD

We all spend so much time in our major cities, so this year it’s my mission to find great holiday locations within a twohour drive of our major centres.

This weekend we’re setting out from Perth. Welcome to Cervantes, near Nambung National Park and just an easy two-hour drive from Western Australia’s capital.

While it’s not heavily promoted, Cervantes is a great day-trip option if you’re staying in the metro area.

We decide to take our Paradise motorhome, instead of our 4WD, as the roads in and around Cervantes are excellent, and we head north with a one-night stay in mind.

You may never have heard of Cervantes, but have you heard of The Pinnacles? Cervantes is the gateway to The Pinnacles.

Built on its plentiful seafood and the stunning beauty that lures almost every tourist that ventures past the quaint oceanside village, it should be on everyone’s immediate radar.

With the roads all sealed, everyone can enjoy this remarkable slice of Western Australia.

Winding along the Indian Ocean coast road from Lanceline to Cervantes, you would think you were in a different world.

The Pinnacles boasts hundreds of limestone pillars across more than 400ha. They come in all shapes and sizes — some are tomblike, while others are enormous, towering at more than 4m.

There are varying shades of sandstone, which make for brilliant pictures no matter your experience behind the camera, especially on either sun-up or sundown.

Cervantes itself is a small village with all the amenities and services you need for your visit, no matter how long you linger.

There is a great little holiday park called The Cervantes Pinnacle Caravan Park, which is smack bang on the beachfront.

That is where we parked our motorhome for the night, literally right on the beach.

I took a stroll down to the sand and on to the jetty to find out if the lone fisherman was having any luck.

Chatting to other tourists and locals is the best thing you can do to get up-to-date information and ideas when travelling.

To my amazement, our fisherman friend had quite a few fish, including a couple of crayfish he had conned off the local crayfishermen as they came back to shore from their morning trawl.

If you are a seafood lover, then head to the Lobster Shack for your evening meal. It’s all caught fresh that very day. Nothing beats seafood straight from the ocean.

A decision made easier is where to have breakfast or lunch. We chose Seashells Cafe, which is so relaxed yet so well presented.

The quality of food would suggest they are in a competitive market in an inner-city metropolis.

Seashells Cafe overlooks the water and a newly built children’s playground.

While I hope we’ve whet your appetite, Cervantes is the kind of place you really need to explore for yourself.

I met a German couple in their early 40s who had stumbled across Cervantes by pure accident. They called in for afternoon tea and left four days later.

There are two big lookouts right near town, which are great to get your bearings and see just how untouched this part of Australia really is.

Stunning Lake Thetis is only five minutes from town and The Pinnacles are an easy 15-minute drive.

Cervantes also lies on the shores of Jurien Bay Marine Park.

We have already planned our next visit, which is to see the wildflowers that grow in The Pinnacles every year between August and October.

“WITH THE ROADS SEALED, EVERYONE CAN ENJOY THIS REMARKABLE SLICE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.”