If you ask someone why they want to visit the Eyre Peninsula, our wild landscapes are probably one of the main reasons! It’s big nature out here, from the pristine beaches to the rough-around-the-edges outback. It’s a rich and varied environment, and it gets wilder the further you roam.
Venture beyond the tourist trail and discover private islands and hidden gems or visit some of the well-loved locations.
Some of our national parks are well-known – like the stunning Coffin Bay National Park, with its sandy white beaches (we’re looking at you, Almonta), 4WD tracks, walking trails and windswept cliffs. With parts of the park having sealed roads, it means it's also easily accessible for 2WD vehicles. Nearby, the Lincoln National Park has its own sand dunes at Wanna, and Memory Cove with its limited daily capacity is a special place to visit. Inland you’ll find the ancient Gawler Ranges, with its unique rock formations caused by volcanic activity millions of years ago and early pioneer history. Explore the Organ Pipes and chase waterfalls at Kolay Mirica Falls, when the rains have been. Lake Gairdner, the epic salt lake surrounded by red earth north of the Gawlers, is a pretty surreal experience when you stand in the lake’s centre and the horizon seems to disappear!
Some of the lesser-known parks are worth a visit as well, though. The Lake Newland Conservation Park near Elliston is the most extensive wetland on the Eyre Peninsula and is surrounded by coastal dunes. It’s also near Walker’s Rock beach! Fowler’s Bay Conservation Park boasts some great remote surf fishing, as well as plenty of bird watching opportunities. Spy sea lions at Point Labatt Conservation Park, follow the walk around ‘the Point’ in the Venus Bay Conservation Park, or take a tour out to the Neptune Islands Conservation Park to cage-dive with sharks.
There's so much to see and explore outside of the parks too – and plenty of great places for the kids to run around and discover. Whaler's Way near Port Lincoln can be accessed via a permit (online or via the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre) and is definitely on the wild side. Rugged cliffs, spectacular views and beautiful rock pools (beware the waves and tides) make for an excellent day out.
Rock hop your way around Wudinna on the Eyre Highway, making stops at Pildappa with its impressive wave formation and climbing to the top of Mount Wudinna for views to the ranges. Polda rock is definitely worth a lunch time and a walk for sweeping views too. Keep with the rock theme and visit the amusingly named Murphy's Haystacks near Streaky Bay – named after a Scottish visitor thought they were haystacks in a paddock! It's just a gold coin donation to see these magnificent formations. There's sometimes some home grown honey at the entrance for sale too! This is a privately owned property to please be sure to respect the landscape and access, so it can continue to be shared by many for years to come.
And we can't talk about natural wonders without mentioning Lake MacDonnell, our pink lake near Penong (not always pink, so don't be disappointed if it's not like the Insta pics when you get there), the many, many rock pools dotted along the coast and the breath-taking Talia Caves.
If you really want to get away from it all, we have islands to choose from too! You can stay at Flinders Island or Rumi on Louth and pretend you're the owner of your very own private island. Both have amazing environment and sustainability stories to tell!
