South Australia » Eyre Peninsula

The rather large Eyre Peninsula is bordered by the Spencer Gulf to the east and the Great Australian Bight to the west. The two entrance towns to the peninsula are Port Augusta to the east and Ceduna to the west, with the Lincoln Highway running along the east coast and the Flinders Highway running along the west coast. At the point of the peninsula, where the two highways meet, is Port Lincoln situated on Boston Bay. The inland areas of the peninsula are major agricultural industries, while the pretty coastal bays and beaches offer good swimming and surfing.

Heading south along the Lincoln Highway towards Port Lincoln you will come across Whyalla, which is actually the second largest city in South Australia (after Adelaide of course). There is a large steel industry in the area, and you can even visit the NHP Steel Works to find out more about what goes on. The city also has a large port, with its history told within the Maritime Museum. There are also historic displays in the Mt. Laura Homestead.

Cowell is the next place that you will come across and home to the beautiful Jade stone. The coastline around Point Gibbon is beautiful, with the pretty landscape backed by large sand dunes. The beaches here are also great. Other pretty coastal resorts include Arno Bay as well as Tumby Bay, further south. On the way to Tumby Bay you can visit the vintage vehicle museum at Port Neill. From Tumby Bay you can also visit the beautiful Sir Joseph Banks Islands, home to Sea lions, pretty bays and wonderful reefs.

Heading north along the Flinders Highway towards Ceduna there are more pretty bays and beaches worth stopping at. Just west of Port Lincoln is Coffin Bay, where you can enter the gorgeous landscape in the Coffin Bay Peninsula National Park. Nearby is the Kellidie Bay Conservation Park, home to numerous species of birds.

If you are want to go surfing then head for Greenly Beach, where as all those fishing enthusiasts should head to the fishing town of Elliston or the great salmon fishing spot at Locks Well. Heading further north from Elliston you can visit Anxious Bay, Blackfellows and Salmon Point for some great photo opportunities. From Blackfellows you can see right across to Flinders Island, where you can stay and also see the sheep station. Further along the highway towards Ceduna you will see plenty of wildlife. The Venus Bay Conservation Park is home to plenty of birdlife including pelicans. You can also see the sea lions at Point Labatt from the towering cliffs above them.

Streaky Bay is another small town on the way to Ceduna. It was named Streaky Bay by Flinders because of the plentiful streaky seaweed along the bay. As well as offering surfing at Back Beach the peninsula also hosts Murphey’s Haystacks, which are large granite outcrops. If you like oysters head for the oyster farms at Smoky Bay. To find a little about the history visit the National Trust Museum and the Powerhouse Museum.

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

Nullarbor Plain
Nullarbor Plain is the section of southern land between Norseman in Western Australia and Ceduna in South Australia. Nullarbor means 'no trees' in poor Latin, which is exactly what you will see as you drive through sections of the Nullarbor.

Although the land within the Nullarbor is barren, the road is surfaced and so doesn't make for too bad a drive (just a long one). The Eyre Highway heads along the southern section of the Nullarbor Plain, although the Trans Australia Railway runs directly through the centre of the Nullarbor. If you don't fancy the drive then the train is a good idea, as you get to see plenty of what the Nullarbor Plain is about. The Eyre Highway was named after John Eyre, who along with John Baxter (who unfortunately died on the journey), crossed the Nullarbor in 1841. It wasn't until 1912, however, that the first car crossed the Nullarbor.

Heading 193km east from Norseman you will get to Balladonia, where you will find accommodation. Continuing east the road is straight for a distance of 145km, until you reach Caiguna where you will find more accommodation. East again is Cocklebiddy where you will find some ruins of an old Aboriginal mission. Cocklebiddy is also home to the largest of all of the Nullarbor Caves, and close to Twilight Cove on the coastline south of Cocklebiddy.