Cervantes, WA: A hidden treasure

Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt and his wife Sheree (who you might know from The Great Australian Doorstep TV show) run fully escorted motorhome convoy tours in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Alaska. Here, Spida takes us to Coober Pedy.

We all spend so much time in our major cities and it is my mission to find great holiday locations within two hours’ drive of our major centres – welcome to Cervantes, located near Nambung National Park, just a two-hour drive north of Perth. 

It’s a place not many are aware of. People fly into and out of Perth for work or functions, not realising that while there is a lot to do and see in the city, there’s even more on offer not too far away – Cervantes is an easy day trip. 

Recently the WA government put it on everyone’s immediate radar by kindly tar-sealing the road into and out of Cervantes. It was plucked from near obscurity and thrust into the worldwide tourism market. 

Winding along the Indian Ocean coast road from Lancelin to Cervantes you’d think you are in a different world. 

Never heard of Cervantes? Neither had I! But have you heard of the Pinnacles? Yes, me too. Cervantes is actually the ‘gateway to the Pinnacles’, which is located in the Nambung National Park. The Pinnacles are hundreds of limestone pillars covering more than 400 hectares. They’re all shapes and sizes, some tomb-like while others are over four metres high. There are varying shades of sandstone too, which make for sensational pictures, especially at sun-up or sundown. I am certainly not a professional photographer, but as you can see, I did fairly well!

Cervantes itself is a small village destined to flourish soon. No matter what type of traveller you are you’ll find everything you need here. There’s an awesome holiday park called the Cervantes Pinnacle Caravan Park, smack-bang on the beachfront. That’s where I parked up for two days, literally right on the beach. I took a stroll down the beach and onto the jetty to find out if the lone fisherman had had any luck that day. To my left, two large stingrays glided in and out of the jetty pylons, fighting playfully, and to my right a dolphin played cheekily. To my amazement our fisherman friend had quite a few fish, even with so much activity in the water. He even had a couple of crayfish that he had conned off the local crayfishermen as they came back to shore after their morning trawl.

Nothing beats fresh seafood straight from the ocean and if you’re a seafood lover then head to the Lobster Shack where it’s all caught fresh that very morning. It’s amazing, and a very delicate operation – within hours of hitting the shores of Cervantes, all the crayfish are immediately weighed, sized, temporarily put to sleep in cold water, packed in a foam box with sawdust, collected and driven to the airport to be flown out all around the world. Within 24 hours of being plucked from our oceans, they wake up in a new tank somewhere overseas.

The seafood platter at the Bowls Club ($55 for two) is the perfect way to cap off a day you never knew could exist. Never judge a book by its cover.

Cervantes is a very successful sporting town, with the locals congregating regularly at the sports club. It’s slightly dated but oozes hospitality, atmosphere and taste. There are six motel/apartment complexes in town, as well as the Cervantes Pinnacle Caravan Park if you choose to camp like I did. 

An easier decision is where to have breakfast or lunch. There is only one option – Seashells Cafe, which sits overlooking the water and a newly built children’s playground. It’s so relaxed yet so well presented, with food and service that are very impressive.

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 a 15-minute drive.

With the new connecting road opening the doors, Cervantes has no other option than to grow and prosper. It may grow but it will never lose its character – accept it for what it is and enjoy the experience whether it be for an afternoon, a day, a week or a month. I met a German couple in their early forties who had stumbled across Cervantes by pure accident, called in for a few hours and left four days later! 

Soon the Pinnacles won’t be home to Cervantes, but rather Cervantes will be home to the Pinnacles.

The Great Australian Doorstep is on Channel 7Two on Saturday afternoons, or tune in to the radio show every weekend across the TripleM and FlowFM networks – 68 stations, Australia-wide.