Road trip: Eyre Peninsula

Once you see Gepps Cross you know you’ve said goodbye to Adelaide’s boulevards, parklands and civic squares. The country from here to Port Wakefield is flat and unremarkable, but the rhythm is soon broken by the sight of Port Pirie’s dramatic smokestacks. First stop is Port Augusta, an atmospheric old seaport at the tip of Spencer Gulf. Once a thriving railway hub the city now serves the isolated communities to the north – the Flinders Ranges are visible in the distance.

Visit the Wadlata Outback Centre to learn more about this ancient landscape, the dinosaurs that once roamed here and its Dreamtime stories. Continue your education at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, which is also a great place for lunch – try some kangaroo pepperoni, quandong chutney or native spice flavoured dukkah.

This section of your journey covers the east coast of Eyre Peninsula, a region that combines rolling farmland, jaw dropping ocean views and some of the prettiest coastal settlements in South Australia. Many Adelaideans have holiday houses on this stretch of coast and it’s easy to see why.

Just south of Whyalla, the township of Cowell is the centre of a booming oyster industry – there are several seafood outlets here, including Turners Oysters & Seafood, where you can buy freshly shucked oysters or, for something different, try an oyster kebab. Cowell is also famous for its jade, which is mined in the nearby Minbrie Range.

A short drive down the Lincoln Highway is Arno Bay, “home of the South Australian kingfish”. It’s another popular holiday destination, offering a protected swimming beach, a busy fishing harbour and a general store. If you’re a keen angler, drive on and stop instead at Tumby Bay. It’s famous for its King George whiting, but the waters are also well stocked with snapper, prawns and rock lobster.

This is also the stepping off point for trips to the Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park. Animal watchers can spot sea lions and velvet octopuses, or take a fishing charter in the unrestricted areas. Afterwards, relax on the front verandah of the Seabreeze Hotel, right on the town foreshore, before continuing south to Port Lincoln.

Once a commercial fishing harbour, Port Lincoln is now a magnet for outdoor adventure fanatics from around the planet. No one’s quite sure how it happened, but the combination of sparklingly clean water and great white sharks, Australian sea lions and bottlenose dolphins definitely helped.

Today, Port Lincoln is one of the few places where you can both dive with sharks and swim with sea lions. Local operator Calypso Star Charters offers shark cage diving, snorkelling with sea lions and, for the less brave, seafood cruises on Boston Bay. Southern bluefin tuna from here is air freighted to the world’s top restaurants, but you’ll find plenty of local places of sample the seafood.

To appreciate the sheer abundance of these waters, visit The Fresh Fish Place, which sells a huge selection of fish, crabs, abalone, scallops, octopus, mussels and oysters. The factory outlet also offers cooked fish, gourmet fish products, tours and cooking classes. For a more refined dining experience, book a table at Del Giorno’s, Port Lincoln’s premier seafood restaurant.

Before leaving for Baird Bay and the west coast, make sure you drop into Boston Bay Wines. The winery makes a range of pleasant, food friendly reds and whites. Other nearby attractions are Lincoln National Park and the ramshackle oyster village of Coffin Bay, where you can experience incredible oyster farm tours.

The next section of the drive, which hugs the wild coastline, is equally rewarding. Make sure you stop at Murphy’s Haystacks, an outcrop of pink granite boulders. A little further north is historic Streaky Bay, which now supports a thriving fishing community; for something a little different, buy some wild caught abalone from Streaky Bay Seafood. If you are still seeking more fun experiences then EP cruises is the go-to for whale watching in Streaky Bay.