Cervantes is a town worth visiting on the Turquoise Coast of Western Australia. Situated just 199kms (67miles) north of Perth, it has a lot to offer. In 2016 the population was 527.
1. The sculptures
A lot of the street names are in Spanish. The town is named after the American whaling ship Cervantes that blew onto an offshore island near here in 1844. The ship was in turn named after Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the novel Don Quixote. Hence, the Spanish street and park names.
The sculpture coming into town is a windvane. A depiction of Don Quixote, his faithful retainer Sancho Panza and the Cervantes top the sculpture.
Fishing has always had an important role in the development of Cervantes. During the early 1950s Cervantes became a fishing shack establishment for crayfisherman. – words are from a sign near fish sculpture as you enter town. It was made with donated recycled agricultural materials.
2. Thirsty Point
Only 21 steps over a sand dune from the carpark at Thirsty Point will have you on the beach. White sands and turquoise blue and green waters stretch into the distance. This is glorious.
3. Visit Lake Thetis, the stromatolites and thrombolites
This lake is one of only a few places in the world where you can see these living marine creatures. The Lake Thetis stromatolites exhibit unusual columnar branching. – Wikipedia. These living fossils only grow at a maximum of 0.3mm a year. You can see that some are found up to a metre tall. It has been documented that these are the world’s oldest living life forms.
Closely related are the thrombolites. These are estimated to be over 3,000 years old. Stromatolite means layered rock. Thrombolites takes its name from the word thrombosis meaning clotting. They are not layered like stromatolites, but rather clustered.
There is a 1.5km walk trail around the lake and a viewing platform. The walkways keep you off the native vegetation while allowing easy access. You may also spot native birds, and possibly a kangaroo or two.
4. Enjoy a meal at the Lobster Shack
Situated right on the beach, you can enjoy your meal with spectacular views, or eat inside the light and bright beach themed restaurant. Eating here in the open space allows you to also catch the sea breezes. Ceiling fans also cool people down on a hot day. As does the large variety of cold beverages available at the bar. The restaurant can serve a total of 300 people outside and 450 people inside.
My meal of choice was the absolutely delicious prawns which I ate outside.
Other meals that you can enjoy here are the seafood platter or lash out and go with the jumbo.
My best word of advice is not to leave your meal and go to the bathroom, unless it is well guarded. Locals may just drop in and finish your meal for themselves.
5. The Lobster Shack Tours
The Lobster Shack also offer tours of their factory. From here they live export to South East Asia, Japan and Dubai. These creatures can survive for 30 hours packed in wood shavings while being transported.
The ocean lobsters are sourced from Mandurah in the south and as far as Leeman in the north. Lobsters gain around 100grams of weight a year. A 20 year lobster can weigh 2kgs.
A 5 minute video presentation at the start of the tour gives an overview of the operation, and the rest of the tour is self-guided. Their live tank area here can hold 20 tonne of lobster. 300 boxes x 15 kilo lobsters are packed here per day, 5 days a week.
Their souvenir shop supports and sells Western Australia and Australian made products.
This small town makes a big impact on you. From living history, gorgeous views, delicious food and friendly people, Cervantes is definitely a great place to visit.
Happy Travels!
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