Ceduna

Where is Ceduna?

Ceduna is a large, rural, seaside town located along the Eyre Highway, on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Situated on the eastern side of The Nullarbor Plain, this area of The Great Australian Bight is known as the Far West Coast of SA.
Situated on stunning Murat Bay, just one of the so many beautiful shorelines in this region. Visitors to the area are usually travelling from:
• Port Lincoln to Ceduna: 406 kms (approximately 4 hours via Flinders Highway / B100), or 425.3 kms (approximately 4 and a half hours via Tod Highway / B90 and National Highway A1).
• Adelaide to Ceduna: 777.1 kms (approximately 8 hours via National Highway A1) or flying into Ceduna from Adelaide on a 60 – 90-minute flight (approximately).
• Eucla to Ceduna: 492.5 kms (approximately 5 hours via National Highway A1), often making their way over the Nullarbor Plain from Perth.
With approximately a quarter of a million (240’000+) vehicles passing through annually, it’s a traveller’s hub for either beginning or ending the great Nullarbor road trip.

What is Ceduna known for?

Ceduna is the main township on the eastern side of the Great Australian Bight. It’s considered the gateway to the Nullarbor and is a popular pitstop for those travelling by road.
As a pretty seaside town, the surrounding landscape is characterized by rugged coastal bays, sandy beaches, natural bush, and agricultural paddocks. This makes it an especially popular destination for surfers and all-round beach lovers, and as the Oyster Capital of Australia and the home of King George Whiting, it’s also a destination for oyster lovers and lovers of seafood with some of the best seafood you can eat in South Australia.

What to do in Ceduna

The name Ceduna is apparently a corruption of the local Aboriginal Wirangu word Chedoona and is said to mean a place to sit down and rest. So, when in Rome? It’s a great place to allow a few days to rest, replenish supplies and take a good look around.
There are lots of things to do in the surrounding region and a chance to see many diverse industries, but we’ll just focus here on tourism interests and Ceduna attractions. Here are the best things to do in the region:

Self-Drive Tours

One of the best ways to explore the coastal area around Ceduna is on a self-drive tour. This gives you complete freedom to be able to do things at your own pace and according to your own interests. You can explore places outside of the township, such as Decres Bay-Wittelbee Conservation Park, Laura Bay Conservation Park, and the famous pink waters of Lake MacDonnell further afield.
A self-drive tour is not only free but made easy with our map of Ceduna. This enables you to go sightseeing and exploring with helpful information, public amenities, and local insights all at your fingertips at any time. If you have a few days to spend or even just an hour, this map can guide you through your adventures and day trips to neighbouring towns and beaches.
Find it all on our Map.

Guided Tours

There are plenty of guided tours on offer, from scenic flights to fishing charters, & whale watching charters at Fowlers Bay further along the Nullarbor. No matter what you want to explore further, you’ll find a tour to suit your interests.
At the top of the list for oyster lovers and those interested in visiting a working oyster farm is one of the oyster tour options available in Smoky Bay. At just a 20-minute drive from Ceduna, you can reach Aquaculture Park where you will find amongst the oyster growing community, Jeff and Colleen Holmes of SA Premium Oysters. Jeff and Colleen don’t just offer a unique experience, but they also provide avid oyster lovers with the opportunity to eat THE freshest oysters available to you on the planet!
Read more about their oyster farm tours here and find other tour options in our directory here.

Fishing

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to fishing on the Far West Coast of South Australia. You can go boat fishing in our many bays, jetty fishing in Ceduna, Denial Bay, and Smoky Bay, and even rock fishing and beach fishing further out. You’ll have the chance of catching Tommy ruffs, King George whiting, salmon, garfish, snook, and a range of sharks. For the serious fishing enthusiast, there’s bluefin tuna, mulloway, snapper & more. It is also possible to get a hold of squid and blue swimmer crabs too. See the Department of Primary Industries & Regions website for limits.

Swimming

Ceduna has plenty of sheltered swimming spots for everyone to enjoy. The best places are near the Sailing Club and at Alexander’s Beach, located a few hundred metres either side of the jetty. These popular swimming spots are easily reachable on foot from the town centre.

Encounter Trail Ceduna

Walk / Cycle

You can easily explore the coastal scenery on foot. A stroll or cycle along the Encounter Trail from Ceduna Sailing Club to Pinky Point in Thevenard is a must-do (see our map of Ceduna for specifics). The 4km trail is a great way to take in the scenic coastline, including the islands and Denial Bay. Pinky Point Lookout is especially beautiful at sunset if you want to time your walk with the golden hour of the setting sun.

You can also explore the beach, sand dunes, and serenity of Shelly Beach on the beautiful and secluded Bosanquet Bay. You can follow the scenic Shelly Beach Dune Walking Trails that weaves across 55 acres of coastal sand dunes.

There are also walking trails at Denial Bay and Smoky Bay if you’re a keen walker (see our map).

Golf

You can play a round of golf on the longest golf course in the world at Ceduna at the Nullarbor Links Golf Course. The 18-hole par 72 golf course stretches from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a distance of about 1365km. This is a very unique attraction for all golfing enthusiasts. The first (or last) hole is in Ceduna, so you can begin your epic golf tour here that can take up to four days to fully complete.
For a more modest golf experience, you can also try the smaller Ceduna Golf Course, in doing so you can still claim to have played a few holes on the world’s longest golf course.

Art & History

There are some great opportunities to learn about the traditional custodians of the land and the history of the area. The Ceduna Arts and Cultural Centre is definitely worth a visit to peruse local aboriginal art. This is also a great place to buy a unique memento of your visit with unique artwork and souvenirs for sale.

Ceduna also has a National Trust Museum that is located in the town’s first school building. It also incorporates other buildings such as the first post office and gaol. There is a range of displays with old photographs and memorabilia.

At Penong, you can also walk amongst the open-air Windmill Museum and visit the Penong Woolshed Museum. This will give you a fascinating insight into the agricultural and farming history of the area.

4WD adventure

For the serious (and well prepared) 4-wheel drivers, there’s the famous adventure trek that is Goog’s Track. Travelling north from Ceduna, the 360km Goog’s Track will take you to the Transcontinental Railway Line before turning east to the end of the track in Kingoonya. It’s a genuine adventure for the daring with over 300 sand dunes to navigate. Many make the pilgrimage each year but be warned – this isn’t a track for solo beginners!

Surfing

The world-famous Cactus Beach is just 90 km west of Ceduna, near Penong. If you’re into surfing, then chances are you’ve already heard of Cactus Beach. It’s considered one of the best places to surf in Australia. It’s home to two world-class left-hand breaks known by local surfers as Cactus and Castles, as well as, the right-hand break known as Caves. It’s strictly for dedicated surfers only, with serious breaks and a notorious prevalence of great white sharks too.

Festivals

If you happen to be in the region in October, you’ll have to time your visit with the annual Ceduna Oysterfest. It’s a long weekend of music, dance, art, wine, and delicious seafood. The town goes all out for this weekend with fireworks, a street market, and a range of entertainment.

Find more things to do in Ceduna on our ever-growing directory.

Ceduna Caravan Park

Where to stay in Ceduna

Ceduna accommodation comes in many forms from caravan parks to private bed and breakfasts. You’ll certainly find the type of accommodation that you’re looking for, and at a price that suits your budget.
However, if you’re looking for a quick answer, we would suggest Ceduna Shelly Beach Caravan Park. This is a highly sought-after Ceduna caravan park that offers the widest variety of accommodation options, such as:
• self-contained sites
• unpowered sites
• powered sites
• drive-thru sites
• ensuite sites
• bay view sites
• sheltered sites
• cottages
• pet-friendly accommodation
• eco shacks
• luxury villas
In addition to the types of accommodation at Shelly Beach Caravan Park, they also have immaculate amenities and facilities, dune walks, games room, and the list goes on. It delights the traveller who, with or without pets and/or children, would appreciate a quiet, secluded beach on Bosanquet Bay, separate to Murat Bay upon which the township of Ceduna is situated. Yet it’s still only a 5-minute drive to the CBD for all your conveniences. Here’s a link to more specific information about this Ceduna caravan park.

If this doesn’t sound like your type of place, you can see our full accommodation listings here.

Where to eat in Ceduna

Ceduna has become a popular foodie destination thanks to the delicious seafood and famous oysters. You can’t leave town without sampling some of the tasty oysters and King George Whiting.
All local restaurants, diners, roadhouses, pubs, and takeaway can be found on our website. On top of that, you can search Ceduna food options by what you want to eat. You can even view online menus for popular places like:

• Thevenard Hotel

• Mozzies Truckstop & Diner

• Ceduna Oyster Barn

• Bills Pizza, Pasta & Sweets

All on our Menus page here.

Shopping in Ceduna

You can find all the essential amenities, groceries, gifts, and souvenirs, no matter what you’re after, you’ll be able to find it amongst the Ceduna shops.

Supermarket:

If you’re looking to stock up with a bit of grocery shopping make sure you check out this week’s specials at Jim’s IGA in Thevenard. Some of these specials can be found on our website but you’ll also find many more in-store specials too.

Pharmacy:

The best place to fill your prescriptions is with Terry White Chemmart who offers an EP Price Match – meaning you won’t get your scripts any cheaper during your time on the Eyre Peninsula – ask in store for more about this. They also stock perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, giftware, and more!

Manchester:

Giftware and homewares can also be found at Ceduna Furniture. They stock blankets, cushions, mats, and anything else that a traveller might require.

Hardware:

Our hardware superstore, Ceduna Home Timber and Hardware, has everything that you would hope to find from quick fixes to tool replacements and beyond.

Butcher:

For premium fresh local meat you needn’t look any further than the best-looking butcher shop this side of the ocean, Ceduna Meat Service. You can ask about their caravan freezer meat packs too that include a bit of everything and available in any size that will fit in your caravan freezer.

Tourist Information:

There is a helpful Tourist Information Centre on the main street in Ceduna. You’ll find all the brochures, maps, and information about the area that you might need. They also have a range of souvenirs, as well as, fast internet, photocopying, and printing services.

While you’re here:

Here are our helpful tools to help you get the most out of your time in Ceduna.
• Our network in a snapshot – find everything on our digital business card here Ceduna.Online
• Find local shopping specials on our website catalogues page here Ceduna Shops
• Looking for something else? Try our business directory here Ceduna Business Directory
• Get updates LIVE to your mobile device during your stay by downloading Ceduna Online App
• Join the conversation on our Ceduna Online Facebook page.
• See what else we have on our website cedunaonline.com.au

Cheers,
Ceduna.Online

“Tag us @cedunaonline let us know what you’re getting up to”
MORE ARTICLES: