10 Places to Stop Along the Eyre Peninsula, SA

The Eyre Peninsula is a triangle-shaped Peninsula located in South Australia. The area offers beautiful beaches, rock pools, a unique coastline, fantastic seafood and animal interactions. I recommend spending ATLEAST a week travelling through this beautiful part of the country. These are my top recommendations where you should visit.

Lake Macdonnell

Lake McDonnell is a salt lake located at the western end of the Eyre Peninsula, near the Nullarbor Plain. You are able to drive down the middle of the lake where each side is separated by a different colour. A beautiful pink on one side and a blue or green on the other (dependent on the weather). A great place to get some drone shots.

Streaky Bay

Streaky Bay is a small town located on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula. Although the town itself has some unique quirks, the main attractions are the scenic drives. I recommend the Westall Way Loop. This 30km loop has 2 nice beaches offering some amazing rock pools. Make sure to visit Smooth Pools and The Granites. Be warned, some of the roads on this loop are horribly corrugated. Massive potholes and rocky terrains. I would recommend a 4WD, however, you will make do with a 2WD just check the turn off roads prior to driving. There are plenty of other driving loops that offer other attractions.

Baird Bay/Murphy’s Haystacks

Baird Bay is a small fishing village located 50km from Streaky Bay. This is on the list because it has one of the best seal/dolphin swims in the state. Unfortunately, when I visited I wasn’t able to get a spot, so make sure you book in advance!

Murphy’s Haystacks are unique rock features situated on private land. They are worth having a quick stop to visit. It will cost you $2 for entry or an extra $10 to camp on the grounds. I recommend spending the night to see the rocks change colour in the morning and evening.

Talia Caves and Rockpool

The woolshed cave is a massive cavern carved into the granite, formed by waves. It features a honeycombed ceiling and plenty of birdlife. To find the rock pools, when you walk down the stairs for the Woolshed Cave, instead of turning left, turn right. Follow the rocks around the small headland (the first one), on the other side you will find small circular rock pools in the rock. You will have to go for a little wander on the rock beach as it can look like they are non exist from afar. Visit during low tide and small swells for best chances! The Tub located just past the Woolshed cave is another attraction to check out. About a 10min drive you will find the Tub, which is a large crater in the cliff with a tunnel into the sea. Camping is also available at Tahlia caves.

Greenly Beach

A popular swimming and surfing beach, with the best attraction, rock pools. To find the rock pools simply type in ‘greenly beach rock pools’ on Google. The road to the rock pools is corrugated and bumpy in some areas. There are two rock pools located at Greenly beach, the best and main one is the one Google maps will lead you to. The other one is located on the headland to the south. This one is a bit hairy at times, so go during low tide or when there isn’t much swell. Greenly beach offers plenty of cheap camping sites, beware it can get very windy and you will need to bring everything with you (no bathrooms).

Coffin Bay National Park

This one is something that can either be completed in a day or several, depending on if you want to do the 4WD tracks. I didn’t attempt these tracks as I believe they have soft sand and several dunes. If you do, make sure to check the tide times of the beaches. Coffin Bay NP is still accessible via 2WD and there is plenty to see. The main thing I recommend is going to Almonta Beach. Beautiful white sand and blue waters. You can capture some great drone shots if you turn right after the stairs leading to the beach. This will lead you underneath the Goldern Island lookout. Camping is available at Yandie campground which is the only campground accessible via 2WD.

Lincoln National Park

Located roughly 30mins from Port Lincoln, Lincoln NP offers great fishing, swimming, hiking and boating. You enter the park via a sealed road which turns into a gravel track after the signs for Surfleet Cove campgrounds. It says 4WD from here but it’s accessible via 2WD. If unsure check the off tracks before driving. TOP places to visit, Engine Point, Donington beach and September Beach. Unfortunately when I visited it was overcast so the drone shots don’t show how blue and clear this water is, but it gives you an idea! There are plenty of camping spots that need to be booked prior to arrival online. I stayed at Surfleet Cove campgrounds, the toilets were clean, plenty of wildlife and the sites were a great size/flat.

Fishery Bay

A quick 20mins from Port Lincoln, a great place to set up camp on the beach for the day (if you have a 4WD). There are plenty of overnight camping spots located near the bathroom and the 4WD beach access ramp. The beach offers white sand and turquoise waters. When I visited it was raining, so I couldn’t capture any photos!

Whalers Way

In order to access Whalers Way, you will need to buy a permit online, which will cost you $40AUD. The permit includes entry and a nights camping. The roads in Whalers Way are extremely corrugated, so I recommend a 4WD. The coastline is raw and rugged, with plenty of places to stop and have a look around. My favourite two places I visited were the Swimming hole and Whale Chaser Crevasse. The Swimming hole is a beautiful crystal clear rockpool, only accessible via a metal ladder and a short rock scramble. After you’ve climbed down the metal ladder, provided for your safety, turn to the right and you will find the rockpool. There is another one located to the left, but it is not as nice. I’d recommend visiting Whalers Way when the swells and wind are low to make the most of your visit.

Port Lincoln Shark Diving

I didn’t participate in this activity, but I’ve heard it’s a great experience. If you’ve ever wanted to cave dive with Great Whites, this is the place to do it! The full tour will cost you $535 which includes, diving gear, wetsuit, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and refreshments. It will take a 3 hour travel time to get to the spot where you will dive with the sharks. If you are prone to seasickness, I’d make sure to get some seasickness tablets. The tour starts at 6am and finishes around 6-9pm, so it’s recommended you spend 2 nights in Port Lincoln. You can find more information about the tour here.

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