Burbs to Beaches: An Adelaide to Eyre Peninsula Road Trip
It might be time to swap city vibes for coastal coolness and go on an epic journey from Adelaide to the Eyre Peninsula.
This road trip will include activities and sights like Clare Valley’s old-world wine cellars, creeping through the jaws of a giant lizard at Port Augusta, spotting sharks at Neptune Island, and more!
Hold onto your seats because this article has the insider deets to prep you for the ultimate escapade. We’re talking road trip hacks, top-notch stays, satisfying grub spots, and jaw-dropping pit stops!
Things to Know
Distance From the CBD: Around 850 kilometers
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit the Eyre Peninsula is spring to autumn, with temperatures averaging 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F), perfect for beach days and outdoor adventures!
Where to Stay
Bungaree Station
Address: 431 Bungaree Rd, Clare, SA 5453
Contact Details: +61 8 8842 2677
Pricing: $$
Since 1841, Bungaree Station has been providing heritage-listed accommodations that’ll make you feel like royalty.
For solo travelers and couples, you can stay at their Swaggies Hut or The Stallion Box, slick queen-sized suites with a cute kitchenette, a bathroom fit for a king, and French doors that lead to a verandah.
If you have fellow adventurers, opt for their Groom’s Quarters or Council Chambers, ideal crash pads for up to 5 peeps. They have two bedrooms, each boasting their own ensuite bathroom, luxurious furnishing, and more essentials.
Majestic Oasis Apartments
Address: Marryatt St, Port Augusta, SA 5700
Contact Details: (08) 8648 9000
Pricing: $$
The ultimate entry to the mind-blowing Flinders Rangers and Aussie Outback, Majestic Oasis Apartments stands as the go-to pad for thrill-seeking adventurers and view enthusiasts.
Their primo room is the Waterview One Bedroom Apartment, 41 square meters of modern chicness that can host up to 4 travelers. It has a private balcony, kitchen, laundry facilities, high-speed WiFi, and secure parking.
For those seeking a pocket-friendly option without compromising on essentials, the Executive Studio Apartment fits the bill. At 25.5 square meters, it’s snug for two but doesn’t miss out on functionality.
Port Lincoln Tourist Park
Address: 11 Hindmarsh St, Port Lincoln, SA 5606
Contact Details: (08) 8621 4444
Pricing: $$
Whether you’re looking to chill in a cabin or kick it at a campsite, Port Lincoln Tourist Park will provide you with options.
Their fan-fave Holiday Cabin is decked out with a queen bed, a couple of bunk beds, and all the fixings you need for a top-notch stay, including A/C, cooking gear, and your own ensuite. Plus, it has stellar views of Boston Bay.
If you’re all about the great outdoors, go for their unpowered sites, offering primo water views for your caravan, campervan, or even a tent. The powered sites, on the other hand, have extra perks, like WiFi and a playground to keep things lively.
Where to Eat
One Sneaky Cheetah
Address: 971 South Rd, Melrose Park, SA 5039
Pricing: $$
One Sneaky Cheetah has pizza wizards serving wood oven slices with lightning-fast service that never compromises flavor.
The crowd-pleasers here include their take on Margherita, an Italian classic made with scratch sauces, fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkle of basil. Cheese lovers should try their Four Cheeses pie with mozzarella, Parmigiano, and gorgonzola.
For the vegetarian crowd, the Shroom pizza is the way to go. This one is topped with fresh mozzarella, earthy mushrooms, minced garlic, basil, and a drizzle of truffle olive oil to elevate the taste.
Barnacle Bill
Address: 60 Victoria Parade, Port Augusta, SA 5700
Contact Details: (08) 8641 0000
Pricing: $
Barnacle Bill is led by seafood maestros frying up ocean treasures with cholesterol-free Aussie-made oil, making guilt-free indulgence their specialty.
Here, you can feast on chip packs and burgers that mix and match the sea’s bounties. Think butterfish, prawns, calamari, and scallops, all jazzed with their signature tartare sauce.
Del Giorno’s Cafe
Address: 80 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln, SA 5606
Contact Details: (08) 8683 0577
Pricing: $$
Port Lincoln locals and tourists have long enjoyed Del Giorno’s Cafe’s modern twists on Australian classics, emphasizing fresh, local produce sourced from the Eyre Peninsula.
One of the best munchies here is their King George whiting, lightly crumbed or enveloped in Coopers Pale Ale beer batter.
For lamb enthusiasts, the spiced Prime Samm lamb steaks might suit your preference more. The meat is prepped with rosemary, lemon, and garlic and served atop a warm zucchini salad with pinenuts and fetta cheese.
What to Do
Sip wine, solve a maze, and go underground in Clare Valley
Clare Valley is a remarkable pit stop for wine lovers. The region boasts must-visit cellars like Shuts the Gates Wine and the historic Sevenhill Cellars, a winery that’s been around since 1851, making it the area’s first winery.
Those traveling with kiddos in tow can head to Mintaro Maze. This estate has a grand Georgian mansion, a gift shop, a cafe, and, the highlight, a garden maze full of head-scratching riddles, massive structures, and crazy twists and turns.
You can also see and experience mining history at Burra sandwiched between the lush vines of Clare Valley and the rugged Outback. Tourists can explore the town’s mining past, venturing into abandoned mine sites and checking underground dugouts.
Paddle through the estuaries of Weeroona Island
– From gaznewman297
Adelaide to Weeroona Island Map
The 77-hectare Weeroona Island in the Southern Flinders Ranges provides travelers with both tranquility and thrilling adventures that’ll get their heart racing.
The top activity here is hopping into a canoe and cruising through the tidal estuaries of Spencer Gulf. Adventurers looking for excitement can also go windsurfing.
If you’re the chill type, take a breather and soak in the stunning views of the Gulf while you munch on a laid-back picnic lunch. The beach has BBQ facilities, so cooking is a breeze.
To see more sights, head over to the southern shore for a peek at the York—a heritage-listed shipwreck definitely worth a gander—or complete the 3-kilometer trail around the island’s northern stretch.
Witness the dramatic scenery of Mount Remarkable National Park
Address: Melrose, Flinders Ranges and Outback, SA 5483
Contact Details: 088841 3400
Pricing: $
From the 960-meter-high Mount Remarkable Summit reigning over Willochra Plain to the azure panoramas of the Spencer Gulf, Mount Remarkable National Park is a sightseer’s dream.
The showstopping location here is certainly the Alligator Gorge, wowing tourists with gigantic rock formations, picturesque gorges, and rugged terrain speckled with wildflowers and tiny trees.
To maximize your visit, take advantage of the various trails, like the 600-meter Gorge Lookout Walk, known for views of the Alligor Basin, and the 3-kilometer Mambay Creek Walk, covered by a mighty forest of red gums and pines.
Mountain biking enthusiasts can cruise through rough and adrenaline-pumping trails such as Possum Magic and Leaping Lizard. Just be on the lookout for critters like brush-tail possums and shinglebacks.
Catch fish at Tumby Bay
From the occasional hook-and-line wrangler to the seasoned fish-catching pros, Tumby Bay is an angling hotspot.
The expansive coastline of this district boasts publicly accessible beaches and rocky outcrops that are a dream for shore-based fishers. Common catches are flathead, squid, and garfish.
If you want more, the rocky shoreline near the Island residential area is a prime spot for reeling in snapper, garfish, herring, and squid.
Then there’s Second Creek, a stunning tidal estuary teeming with marine life, which also has beach access perfect for launching small boats and trailers. Salmon, salmon trout, herring, and mullet are what you’ll mostly get here.
Learn about Outback flora at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
Address: c 144 Stuart Hwy, Port Augusta West, SA 570
Contact Details: (08) 8641 9116
Pricing: $
The Australia Arid Lands Botanic Garden showcases a massive collection of flora from Australia’s dry regions. Some plants here are porcupine grass and regal green birdflowers.
In addition to the Outback flora, this sprawling sanctuary serves as a home for birds like chirruping wedgebills, redthroats, and yellow-billed spoonbills. Kangaroos, foxes, painted dragons, and snake-eyed skinks also roam the 150-hectare garden.
The garden’s size and the region’s heat, though, can make exploration exhausting. Our team suggests prioritizing certain zones, like the dunes, saltbush plain, and marine zone—each flexing a diverse and rare set of Outback flora and fauna.
Discover dinos at the Wadlata Outback Center
Address: 41 Flinders Terrace, Port Augusta, SA 5700
Contact Details: (08) 8641 9193
Pricing: $
Tourists flock to the award-winning Wadlata Outback Center because of its mind-blowing attractions, highlighting the Australian Outback’s rich history and biodiversity.
The star of the show is the center’s Tunnel of Time, a spot you’ll enter by crawling through the fanged jaws of Max, a statue of a giant ripper lizard.
Once you pass through Max’s maw, you’ll learn about the dinosaurs that once roamed the Flinders Ranges and how the Outback landscape was born through the tunnel’s interactive and visually appealing exhibits.
You’ll also discover intriguing tales unraveling mysteries of the Outback’s past—fossils, the renowned Mound Springs along the Oodnadatta Track, and the legend of the Dreaming serpent, Akurra.
Search for sharks and eagles in Neptune Islands
– From rodneyfoxsharkexpeditions
If you’re bold enough, the Neptune Islands’ waters will provide you with a sharktastic adventure. Here, you can dive into cages and face the ocean’s king—great white sharks.
These apex predators hunt for seals all year round, but you’ll have a higher chance of spotting them during winter when their favorite prey, the long-nosed seal pups, are born on the island.
The male great whites you’ll encounter here usually measure up to 5 meters, while the larger female great whites can stretch up to 6 meters. Quite scary to think about, but you’ll be with seasoned guides from Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions, so don’t fret.
But if sharks really make you jittery, you can still spot birds soaring and nesting atop the island’s granite outcrops, including white-breasted sea eagles, ospreys, and rock parrots.
Spot koalas, dolphins, kangaroos, and lizards in Port Lincoln
- Mikira Station: Unit 1/50 Liverpool St, Port Lincoln, SA 5606
- Coffin Bay National Park: Coffin Bay Rd, Coffin Bay, SA 5607
- Lincoln National Park: Donington Road, Sleaford, SA 5607
Beyond its beautiful beaches, Port Lincoln also serves as a paradise for animal lovers.
The city has Mikira Station, a sweet spot teeming with manna gum trees the local koalas call home.
You can also venture into Coffin Bay National Park, a coastal wonderland celebrated for its picturesque bays and coastlines. The animal residents here are diverse, from pelicans gliding gracefully to dolphins frolicking in the waters.
And, of course, there’s the Lincoln National Park overlooking the expansive Boston Bay—the largest natural harbor in Australia. Its striking granite headlands, tranquil bays, and captivating offshore islands have kangaroos, emus, and lizards.
Swim with seals and dolphins at Baird Bay
From Port Lincoln, we’ll now go to Baird Bay’s Ocean Eco Experience, one of the many reasons why tourists travel kilometers to get to the Eyre Peninsula.
This marine adventure will make you glide through the waters toward Jones Island, the vibrant hangout of our sea lions and local pelicans.
Upon reaching the island, you can dive and swim with the seas in their natural habitat’s serene rock pools. And if that’s not enough, another nearby rockpool offers zen-like searenity while swimming alongside the dolphins.
Watch majestic Southern Right whales at the Great Australian Bight
When it comes to whale-watching locations, The Great Australian Bight is hard to top.
The bight covers an area of 45,926 square kilometers and accommodates 500 out of the 12,000 Southern Hemisphere Southern Right whales, usually spotted in a pod of about a hundred.
You can access this area by driving toward the coastal town of Ceduna—a long drive that will reward you with once-in-a-lifetime scenery.
Now, if you’re wondering where these graceful giants can be spotted easily, look no further than the Head of Bight. The area’s high cliff line offers fantastic vantage points, while its boardwalks take you to 2 top-notch viewing spots.
Tip: visit from June to October, the whales’ breeding months when they’re super active!
What to Expect from Eyre Peninsula Weather
- Spring and Summer (September to February): Temperatures range from a pleasant 20°C to a toasty 40°C (68°F to 104°F), making it perfect for beach outings and outdoor getaways.
- Fall (March to May): The weather cools down a bit, hovering between 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F), ideal for enjoying the scenic outdoors without the intense heat.
- Winter (June to August): Chillier temperatures prevail, averaging around 10°C to 20°C (50°F to 68°F). It’s whale-watching season, offering fantastic opportunities to witness these majestic creatures.
