Disclosure: This post (probably) contains affiliate links. If you click on one, I may make a small commission. Of course, this will come at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running.
You have two choices to see more of Western Australia after starting with Perth. One is to head south to explore the state’s southwest around Margaret River and Albany, and the other is to take a road trip north with a road trip to Jurien Bay.
The coast of Western Australia goes a long way, but Jurien Bay marks the first leg of travelling on the way up from Perth. What’s nice is that there are interesting places to stop along the way and a good mix of things to do in Jurien Bay once you get there.
How to get to Jurien Bay
Jurien Bay is a 2.5-hour drive north of Perth.
You follow State Route 60 close to the coastline rather than Highway 1, which is the main road you follow on a bit of a WA road trip. The benefit of State Route 60 is that it takes you past a bunch of fun places you can visit as you go.
To make the road trip, you’ll need a car. Renting a car is unavoidable if you don’t come with your own wheels.
Yes, you can use tours to reach some of the places mentioned below, but a car gives you so much more flexibility and freedom. Having a car in Perth has its benefits too, even if you can reach places like Fremantle with public transport.
Where to stay in Jurien Bay
Since Jurien Bay isn’t very large, it doesn’t matter too much where in town you stay.
Ideally, being close to the shops near Pioneer Park and the jetty is more convenient so that you can walk to get dinner. That was what made staying at Jurien Bay Motel Apartments convenient for me. Plus, the rooms were clean and comfortable.
Other well-rated places to stay in Jurien Bay are:
- Jurien Bay Tourist Park
- Aqua Shack Jurien Bay
- Central Views
Places to visit between Perth and Jurien Bay
Part of the reason Jurien Bay is worth visiting from Perth is that you can visit interesting places on the way.
The drive to Jurien Bay doesn’t take very long on its own, but you can easily fill a day stopping at places as you go. Before you set off from Perth, look at the options along the way and plan your day accordingly.
Of course, you can include attractions closer to Jurien Bay too, but if you have the time don’t miss these spots.
Yanchep National Park
Just north of Perth, Yanchep National Park is the first place you can stop on the road to Jurien Bay.
Because it’s so close to the city, Yanchep National Park is normally a place you visit on a day trip from Perth. But if you haven’t been yet, it makes a good first stop.
Yanchep National Park offers a mix of wetlands and bush, with caves and wildlife to see. Kangaroos are everywhere here and there’s a small koala boardwalk where you might spot them up in the trees.
The closest thing to a “main” attraction for Yanchep National Park is its caves, namely Crystal Cave and Yonderup Cave. You need a guided tour to see these caves, which isn’t ideal for a short visit as you drive up the coast.
Otherwise, you can explore on relaxed nature walks. A boardwalk allows you to see the wetlands, other tracks show off the bush.
Since you’ll need a WA Park Pass (probably one of the shorter “holiday” ones) to visit the Pinnacles, adding another national park to your trip helps make the most of it.
Lancelin Sand Dunes
Travellers looking for a more active place to stop should head to the town of Lancelin.
This coastal town is best known for its huge sand dunes just on the edge of town. People come to Lancelin not just to see its sand dunes but because they’re a bit of a playground.
Sandboarding is the easiest and most popular activity at Lancelin. Those looking for bigger thrills can go quad-biking and off-roading.
Lancelin is another place that you can go to as a day trip from Perth, but I think it’s best to combine it with other places to make the trip up worth it.
Cervantes Lobster Shack
One of the smaller stops you can make is at the coastal town of Cervantes.
While you can visit the beach at Thirsty Point, the most famous thing to do there among tourists is the Cervantes Lobster Shack.
You can quickly tell it’s a common road stop lunch spot by the size of the parking lot when you pull in. The food there isn’t exactly cheap, but the chance to eat fresh lobster, abalone, and more is hard to resist.
Avoid sitting outside if seagulls bother you.
Things to do in Jurien Bay
Once you’ve reached Jurien Bay, you’ve got even more places to visit and activities to look forward to.
I spent three days in Jurien Bay: one to get there, one for the Pinnacles and beaches, and one for a boat tour. That proved me to be just about right for everything I wanted to do there.
If I’d had more time I could have explored Lesueur National Park or more beaches, but I still think these things to do in Jurien Bay are where you should start.
Sea Lion Tours
Taking a boat tour to see sea lions was the first thing recommended to me by my family who’ve been to Jurien Bay.
Boat tours leave from Jurien Bay’s marina and take tourists to the various islands off the coast. Colonies of sea lions call these islands home and boat tours offer visitors the chance to snorkel and maybe even swim with them if they come close enough.
It’s said that the local sea lions can be quite curious and often swim around and through the groups of snorkeling tourists. That wasn’t the case when I went out. We had rare bad luck and only briefly glimpsed one in the water, the rest sleeping on the island. Instead, we filled our time looking at fish and seagrass.
Because the tour had been so uneventful, the company offered a free second tour to make up for it.
So, the morning I was heading off I went out again. The second time around was a bit better near the end of the swim when two sea lions came over. Seeing them effortlessly zoom about was amazing and the second location was much more interesting with coral and reef to explore.
Talking to family, it must have been the time of year as they saw lots of sea lions in the water when they went.
I’d borrowed a GoPro for the experience, but when we finally had a sea lion swim near us, it was so quick in the water that I couldn’t move the camera fast enough.
The Pinnacles in Nambung National Park
The place I most wanted to see on this road trip was The Pinnacles.
Photos of this strange desert landscape immediately captured my attention and made me want to come here. The Pinnacles is a region of desert marked by hundreds of limestone pillars within the wider Nambung National Park.
On a visit to the site, you can drive into the desert area and then wander through the landscape as you like. There’s also a lookout point that lets you look out over the area, past white sand dunes to the Indian Ocean.
Visiting in the late afternoon and watching the sunset was so atmospheric, seeing the rocks cast long shadows across the sand. The Pinnacles is one WA attraction you have to see for yourself.
While it’s easiest to visit the Pinnacles from Jurien Bay, you can also take a longer tour from Perth if you’re tight on time.
Lake Thetis
Another attraction to visit in Nambung National Park is Lake Thetis near Cervantes.
This natural attraction may not seem as impressive as the Pinnacles, but it’s just as unusual. Lake Thetis is one of the few places on Earth where you can still see thrombolites, sedimentary structures created by microorganisms. Western Australia has more of these sites than pretty much anywhere else in the world.
Around the edges of this lake, you’ll see little mounds, some collapsed like doughnuts. These formations were created thousands of years ago by microorganisms, particularly cyanobacteria.
The science behind it is explained on signs around the lake’s boardwalk. Even if you don’t read too deeply into it, appreciating that these mounds aren’t natural formations makes the lake an interesting place to see.
Coral Coast Beaches
Western Australia is famous for its beaches and Jurien Bay doesn’t let the state down.
Spending days at the beach is easy when you’re visiting Jurien Bay, with good local beaches that you can easily visit. Jurien Bay Beach by the local jetty is the closest beach and is good for beach walks and swimming.
Other beaches to visit from Jurien Bay include:
- Hangover Bay – south near The Pinnacles
- Sandy Cape – just north of Jurien Bay
- Dynamite Bay – the next headland north of Sandy Cape
