Ceduna
The last major town before the Nullarbor, an oyster-growing centre and host of the annual Oysterfest.
The Oyster Capital and Nullarbor Threshold
Ceduna marks the western edge of the settled Eyre Peninsula and the threshold of the Nullarbor Plain. Known as the Oyster Capital of Australia, it is a working oyster town - its Smoky Bay and Denial Bay leases supply premium oysters around the country - and each October, over the South Australian Labour Day long weekend, it celebrates with Oysterfest, a festival held since 1991. Sitting on Murat Bay, the town centres on the Ceduna Foreshore and Jetty, a relaxed strip for fishing, sunsets and freshly shucked local oysters.
A Coast of Whales, Surf and Wide Horizons
For travellers, Ceduna is the essential last stop before the long Nullarbor crossing, and a launch point for some of South Australia's most striking coast. Between roughly June and October, southern right whales gather to calve below the Bunda Cliffs at the Head of Bight Whale Watching centre, a few hours west of town. Closer in, Penong leads to its windmill museum and to the world-class surf at Point Sinclair and Cactus Beach. The quiet fishing settlement of Fowlers Bay, along with Smoky Bay, Denial Bay, Davenport Creek and Acraman Creek Conservation Park, rewards unhurried exploration of bays, dunes and sheltered waters.
Visiting Ceduna - frequently asked questions
What is Ceduna known for?
Ceduna is widely known as the Oyster Capital of Australia, with leases at Smoky Bay and Denial Bay producing premium oysters. It is also celebrated as the gateway to the Nullarbor Plain and hosts the annual Oysterfest each October over the South Australian Labour Day long weekend.
How far is Ceduna from Adelaide?
Ceduna lies roughly 780km west of Adelaide along the A1 highway, which is about an eight-hour drive. It is the largest town on the far western Eyre Peninsula and the last major service centre before the Nullarbor crossing toward Western Australia.
When is the best time to see whales at Head of Bight?
Southern right whales gather to calve below the Bunda Cliffs at the Head of Bight between roughly June and October, with the peak generally from July to September. The whale-watching centre is a few hours' drive west of Ceduna, with clifftop boardwalks and viewing platforms overlooking the Great Australian Bight.
What is there to do in and around Ceduna?
In town you can fish, swim and watch the sunset from the Ceduna Foreshore and Jetty and sample fresh local oysters. Nearby trips take in Smoky Bay, Davenport Creek, Acraman Creek Conservation Park, Penong and its windmill museum, the surf at Point Sinclair and Cactus Beach, and Fowlers Bay on the edge of the Nullarbor.
Is Cactus Beach worth visiting near Ceduna?
Cactus Beach at Point Sinclair is one of Australia's most famous surf spots and a National Surfing Reserve, with consistent breaks that draw surfers from around the world. It sits south of Penong, roughly an hour and a half west of Ceduna, and the rocky headlands also make a fine vantage point for spectators.
Things to do in Ceduna
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Stories from Ceduna
The Windmills of Penong
Penong has always lived or died by its windmills. Now the town has gathered twenty of them - including the biggest in Australia - into one gloriously creaky museum.
June 2026 · 6 min read
Fowlers Bay: The Town the Sand Almost Took
Fowlers Bay has hosted Flinders, Eyre and generations of whalers. Now its oldest adversary - a vast white dune - looms over the town it keeps trying to bury.
June 2026 · 7 min read
Winter of the Whales
Each winter, southern right whales gather below the Bunda Cliffs to calve. The Head of Bight is one of the great wildlife theatres of the planet, and you watch it from dry land.
June 2026 · 7 min read
The Far West Run
Beyond Streaky Bay the map empties and the coast turns feral. This is a road trip for those who like their wilderness with a side of salt, swell and big silence.
June 2026 · 7 min read
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Image credits
- Ceduna, South Australia streetscape.jpg by Chuq , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons