Indian Ocean Drive

Indian Ocean Drive Western Australia
View south towards Leeman, 2014.
General information
Type	Highway
Length	269 km (167 mi)
Opened	2010
Route number(s)	State Route 60
Major junctions
South end	Wanneroo Road, (State Route 60), Yanchep
North end	Brand Highway, (National Route 1), Arrowsmith
Location(s)
Major settlements	Woodridge, Gabbadah, Lancelin, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Green Head, Leeman
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway  • Freeways in Australia Highways in Western Australia

Indian Ocean Drive is a coastal highway in the Australian state of Western Australia which services the coastal communities along the Indian Ocean immediately north of the state capital Perth, linking the northern suburb of Yanchep with the Brand Highway, just south of Dongara. In terms of regions, most of it exists in the Wheatbelt coastal region. The road provides travellers between Perth and Geraldton a 30-minute shorter and more scenic route than the inland Brand Highway which mainly services heavy traffic. ^[1] The road also improved access to Wedge Island.

History

On 26 September 2010 the final section of 65 kilometres (40 mi) of sealed road from north of Lancelin to the old Pinnacles Desert Drive, approximately 10 km south of Cervantes, was opened. The section was completed at a cost of $95 million. ^[2] On completion of the extension, State Route 60 was extended along the length of the road.

In December 2010, the state's Geographic Names Committee, on behalf of the Shire of Gingin, requested that the City of Wanneroo rename the northern section of Wanneroo Road to Indian Ocean Drive. A motion was put forward at the 14 December 2010 council meeting to rename the section from Yanchep Beach Road north to the intersection of Gingin Brook Road, reasoning that terminating Wanneroo Road at Yanchep National Park would "be good for tourism". However, Mayor Jon Kelly considered the proposal a "futile and worthless exercise that was tantamount to heresy". Other councillors called it "offensive to the pioneers" of Wanneroo, and wished to retain the name Wanneroo in the area's only main road. An alternative motion stating that the council "does not agree" to renaming the road was passed instead. ^[3] However, a subsequent renaming request was passed and the name Indian Ocean Drive was extended down to Yanchep Beach Road in 2011. ^[4]

Safety

The road, mainly the section between Yanchep and Lancelin, has been the scene of multiple car accidents. An 18-month period to June 2017 saw more than 50 serious crashes occuring on the road, ^[5] while at least nine fatalities and 41 people have been taken to hospital as a result of crashes along Indian Ocean Drive between 2014 and 2019. ^[6]

Since 2020 Indian Ocean Drive has received over $85 million in upgrades to improve the safety of the route, including widening and realignment works and the addition of overtaking lanes, audible lines and advisory signage in multiple languages. ^[7] However as of October 2025 the road remains notorious for its rate of accidents and serious crashes. ^[8]

Localities on coast

From the Perth metropolitan region that ceases before Yanchep:

• Two Rocks
• Guilderton
• Seabird
• Ledge Point
• Lancelin
• Wedge Island
• Grey
• Cervantes
• Jurien Bay
• Green Head
• Leeman
• Coolimba
• Illawong
• Port Denison
• Dongara

Major intersections

LGA	Location	km [9]	mi	Destinations [10] [11]	Notes
Wanneroo	Yanchep	0.00	0.00	Yanchep Beach Road  – Yanchep, Two Rocks west / Wanneroo Road (State Route 60) – Neerabup, Wanneroo, Perth south	Southern terminus of Indian Ocean Drive; Road continues south as Wanneroo Road (State Route 60)
		0.2	0.12	Old Yanchep Road – Pinjar, Banksia Grove, Mariginiup
Wanneroo–Gingin boundary	Two Rocks–Yeal boundary	10	6.2	Breakwater Drive – Two Rocks, Yanchep
Gingin	Neergabby–Woodridge boundary	30	19	Gingin Brook Road – Gingin
	Gabbadah	36	22	Guilderton Road – Guilderton
	Breton Bay–Gabbadah boundary	43	27	Seabird Road – Seabird
	Karakin–Ledge Point boundary	63	39	Ledge Point Road – Ledge Point
	Karakin–Lancelin–Ledge Point tripoint	66	41	KW Road – Ledge Point	Connects to Brand Highway and Gingin Brook Road via Sappers Road and Cowalla Road
	Karakin–Lancelin boundary	68	42	Lancelin Road – Lancelin
Gingin–Dandaragan boundary	Cooljarloo–Mimegarra–Wedge Island tripoint	90	56	Meadows Road – Cataby	Connects to Brand Highway via Mimegarra Road
Dandaragan	Nambung	133	83	Pinnacles Drive – The Pinnacles
	Cervantes–Nambung boundary	145	90	Cervantes Road – Cervantes, Badgingarra	Staggered T junctions. Connects to Brand Highway via Munbinea Road and Bibby Road
	Jurien Bay	171	106	Jurien Road – Hill River	Note Indian Ocean Drive is known as Bashford Street inside the Jurien Bay townsite
Coorow	Green Head	198	123	The Lakes Road – Green Head
	Green Head–Leeman boundary	201	125	Coorow–Green Head Road – Warradarge, Coorow northeast / Green Head Road – Green Head southwest	Staggered T junctions
Carnamah	Eneabba	221	137	Eneabba–Coolimba Road – Eneabba
Irwin	Arrowsmith	269	167	Brand Highway (National Route 1) – Dongara, Geraldton, Eneabba, Perth	Northern terminus of Indian Ocean Drive and State Route 60
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Australian Roadsportal

• The Pinnacles

References

1. "Indian Ocean Drive". Main Roads WA. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
2. Kent Acott (16 September 2010). "Indian Ocean road to drive new boom for coastal strip". The West Australian .
3. "Forget about renaming Wanneroo Rd". Joondalup Weekender. 16 December 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
4. "State Route 60 Indian Ocean Drive". Ozroads. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
5. Harradine, Natasha. "Indian Ocean Drive risk audit carried out after high number of serious crashes, fatalities". ABC News.
6. Shine, Rhiannon. "Locals issue warning to tourists". ABC News.
7. "Indian Ocean Drive upgrades to add 20 minute delays". Owner Driver.
8. Mosconi, Cassidy. "Two men narrowly escape with their lives after serious crash on Indian Ocean Drive in Wilbinga, north of Perth". 7 News.
9. Main Roads Western Australia. "Road Information Mapping System". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
10. Main Roads Western Australia (13 August 2013). Wheatbelt North Region map (PDF) (Map). Version 1.0. Government of Western Australia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013. Additional archives: 27 December 2013.
11. Main Roads Western Australia (16 August 2013). Mid West Region map (PDF) (Map). Version 1.0. Government of Western Australia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015. Additional archives: 1 February 2014.

External links

Media related to Indian Ocean Drive at Wikimedia Commons