South Australia » Ceduna

Ceduna is at the eastern end of the Nullarbor Plain, and so it marks the beginning of a long and quiet journey west or the beginning of a much livelier time heading east. However Ceduna aptly takes its name from the Aboriginal word meaning 'a place to sit down and rest', which is exactly what you should do at the beginning and end of your journey. The coastline around Ceduna offers good surfing, as well as good fishing. There is also plenty of wildlife, in particular birds, within the Laura Bay Conservation Park. There are several places to stay and eat out in Ceduna, including a caravan park, backpackers and hotel, as well as several things to do.

Heading west across to Western Australia the scenery is fantastic. There are also several good surfing beaches along the way, including Cactus Beach which offers some of the beast surfing breaks in Australia. You will also come across the Head of Bight, where you can see plenty of whales during the breeding season (which is between June - October). You will need a permit to visit the Head of Bight, which you can get from Yalata. You should also see the amazing Murrawijinie Cave and stop at some of the coastal lookouts along the Bunda Cliffs.

If driving west here are the places where you can stop, which offer facilities:

73km from Ceduna - Penong
151km from Ceduna - Nundroo
202km from Ceduna - Yalata
294km from Ceduna - Nullarbor Hotel
480km from Ceduna - Border Village

South from Adelaide the coastline changes into cliffs that overlook the sandy beaches. You'll find Chrisites great for swimming and fishing, with plenty of room to play games. If you enjoy surfing then try catching a wave at Moana, or if you prefer a nudist beach then visit Maslins.

Further again along the coast you'll come across Aldinga Beach, which has great lookouts, and long, flat beaches. Port Noarlunga is an historic port offering a underwater trail for snorklers and scuba divers. Here, there are loads of cafes and beautiful views.

You can also take the Onkaparinga River Wetlands Trail, home to birdlife, set in a recreation park. Alternatively, take the Echidna Trail or Nature Trail, which are bushwalks in the National Parks, giving you the opportunity to see various birds, reptiles and trees. An alternative and contrasting walk would be along the Sandhills Trail at Port Noarlunga, which gives a history of the area. After 1-5 hours you'll end up at a special location marking the Tjilburke Dreaming Trail, which tells an Aboriginal story.

Two places to visit inland include Old Reynella, where you can tour the historic Hardy's Vineyards, and Clarendon's small tearooms and craft shops.

Naracoorte

Naracoorte is home to some beautiful limestone caves which you can explore, set within the wonderful Naracoorte Caves Conservation Park. The town was named in 1869 after the merging of two towns, Kincraig and Narracoorte. Naracoorte has a thriving rural economy, friendly community and is home to great wineries.

In the evening you can watch the bats emerge from the Bat Cave, which is an amazing sight. You can also find out great information about the wool industry in the Sheep’s Back Museum. There are also some great walking tracks through the town centre and along the Naracoorte creek.

There are some amazing fossils in the Victoria Fossil Cave, which you can tour around with a ranger. There are also ranger tours for the Alexandra Cave and the Blanche Cave, although there is a self-guided tour around the Wet Cave.

There is a huge wetland region just south of Naracoorte at the Bool Lagoon Game Reserve and the Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park. There is a variety of things to do and also several places to stay in the area, with some good food in the hotels.

Moonta sits roughly 160 km northwest of Adelaide in the region known as the 'Copper Triangle". The other two towns that complete the Copper Triangle are Wallaroo and Kadina.

Moonta
Moonta was the home to the richest cooper mine in Australia during the end of the 19th century. You can find out what happens in the mine at Wheal Hughes Mine. You can also learn about the town’s history at the Moonta Heritage Site, which has a guided walk around the area. There is a museum on the site and an old miners cottage nearby. You can also visit the old school, which is now a folk museum.
Moonta is a historically significant town of South Australia with its well-maintained historic buildings and the the ruins of the old copper works.

Considered by some as 'Australia's Little Cornwall' a title perhaps taken from the fact that the first miners to the area were Cornishmen, a fact reinforced by the bi-annual Cornish Festival held in May. The Cornishmen employed century old mining techniques to extract copper ore from the mines. It is reputed that 'The Moonta Company' was the first mining company to shell out over a Million Pounds in dividends.