Eyre Peninsula Guides Attractions Events in South Australia

During the summer season, holidaymakers flock to Arno Bay on Eyre Peninsula to enjoy the mild climate, the boating and angling and the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.

The scenic shoreline stretching away from Arno Bay is formed by a series of lovely beaches surrounded by unique cliff formations. One of these areas, known as Redbanks, was once designated a geological monument by the Geological Society of Australia.

A visit to nearby Hincks Conservation Park and pristine Wharminda Soaks is a must for bushwalkers to discover interesting rock formations, abundant wildflowers and flora.

Nilka's Simply Rustic Gallery, a unique 1909 building and once the farm's shearer’s quarters, is now home to works of art, pottery and craft for sale. Telephone 08 8628 9050 for opening times.

Arno Bay began as a shipping port servicing the local farming districts, where superphosphate was brought in and cereal crops were sent out. The jetty, an old beacon and the original super shed still stand as a reminder of this era.

Sitting on the sweeping shores of Murat Bay, Ceduna is blessed with blue skies most days of the year and has excellent tourist facilities, including five caravan parks and four motels.

In Ceduna, you can relax while diving, sailing, taking in a scenic walk or drive, or heading to nearby sandy swimming beaches.

Ceduna boasts rich Aboriginal cultural ties and a proud history in the agricultural, seafood and mining sectors. It's the last major town on the drive west to Perth and the first after crossing the Nullarbor from Western Australia.

But it's much more than a resting place. Today, its annual Oysterfest is gaining national acclaim and the Ceduna Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Centre is a must for anyone with an eye for unique Aboriginal and contemporary arts. There's also a golf course and National Trust Museum.

For more information contact the Ceduna Visitor Information Centre:
Toll Free: 1800 639 413.
Web: www.cedunatourism.com.au
Email: ceduna_vic@bigpond.com.au

Primarily a service town for outlying farms, Cleve has preserved its rich farming heritage with impressive wall murals and permanent outdoor displays of everything from a dray to the council's first grader.

Cleve has all major shops, varied accommodation and great country sports facilities including a 18 hole golf course running along a creek bed.

Visit the National Trust listed Old Council Chambers, housing a museum of early day heritage attractions. Stand atop the look-out adjacent to the town, offering fine panoramic views.

An attractive scenic drive follows the line of the Cleve-Cowell Hills, offering you fine views of the plains and Spencer Gulf. It is not uncommon to spot emus, kangaroos or mallee fowls during this drive.

The township was surveyed in 1878 and Cleve was proclaimed on 6 March 1879, named by Governor Jervois after his cousin's county seat in Devon, England. The new town was only 27 kilometres from the shipping port of Arno Bay. Cleve is a unique inland Eyre Peninsula town in that it is not serviced by either rail or Ausbulk silo.

Coffin Bay township is located west of Port Lincoln on the shores of one of the most beautiful estuaries in Australia. The visitor is offered an unparalleled scenic view of vast expanses of meandering waterways with bays, channels and inlets providing a variety of fishing to excite both the amateur and professional fisherman. It is an unspoilt family holiday retreat, so much so that its permanent population of around 430 swells to over 2,000 in summer, an indication of its popularity. Coffin Bay provides the ultimate escape from big city pressures. There are very few locations more ideally suited for fishing (rock, surf, angling and boat), or as safe for boating, sailing, swimming, water-skiing, skin-diving and wind-surfing as Coffin Bay.

Accommodation is provided by way of a hotel/motel, holiday units and cabins and a caravan park. Camping is also permitted within the nearby National Park areas for those who prefer a wilderness environment.

Coffin Bay also boasts a yacht club, nine hole golf course and bowls green. An airstrip located on the outskirts of Coffin Bay caters to a small but increasing number of charter and private aircraft.

Renowned for its recreational fishing. Charter trips may be arranged to the offshore game fishing areas. Boat owners are catered for by four concrete launching ramps which are floodlit at night and protected by groynes for easier boat handling. The Yacht Club jetty mooring area is popular with trailer-sailors.

Coulta is a small country community, situated at the foot of Marble Range, in picturesque sheep and cereal farming country.

A short drive takes you to the beautiful, tranquil beaches for surf fishing, diving, board surfing or sunbathing. These beaches being Coles, Greenly, Convention Beach, the latter being famous for its salmon fishing. A large salt lake, Lake Greenly, can be seen at the foot of Mount Greenly, an area frequented by hang-gliding enthusiasts. Some 35 kilometres north of Coulta is a stretch of highway between Mount Hope and Sheringa which runs tantalisingly close to some of the most spectacular coastline to be found on Eyre Peninsula.

Cummings Monument Lookout, 60 kilometres south of Elliston, affords an uninterrupted view from Point Drummond in the south to the rugged cliffs of Sheringa in the north. It is also home to a family of osprey which nest on a craggy pinnacle adjacent to the lookout. The lookout is serviced by a short well formed access road and carpark with plenty of room for caravans, well worth a stop for tourists travelling the Flinders Highway between Port Lincoln and Ceduna.

Cowell is a seaside town on the Eyre Peninsula offering interesting attractions, a variety of accommodation and a fascinating history.

Franklin Harbour, a 48 square kilometre natural harbour with calm, fish filled waters, has for many years fostered Cowell's reputation as one of the best fishing destinations in South Australia. And now it's also helping to put Cowell on the map as an oyster producer.

The harbour supports an array of fish including whiting, snapper, snook, tommy ruff, flathead, garfish and squid. Crabs are also caught night and day in the shallows, while the mangrove swamp south of town is a haven for birds.

Franklin Harbour's popularity has been backed by many foreshore developments including the deepening of the boating channel, a new enclosed tidal aquatic area, sheltered barbecue facilities and a large adventure playground.

There's also plenty to do away from the water. Cowell boasts one of the largest jade deposits in the world and the famed Gumnuts children's author May Gibbs spent part of her life here. Settled in 1853, Cowell has developed into a substantial township with a variety of shops, telecentre with internet access, accommodation and sporting facilities.

The words Cowell and jade go hand in hand; as it is here that the beautiful nephrite jade was discovered in 1965 in the nearby Minbrie Ranges. Cowell jade is recognised as the oldest and one of the largest deposits in the world, with a variety of colours and patterns not found elsewhere. There are souvenirs, cut jade, jewellery and some of the most colourful marble available at the Cowell Jade Motel Showroom (open seven days a week).

Oyster farming is a relatively new but thriving industry in this community. Leased areas in Franklin Harbour produce these delicacies on a commercial basis. A large percentage of South Australia's oyster supply came from Cowell last year. Fresh seafood and oysters in season can be purchased through various outlets in Cowell. Finfish farming is also conducted in the harbour and although in its infancy is a growing industry in Cowell.

Places to visit in Cowell:

Aqa Oysters - meet the business that offers the taste of the sea in every oyster; see bulk handling practices in action. Tours include a tasting of a natural oyster, video presentation of farming techniques. Fresh oysters available for sale. Tours Monday to Friday at 1400. Group bookings welcome (weekends included).

Eyre Peninsula's largest wind farm - Mount Millar Wind Farm is operational on an escarpment approximately 38 kilometres from Cowell travelling towards Cleve. From the public viewing area at the top of Range Road see the enormous two-megawatt wind turbines with a blade diameter of 71 metres atop an 85 metre tall tower – a total height of 120 metres. The viewing area is signposted at 17 kilometres from Cowell on the Cowell-Cleve Road, and is open to the public seven days a week - admission is free.

May Gibbs Memorial - approximately 10 kilometres from Cowell on the Cleve Road. A memorial and plaque marks the nearby location of the first Australian home of renowned children's author May Gibbs. The early part of her childhood in this area would have been important in the later development of the famous 'Gumnut Babies' characters for her many books.

Darke Peak is a small community on Eyre Peninsula which is an ideal base for local bushwalking and birdwatching.

You'll find Darke Range, Caralue Bluff and Carappee Conservation Park nearby. Carappee Hill is the highest point - 495 metres above sea level. Hambidge Wilderness Area and Darke Range conservation parks are also nearby - good locations for bushwalking and birdwatching.

The town of Darke Peak and the nearby range were named after John Charles Darke who was speared in 1844 while on an exploratory trip. His grave is located on the western side of the Darke Range.

A historic small town on the shores of Murat Bay, Denial Bay is one of the major areas for oyster growing and production on the Eyre Peninsula.

Denial Bay offers a good jetty perfect for catching the abundant blue swimmer crabs, King George Whiting and other fish species.

The historic McKenzie Ruins and the McKenzie’s Landing provide an interesting history to the settlement of the region.

Denial Bay is close to Ceduna, one of the larger towns of the Eyre Peninsula, serviced by an airport, accommodation facilities, art galleries and more.

This popular coastal town on the Eyre Peninsula is famed for sightings of whales, sea-lions and dolphins.

Elliston sits on tranquil Waterloo Bay - ideal for fishing, swimming or snorkelling. The bay is protected by Port Wellington and Point Wellesley, making it the perfect breeding habitat for many fish species. Explore the caves scattered around the bay and use the boat launching facilities and pontoon. There's also a heritage-listed jetty that has been recently restored.

Take time to discover Lake Newland Conservation Park, with its fascinating lake system and bird observation areas. Walker's Rocks offers a bay for swimming, snorkelling and fishing. And the Talia Caves, 40 kilometres north west of Elliston, feature patterns etched into limestone roofs by years of sea and wind. It's a spectacular scene.

The Elliston township boasts the largest mural in the southern hemisphere, measuring 500 metres squared. It was painted by local artists and the community.

There's 2000 kilometres of coastline to explore on Eyre Peninsula, and rarely will there be another boat bobbing on the best patch, tourists blocking your camera lens, or even footprints in the sand. It's a tranquil and rewarding coastal holiday destination.

Watch Southern Right Whales play with their young beneath cliffs at the Head of Bight; jump in and swim with dolphins and sea-lions at tranquil Baird Bay, or dive with the fluorescent cuttlefish at Whyalla.

Get an unequalled sense of time and space on the drive across the Nullarbor Plain. Stretch out under a billion stars in camping spots along Eyre Peninsula's coast or in pristine wilderness areas right across the region. You'll find wildlife everywhere, and nowhere more than in the Gawler Ranges (the only place in Australia where you'll see three of the five big kangaroo species in one spot … the euro, red and grey kangaroo).

Buy seafood straight from the factory or the fisherman, or listen to your own line sing as a salmon takes the bait in pounding surf. Hike across dazzling dunes or stroll along the water's edge in search of delicate seashells.

During your South Australian holiday, take time to discover Eyre Peninsula's seaside towns and friendly farming communities, the volcanic monoliths and stark salt lakes of the Gawler Ranges, a hinterland of golden grain and vast desert plains extending right up to the Outback.

Festivals and Events:
Time your journey to coincide with one of many quirky Eyre Peninsula events. See thousands of oysters shucked at the Ceduna Oyster Festival in October. Toss a tuna at Port Lincoln's John West Tunarama Festival in January. Go off the rails at the Kalamazoo Classic in Cummins each April. Or immerse yourself in a country show, race meeting or sports carnival.

Australia's Seafood and Aquaculture Trail:
Discover why Eyre Peninsula accounts for 60 per cent of South Australia's seafood on the country's only extensive seafood and aquaculture trail. Stretching from Whyalla to Ceduna, the trail will take you on a journey through 16 amazing businesses. Tour South Australia’s only sea horse farm at Port Lincoln. Hand pick your own crayfish at Elliston. Eat world-renowned Smoky Bay or Coffin Bay oysters at the farm gate. Grab a copy of the trail brochure and map at visitor information centres across the region.

Port Lincoln:
Set beside one of the world’s largest protected harbours, Port Lincoln is a regional hub for seafood and aquaculture. You'll find an abundance of freshly-caught seafood, and activities and adventures for every taste: from diving with sharks to hiking along coastline and tasting local wine from a cellar door overlooking Boston Bay. During your holiday, make sure you take to the calm waters for fishing and sailing, discover sheltered bays, booming surf beaches and spectacular lookouts.

A Town or Two:
Explore the regional city of Whyalla (South Australia's third largest) and other Eyre Peninsula towns. Visit the Whyalla Maritime Museum and tour the steelworks. Buy jade at Cowell; fish off historic jetties at Streaky Bay, Venus Bay, Elliston and Coffin Bay (and just about everywhere else); hike the 4 kilometre walking trail; check out Aboriginal crafts in Ceduna; or visit the mining museum at Iron Knob.

Whale of a Tale:
Watch in awe as up to 100 Southern Right Whales (many weighing 80 tonnes and measuring up to 18 metres long) pass by the South Australian coast on their annual migratory sojourn to Antarctica. At Head of Bight, stand just metres from the action on viewing platforms built above the towering Bunda Cliffs.

Talk to the Animals at Baird Bay:
Play with sea-lions and dolphins on the swimming experience of a lifetime in the pristine waters of Baird Bay, on the far west coast of Eyre Peninsula. Stay for the day to fish for whiting and enjoy a sumptuous lunch aboard the 12-metre Investigator.

Nullarbor Plain:
Go beneath the Nullarbor to explore the enchanting Aboriginal hand prints of the Murrawijine Caves (they're just a short drive from the Nullarbor Road House). Or stay on the surface for 360-degree views and a clear picture of why the Nullarbor Plain takes its name from the Latin "nullis" and "arbor" (meaning no trees). Covering an area of 77,000 square miles, the plain was created about 25 million years ago when it emerged from the sea.

Constantia Designer Craftsmen:
Take a tour and learn why Constantia Designer Craftsmen had the honour of designing and building two main tables for the Canberra's new Parliament House. The Port Lincoln company is one of only six in the world to receive full membership to the International Guild of Master Craftsmen.

Gawler Ranges:
Wander through deep gorges, seasonal blooms and volcanic rock domes more than 1500 million years old in the Gawler Ranges National Park. It's South Australia's newest national park and home to a vast array of flora and fauna including 21 rare and threatened species, from the southern hairy-nosed wombat and hopping mouse to the Mallee fowl. You can enter the park from various spots along the Eyre Highway (or from the Outback to the north) and a permit costs just $7 per vehicle.

Cuttlefish Chameleons:
Snorkel among Australian giant cuttlefish in their annual spawning grounds just offshore from Whyalla, and watch as these “chameleons of the sea” quickly change colour and texture to blend with any environment. The amazing natural phenomenon occurs from May to August and you can hire equipment from Whyalla Diving Services.

Surf's Up:
Hang ten at legendary Cactus Beach on Eyre Peninsula, trying your moves on the left-hand surfing breaks of Castles and Cactus and the mighty right-hand break of Caves. These surf breaks aren't for the faint-hearted, so inexperienced riders might do well to catch the action from the beach before pitching a tent at the campsite nearby during your surfing holiday.

The rough and tumble times of early whaling have made way for peace and tranquility at Fowlers Bay, where the sand hills are awesome and fishing is fine.

Named by Matthew Flinders in honour of his First Lieutenant Robert Fowler, the site was later used by explorer Edward John Eyre as a base camp for his historic overland journey to Albany.

Fowlers Bay, situated in the Fowlers Bay Conservation Park, has a seaside caravan park, kiosk (serving diesel only) and holiday units. Take time to observe the wildlife both on shore and offshore.

Just a couple of hours drive from Fowlers Bay is Head Bight where during the whale watching season from May to October you can view the magnificent Southern Right Whales.

Fowlers Bay is blessed with an abundance of good fishing including Mulloway, Whiting, Garfish, Tommy Ruff, Trevally and Sweep to name a few. For the casual fisherman Fowlers Bay jetty is just a short walk from your accommodation. Nearby Scott's Beach and "Mexican Hat" are very popular for surf fishing.

Spectacular beaches, unspoilt coastline, rugged cliffs and sand hills are all close to Fowlers Bay.

Iron Knob is the birthplace of the Australian steel industry.

Iron ore was first discovered here in the mid 18th century, but it was not until 1899 when BHP (BHP Billiton/BHP Steel) was granted iron ore leases that the true value of the rich high grade ore deposits were recognised. The mine operated for 99 years with 150 million tons being mined from the twin leases of Iron Knob and Iron Monarch.

Today Onesteel Whyalla Steelworks primarily operates from Iron Duke in the Middle Back Ranges.

Situated just off Highway One, Iron Knob is 50 kilometres north west of Whyalla. In Whyalla, you'll find plenty of opportunities for fishing, beach activities, diving and more. There's also a Maritime Museum and plenty of places to eat and stay.

Situated halfway across Australia on the renowned Eyre Highway, Kimba is the eastern gateway to the spectacular Gawler Ranges, a short 100-kilometre drive northwest.

Kimba is a wheat growing community with a population of approximately 1200. Visit its fascinating historical museum, see the Big Galah, the renovated Community Hotel and a beautiful giftware shop, The Pine 'n Pug

You'll find many walking and cycling trails in and around the Kimba district. The town also offers you shaded picnic areas, playground and barbecue areas with public toilet facilities.

Read all about the beautiful Gawler Ranges in the information bay located on Railway Terrace in Kimba.

Kyancutta derived its name from the local hill, which has the Aboriginal name Kutta Kutta meaning Little Night Hawk.

An official weather station was established in 1928 and members of the Bedford family have maintained three hourly programs of weather observations.

In 1986, Polkdinney Park was opened in honour of the first settlers to the area.

The unique granite outcrop of Corrobinnie Hill and Pinkawillinie Conservation Park can be seen, but are generally only accessible by four wheel drive vehicles.

Pinkawillinie Conservation Park and the surrounding Gawler Ranges offer a wide range of nature-based activities including 4WD touring, bush camping,
bushwalking, photography and nature. Corrobinnie Hill is made up of unusual-shaped, weathered, granite rocks. This site is located within Corrobinnie Hill Conservation Park and can be accessed by 4WD from Kyancutta.

Situated almost in the geographical centre of the Peninsula and thus an ideal base, Lock is a small town with good facilities set in a thriving sheep-farming and cereal growing district. The town was proclaimed in March 1918, and named after Corporal Albert Lock, a local landholder who was killed in action in Belgium in 1917.

Accommodation is provided by way of a hotel, and a caravan park. Sporting facilities also include an 18 hole golf course, bowling greens, turfed oval, tennis courts, swimming pool, wading pool and playground within licensed sporting complex and a racecourse. Lock also has a supermarket and takeaway and a landing strip for small aircraft.

Minnipa is one of several gateways to the beautiful Gawler Ranges National Park, famed for its Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats, pygymy possums, hopping mice and 140 species of wild flowers.

Minnipa is an important cereal growing area. The town boasts the Centre for Excellence in Low Rainfall Farming in southern Australia and the Minnipa Agricultural Centre. This facility operates as a commercial farming enterprise and certified seed grower and demonstrates the latest dry land agricultural research.

At the Heirloom Leather Collection, you can watch craftsmen working as you browse through the collection of hand plaited kangaroo leather whips, belts and more. Minnipa has good facilities for tourists including accommodation, swimming pool, playground and picnic area.

See nearby natural wonders - Pildappa, Tcharkulda, Yarwondutta, Minnipa Hill and Chilpuddie - with their waves, caves and gnamma holes. Settlers constructed elaborate gutters, dams and tanks around them to catch and store precious water.

The explorer Edward John Eyre camped in the Minnipa area when he travelled from Streaky Bay to the head of Spencer Gulf in 1839. The first settlers of the district arrived in the 1860s and the town was gazetted in 1915. In 1875 Stephen Hack, leading a government sponsored expedition mapped and recorded the names of the granite outcrops in the surrounding district.

The Nullarbor Roadhouse is the access point for adventure on the expansive Nullarbor Plain.

This roadhouse is much more than a service station, as it includes a motel, restaurant and caravan park. It is adjacent to the historic Nullarbor Homestead.

The Nullarbor Plain itself is 77,000 square miles and stretches 720km. Not surprisingly, the name comes from the Latin Nullus and Arbor, meaning 'no trees'. The Nullarbor region is one of the largest semi arid Karst landforms in the world. There are a variety of caves across this sunburnt landscape, including Murrawijinie Caves north of the roadhouse which have been approved for public access. There's also the Koonalda Cave and Bunabie Blowhole that may be viewed from the top. Most caves however, can only be accessed in the company of National Parks and Wildlife officers or with an accredited caving group.

Just south east of Nullabor is the magnificent Head of Bight, where Southern Right Whales can be seen on their annual migration from June to October.

Nundroo is an important service centre for travellers making the trek across the expansive Nullarbor - one of Australia's great road journeys. It's also the perfect base for unforgettable day trips around the Eyre Peninsula.

The area surrounding Nundroo offers you superb fishing, coastal scenery, surfing and much early history. Day trips can include a visit to view the native wild flowers, treks through the sand dunes, exploring old settlers cottages, and surf or rock fishing at Scott's Beach, Mexican Hat or Cabot's Beach.

One of the West Coast's earliest settlements was at Fowlers Bay, named by Matthew Flinders after his First Lieutenant. It was an important staging point for Eyre's epic across Australian journey in 1840.

Penong is the first town you reach as you travel west from Ceduna, on the Eyre Peninsula.

It's a good 'watering hole' before the long journey across the Nullarbor Plain - one of Australia's great road trips.

Penong offers a pub with beer garden, a couple of stores and a caravan park. Just south of Penong, you'll find the highly acclaimed Cactus Beach, where surfers from all over Australia and overseas can be found year-round. Cactus has three perfect surfing breaks - Castles and Cactus both left handers and Caves, a powerful right-hand break.

Although the surrounding land is private property, the owner permits camping in a natural environment. Toilets and bore water showers are provided, and firewood is supplied nightly.

Situated in Eyre Peninsula's central wheat belt, Poochera had its beginning as a small service town for the surrounding pastoral community. The township was not surveyed until 1920, and its name is believed to be of Aboriginal derivation.

The township may be an ideal stopover point on your journey along the Eyre Highway and has a hotel, caravan park, bowling green, golf course, oval, tennis courts, and roadhouse.

The prominent Gawler Ranges, offering excellent panoramic views of the central plains, and ideal for camping, are situated some 30 kilometres east of Poochera. The area has recently discovered the dinosaur ant - previously thought to be extinct!

Port Kenny is a small township situated on the Flinders Highway, between Elliston and Streaky Bay, overlooking beautiful Venus Bay and catering for the needs of the surrounding mixed farms, local fishing industry and holiday makers.

It is the perfect base for excellent jetty or boat fishing and is renowned for an abundance and variety of fish such as garfish, snook, flounder, trevally, King George whiting and tommies, to name but a few. If it's surfing you enjoy the nearby surf beaches are fast gaining a widespread reputation for both board riding and fishing with good catches of large salmon being the norm all year-round.

Facilities include a hotel (with accommodation), bed and breakfast and caravan park, fuel outlet, takeaway, post office and general store which offers 24 hour fuel service and all your fishing and daily needs.

Attractions close to Port Kenny include Baird Bay, Murphy's Haystacks, Point Labatt Sea Lion Colony, Talia Caves and the Venus Bay Conservation Park.
All offer unspoilt natural flora with magnificent views of the bay and countryside.

Port Lincoln is the Eyre Peninsula's second largest city, set on the shores of Boston Bay, Australia's largest natural harbour.

A magnificent marina development, Lincoln Cove, is home to the tuna fishing fleets of the Great Australian Bight.

Port Lincoln offers a myriad of holiday ideas, from fishing and sailing, to diving with great white sharks, touring aquaculture industries and exploring the area's sheltered beaches and booming surf. Seafood is always on the menu, with seasonal specialities including southern rock lobster, western king prawns and oysters.

Discover a range of galleries and museums including the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum and the Lincoln Maritime Science Centre. The Glen-Forest Tourist Park offers hands-on experience with kangaroos, koalas, wombats and more. Enjoy walking trails offering magnificent views.

You can also take a cage-diving tour here, to see Great White Sharks up close, and swim among giant tuna!

Port Lincoln is home to the popular Tunarama Festival, held every January. This family event showcases the best in local seafood, wine, art and music - and includes the famous tuna tossing championships.

Port Neill is an attractive coastal town on the eastern shores of Eyre Peninsula, providing for tourists and visitors of all ages. Situated three kilometres off the main Whyalla - Port Lincoln Highway, the town has that quiet attraction while still within an hour's drive of Port Lincoln and many other Eyre Peninsula centres. Look for "George" our King George Whithing, just five kilometres north of Port Neill.

Port Neill offers one of the cleanest and safest swimming beaches, as well as providing a great venue for fishing, boating, sailing, skiing or skin-diving. The lawns on the foreshore and shelters provide an ideal site for the whole family, plus you are within walking distance to the town jetty. The "Green Shed" (this is the only remaining "Goods" shed as evidence of Port Neill's former busy seaport days) which has a coin-operated barbecue and seating.

Port Neill has a hotel, caravan park and holiday flats. Sporting and recreational facilities include the town oval, tennis courts, golf course and bowling green. The Port Neill boat ramp and breakwater is located on the southern side of the bay and leads into deep water providing an all-weather launching site Port Neill is serviced daily by Stateliner Coach (to and from Adelaide/Port Lincoln).

Smoky Bay is an ideal family holiday town on the Eyre Peninsula, with safe beaches for swimming, wind surfing and boating.

In this relaxed setting, the fish are plentiful and the oysters are fresh, plump and delicious.

Visitors are always welcome on the golf course and at the community club. You'll find a boat ramp right by the foreshore, a caravan park with cabins, and the friendly general store is open seven days.

Smoky Bay is approximately 40 kilometres from Ceduna and is a major area for oyster growing. In Ceduna, you'll find accommodation, a local airport, and plenty of other facilities.

Streaky Bay is a picturesque coastal resort which acts as a service centre for the surrounding rural community, with wheat, barley, wool and fat lambs being the main activity on the land. Also cattle, pigs and poultry contribute to a lesser extent to the general economy of the area. Granite mining is now a significant industry.

The other major industry is of course fishing and aquaculture The most valuable catches in this area are the famous King George whiting, southern rock lobster (or crayfish), abalone and shark. Many other species of fish abound in Streaky Bay waters, including salmon, snapper, garfish, snook, tommy ruffs, flounder, trevally, squid, blue swimmer and sand crabs, razorfish, scallops and other varieties of whiting. Oyster farms are also being developed.

Accommodation is provided by way of a budget motel, hotel/motel, holiday flats, bed and breakfast, and caravan park at Streaky Bay. Excellent shopping and dining-out facilities are also provided, while the town has a well-equipped modern hospital and senior citizens' home, and resident doctor. Of the various sporting bodies, the Golf and Bowls Clubs and the Sports Club (at Town Oval) are licensed and offer reciprocal membership to visitors.

A boat ramp is located just north of the township and an all-weather ramp is located adjacent to the big radio masts.

Situated on a picturesque sheltered bay 50 kilometress north of Port Lincoln. Tumby Bay is centrally located to all lower Eyre Peninsula attractions. The peaceful lifestyle, temperate climate, along with crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches, islands and fishing offers an idyllic relaxing all year-round holiday destination.

The town is an important service centre to the surrounding agricultural community, is well placed in terms of a modern, well-equipped hospital, shopping, sporting and accommodation facilities. It has a motel, self-contained holiday units, flats and cabins, beachfront caravan park, two hotels, farm cottage (near Ungarra), a bed and breakfast (west of Tumby Bay). Numerous take-away/dine-in food outlets for the welcomed visitor. Tumby Bay has excellent sporting facilities, including lawn bowls, golf, oval, tennis courts, yacht club, croquet, shooting range, netball, basketball and squash courts. The town has a good recreational jetty and a community built boat ramp for the boating and fishing enthusiasts. Tumby Bay is serviced daily by coach (Premier Stateliner).

Venus Bay is a picturesque small seaside holiday town which sits on a narrow peninsula overlooking Venus Bay and its islands. It is quiet, peaceful and friendly and its tranquil sheltered waters provide an absolute mecca for the small boat and jetty fisherman as well as water-skiing, swimming, canoeing or sailing. The town Lookout offers breathtaking views of towering cliffs and booming surf rolling in from the Great Australian Bight. Keen board riders can also view surf conditions of nearby surf beaches from here.

Venus Bay offers a variety of facilities by way of bed and breakfast, houseboat hire, holiday units, caravan park, post office, licensed general store, fuel and gas, fish-scaling bay, boat-launching facilities, playground, public toilets, safe swimming beach with shade, public phones, visitor information and boat hire. A nine hole golf course is located nearby, halfway between Port Kenny and Venus Bay.

The town jetty boasts good fishing all year-round for the keen fisherman and is lit up at night for the even keener fisherman.

Walk the South Head Walking Trail at Venus Bay where you may see pods of dolphins surfing and frolicking through the waves at the bay's entrance. You might also spot Australian sea lions, sea eagles and from May to October this is a great viewing spot for the Southern Right Whales as they migrate to the Great Australian Bight.

The Needle Eye Lookout offers spectacular vistas of natural rock formations, rugged cliffs and breathtaking views of the coastline. Feel the fresh Southern Ocean breeze while standing at lookouts over the best views the Great Australian Bight and Eyre Peninsula has to offer.

You might even stumble across some 100,000 year old fossil cocoons locally known as clogs. The weevils that lived in the cocoons (Leptoptus duponti) once habitated this area.

Although the township itself was not surveyed until 1882, pastoral leases had been taken out in the Wangary and surrounding areas much earlier. There are many stone buildings from the early period of settlement still to be seen today. Two of these, Stone Farm (built over 100 years ago) found on the left of the main road from Port Lincoln and a little further on as you enter Wangary, the lovely Anglican Church (built in 1900). The township has limited facilities, however the ''Old Hotel" (no longer licensed) provides fuel, bait, ice, take-away food and drinks as well as souvenirs.

Wangary also has a licensed community sports club, an oval and tennis courts all available for hire. To the east of the township is Lake Wangary, a small but permanently fresh water lake, one of the few on the Peninsula.

At nearby Mount Dutton Bay the recently restored heritage listed jetty and woolshed date back to the era when ketches serviced this area to bring provisions and take away wheat and wool from the farmers. The woolshed, built by Price Maurice in 1875, provided warehouse space for these provisions from 1880 to 1945.

A trip to Farm Beach is worthwhile with a spectacular beach and camping ground. The beautiful drive on beach is ideal for boat launching in the summer months. A great spot for picnics and beach or rock fishing.

Renowned for its excellent fishing, this beach requires tractors to launch and retrieve fishing boats, hence the name.

To the north lies Gallipoli Beach where in 1981 the Anzac Cove scenes for the world famous Australian production of Gallipoli were filmed.

Whyalla truly is the city where the Outback Meets the Sea. With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, fascinating history and plenty to see and do Whyalla is the ideal holiday destination.

The city itself has an excellent foreshore, with a delightful shady park and marina. There are excellent cafes and restaurants close to the beach to sit back and take in the atmosphere.

See the Whyalla Maritime Museum or Mount Laura Homestead, take a tour of the steelworks or attend one of Whyalla's friendly community events.

Just over 30 kilometres from the city is Point Lowly Lighthouse, a local icon. The safe nearby beaches are great for taking the kids and there is magnificent fishing from shore or boat. Diving in the area is fantastic particularly during the renowned Giant Australian Cuttlefish season. There are some excellent coastal scenic drives overlooking the Southern Flinders Ranges and usually rewarded with sightings of dolphins frolicking in the shallow waters.

Whyalla is fast building a name as a fisherman's paradise. With a wide array of different species for anglers to try their skills at, including the elusive 'big red snapper'. Over Easter long weekend there are over 750 anglers that converge on the city to compete in the annual snapper fishing competition.

Whether you come to Whyalla for a week, there is certainly something for everyone 'where the outback meets the sea'.

The rural town of Wirrulla is an ideal spot to begin the scenic journey through the Gawler Ranges National Park (home to rare animals and amazing landforms) and north to Kingoonya and Glendambo.

Situated in Eyre Peninsula's inland wheat belt, it is only 35 kilometres to the nearest beach at Haslam, a small town near Streaky Bay, so fishing, swimming and crabbing are never far away. Visitors to Wirrulla are advised to take a look at the town jetty as the tide is almost always out.

Like other Eyre Highway towns, Wirrulla is primarily a service centre for the surrounding farming community, but facilities are still available in the form of a great little pub, caravan park and general store.

Wudinna is an ideal base to explore local natural attractions and the nearby Gawler Ranges National Park, a volcanic landscape rich with wildlife.

See Ucontitchie Hill, a rock of international geological significance. It stands in complete isolation and can be see for kilometres around. Or Corrobinnie Hill and Polda Rock Reserve, great for birdwatching. The granite sculptures of Wudinna Rock and Turtle Rock are nearby, as well as stunning west coast beaches and Pinkawillinie National Park.

In Wudinna, visit the Gawler Ranges Cultural Centre, housing art and cultural displays.

Mount Wudinna is one of the largest exposed monoliths in Australia, 10 kilometres from the town. Picnic, barbecue, toilet and ample vehicle parking facilities are available there. National Highway One (Eyre Highway) bisects the town, making it easily accessible for travellers. The town also hosts the black tie Mount Wudinna Dinner Dance every two years at the base, using this spectacular backdrop for an evening of entertainment.

The vast Yalata Aboriginal lands cover 458,000 hectares and are home to a community of approximately 400 people.

From June to October each year, Southern Right Whales visit this coastline on their annual breeding migration. You can try beach fishing in search of mulloway, salmon and shark.

Information and permits to enter Yalata Aboriginal Lands are available from Head of Bight Interpretive Centre during the whale season.