The ultimate weekend getaway is a bunch of unspoiled coastline and loads of fresh seafood. Western Australia has loads of working fishing towns with fishing boats pulling into the docks of the restaurants where the fish is served straight off the boat. Fresh as can be! No crowded tourist spots or horrible chain restaurants here!
Road trips along working fishing coastlines
These towns are real fishing harbors – the amount of tourist yachts far exceeds the amount of boats in most fishing harbors. Best seafood is served up in the little fishing towns where local knowledge has the best fishing – even caught that morning. In most cases the beaches are clean and prices very low due to lack of demand. In some cases buildings have not been renovated for many years because there is no need to draw large amounts of visitors.
Drive up the Indian Ocean Drive from Perth until you reach any of the numerous other coastal fishing towns along the way. Most of these towns consist only of commercial fishing and as a result they have an abundance of seafood restaurants that serve the freshest of fish straight from the boats. The majority of the beaches are clean with minimal amounts of litter and as these towns are not typical tourist destinations you can generally expect to pay reasonable prices for food and accommodation.
Most places will specialize in one or two species, such as rock lobsters, but in many locations other fish such as whiting, snapper and mulloway are also caught. Fresh fish, like this mulloway caught off the coast near Jurien Bay, is usually cooked simply to let the flavor of the fish stand out. Most seafood restaurants are casual affairs, with family operated businesses, some of which have been serving up fresh seafood for decades. While some places may be very old, they still serve up great fresh seafood.
While driving along the coast to find your perfect fishing spot, you may come across some hidden beaches. These secret spots can be some of the most beautiful places on earth and are definitely worth a visit. Pull over the car and take in the sights of the incredible views of the limestone cliffs rising out of the yellow sand.
Coastal towns built around fresh catches
A true seafood destination is found within the smallest details of the town and its people. There is nothing quite like the smell of salt and seaweed in the air and knowing that a town with such a smell can provide the best seafood. These types of destinations can be found near commercial fishing fleets that operate from the main harbor of town. The local restaurants will source their seafood from the commercial fishing boats that return to the harbor on a daily basis. They will typically purchase the catch of the day whole and then prepare it for consumption in the restaurant. This is definitely the way to experience the freshest seafood possible.
Working harbors with lots of fishing boats are the hub of fishing focused towns. Here you will find the fish and chip shops, fish and seafood restaurants and other eating establishments where the emphasis is on serving the freshest seafood as soon as possible and where the seafood is sourced straight from the fishing boats. You will see ice boxes on the verandas of restaurants at dawn as they are replenished with the days catch. You may even see fishing nets drying on the back lawns of homes.
Working fishing coastlines with harbors that have commercial fishing fleets are the best coastal fishing towns. These fishing towns are always full of the freshest seafood and the best place to sample the local produce is at the local restaurants. Many of the seafood restaurants source their seafood from the local fishing fleet on a daily basis and are able to get the very best produce. Fish are often purchased whole and taken back to the restaurants to be prepared for that nights customers. In cold storage facilities the quality of seafood can decrease dramatically over time, but in a coastal fishing town the seafood is always at its best.
Then again, some of the best seafood you can get in Western Australia is in the most simplest of places. Yes, you read right. It’s in Fish and Chip Shops and in simple structures that are part of small family owned fishing enterprises that also sell retail seafood and fishing tackle. Many have makeshift structures, and have an informal, relaxed ambience. Often, people will travel long distances just to get to these places, because they have heard so much about the great food and the personal touch and service provided by the owners and staff. The reason for this is quite simple. The fresh seafood is of the highest quality, and the people providing the service are folks who have been out on the water all day fishing, and have done this type of work for generations.
So the essence of a Cervantes weekend escape is to explore a fishing harbor, see the working fishing boats and fresh fish being brought ashore and sample the very best seafood at a harbor side restaurant or fish and chip shop. There’s nothing quite like fresh mussels, lobster, rock oysters, fish and chips or even a seafood pizza all prepared with fresh fish from the day’s catch.
Natural attractions beyond the harbour
In coastal fishing towns with harbors where the commercial fishing fleet abound there are also natural attractions in the area that have nothing to do with the commercial fishing and are well worth visiting. Beaches, sand dunes, salt water lagoons, rocky shoreline and rock pools full of juvenile fish are just a few of the natural wonders that can be found along the coast of Australia.
The Pinnacles Desert is a favorite with photographers and can be a real challenge to capture the vast spread of thousands of limestone pillars that rise up from the yellow sand in excellent photographs. However, it can be done. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to visit The Pinnacles Desert as these are the only times that you can avoid the coach tours that arrive en masse at midday on board air-conditioned coaches.
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Wildlife encounters worth planning around
You have to remember that there are some serious nature experiences that require time and patience. At specific times of the year you can see the odd sea lion hauled up on the odd sandy beach. Some of the best places to see large concentrations of sea birds such as oystercatchers, avocets and egrets are at the mouths of the rivers and there are times of the year when they migrate through in their hundreds of thousands. There are also tours available where you can go out to sea and see dolphins following fishing boats in the hope of them dropping scraps. There are also fishing guides who will take you out on a fishing tour and you can experience the wildlife in their natural habitat. Local fishing guides have the best knowledge of wildlife.
Local fishing guides, by virtue of their calling, can provide nature experiences that far surpass those of any other nature guide be they dedicated or not. For years the local fishing guide has been able to observe the behavior of a vast array of marine animals on any given day. He or she realizes that many of these creatures do change with the seasons, and be able to inform visitors of when the sea lions will be hauled out on the beach, where to find the dolphins playing, when the various species of shore birds will arrive at the river mouths for their annual migration and where the best places are to see them. The local fishing guide can, in many cases, be the best source of information for any serious nature enthusiast.
Planning your coastal food journey
When choosing a place to explore along our working fishing coast for your Cervantes weekend escape, don’t pack too much into your trip. The coastal towns and fishing ports are best explored over a couple of days where you can watch the local fishing go out in the morning, return in the afternoon with their fresh catch and sample the seafood from all of the local restaurants before venturing off to some of the natural attractions that are a short distance from the town.
Make sure you book your accommodation well in advance, especially for school holidays and long weekends as most coastal towns have very limited rooms and the best of them will book up very fast. Also by visiting these types of places in the middle of the week as opposed to the weekend you will find you have a much greater choice of accommodation and the staff at the restaurants and cafes will be able to provide you with a better service as they will not be as busy as they would be on a weekend.
Pack layers as it can turn from warm in the morning to a cool, windy afternoon. Also, make sure to pack comfortable walking shoes as you will be able to explore all the rock formations and beach areas.
