With 20,781 km of coastline, Western Australia is a heavyweight producer of some of the nation’s top-quality seafood. It only makes sense, then, that one of the state’s premier food and wine festivals celebrates all things oceanic. Centred around the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean, the maritime centre of Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands, Shore Leave Festival is a destination festival.

The four-day seafood celebration kicks off on the 27th April, and the schedule is filled to the brim with over thirty stomach-rumbling events guaranteed to lure food-focused travellers to the mid-west coastal region. Hook, line and sinker.

Two starry events lead the program to reel diners in. First up, the ultimate off-shore adventure,  The Abrolhos Long Table Lunch, presented by Western Rock Lobster. Guests with an outboard motor can make their way to the remote island lunch spot in Turtle Bay, or take their pick from a boat, helicopter or seaplane transfer. And the seafood-tastic menu? Whipped up by the 2021 Regional Chef of the Year Brendan Pratt, and paired with Vasse Felix wines.

The second big-ticket dining event shifts inland for the Midwest Paddock to Plate, with Matt Moran at the helm of the feasting on Yanget Farm. A celebration of the produce from the food bowl of the MidWest, it’s a chance to swap the Havainanas for Blundstones, and the soft white sand for the fertile earth.

2023 is the festival’s third year, and the schedule has grown to incorporate plenty of family and hip pocket-friendly events alongside these two high-profile dining experiences. The Helm is the festival hub located on the Geraldton foreshore; complete with live music, kids workshops and plenty of dining and drinking options, from grazing hampers to food trucks in the Mid-West Food Hall. 

Organisers have committed to sourcing all seafood for the festival from sustainable fishers. Western Australia’s West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery was the first fishery in the world to be certified as ecologically sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) back in 2000, so there’s no excuse not to go in for second helpings from The Western Rock Lobster Back of Boats Lobster BBQ. A seafood line-up wouldn’t be a sure thing without a classic serving of fish and chips by local restaurant Barnacles on the Wharf. Need a break from the beach? Burnt Barrell will hit the spot with slow and low smoked Kansas city-style barbecue.

Those here squarely for the lobster won’t want to miss the Western Rock Lobster Cook Off. Education is as important as indulgence, so the Beach Price Markets make a welcome return thanks to the Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative. There are marine touch pools, educational workshops, and family-friendly activations. Up-and-coming chefs in the kitchen will devour cooking demonstrations at the Buy West Eat Best kitchen with a special appearance from Matt Moran.

An unmissable seafood festival out west? It’s a shore thing.

Shore Leave Festival will take place from April 27-30. For more information or to buy tickets, visit shoreleavefestival.com.au