Eyre Peninsula road trip: Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay

An Eyre Peninsula road trip is a loop of about a week through the far south of South Australia, with Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay at its heart. Plan on 7 days if you start in Adelaide, because the drive to Port Lincoln is about 650 km by road. You will see sea cliffs, quiet bays, wild beaches and some of the country's best oyster farms.

This guide gives a simple route, the sights worth a stop and the sea life tours on offer.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Port Lincoln, South Australia.

The route in 7 days

The Eyre Peninsula has a road along each coast. The Lincoln Highway follows the east coast and the Flinders Highway follows the west coast. They meet at Port Lincoln, in the south. That makes a loop easy: go down one side and come back up the other. The Eyre Highway crosses the north of the peninsula.

Here is a plan we suggest. It is our own, so change it to suit you.

• Day 1: Adelaide to Whyalla, home of the steelworks on the north-east coast.
• Day 2: Down the Lincoln Highway to Port Lincoln. Cowell and Tumby Bay both have coastal stops and fishing charters on the way.
• Days 3 and 4: Port Lincoln and Lincoln National Park.
• Day 5: Coffin Bay and Coffin Bay National Park.
• Day 6: Up the west coast towards Streaky Bay.
• Day 7: Baird Bay for sea lions, then home.

If you are short on time, fly. Port Lincoln has an airport just north of the town, with daily flights to Adelaide. Hire a car there and do the south only.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Eyre Peninsula; Wikipedia, Port Lincoln, South Australia.

Port Lincoln

Port Lincoln sits on Boston Bay, which opens into Spencer Gulf. Matthew Flinders sailed into the harbour in February 1802 and later named it Port Lincoln. The first settlers came in 1839. The city now calls itself the seafood capital of Australia.

Tuna is the big story here. The town once had a large tuna fishing fleet, and today southern bluefin tuna are farmed off Port Lincoln. Visitors can book a swim in a cage with tuna from the town. Book ahead in summer.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Port Lincoln, South Australia; Wikipedia, Eyre Peninsula.

Lincoln National Park

Lincoln National Park is only about 10 km south of Port Lincoln, so it is an easy half day or a full one. It takes in the Jussieu Peninsula, at the south-east tip of the Eyre Peninsula. Land on the peninsula was set aside in 1941 as a flora and fauna reserve, and it was renamed Lincoln National Park in 1972. The park covers about 216 square km.

What to see:

• Limestone cliffs at Wanna and extensive sand dunes behind Sleaford Bay.
• Cape Donington Lighthouse, built in 1905 and 32 m high, and the old Donington cottage nearby.
• Stamford Hill, where a stone obelisk honours Matthew Flinders. It was put up in 1844.
• Wildlife. Southern right whales pass by between July and November.

The park has bushwalking trails, camping, swimming, snorkelling and fishing. Some tracks suit only four-wheel drives. Check the park's current fees and track notices before you go.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Lincoln National Park (South Australia).

Coffin Bay and its oysters

Coffin Bay is a small town about 46 km by road from Port Lincoln. Flinders named the bay in February 1802 after his friend Sir Isaac Coffin. The sheltered water is ideal for oysters. Oyster farming began on the peninsula in the 1980s, and oysters are grown in the quiet water of Coffin Bay. Other farms operate in sheltered bays such as Franklin Harbour, near Cowell, and Smoky Bay on the west coast.

Eat them fresh and close to the water. The town fills up in holiday seasons, so book a bed early.

Coffin Bay National Park starts just beyond the town. It was created in 1982 and covers about 310 square km of dunes, swamps, limestone cliffs and white surf beaches. The camping area at Yangie Bay charges its fee on entry. Most of the park north of Yangie Bay can only be reached by four-wheel drive, so stay on the sealed and gravel roads if your car is a two-wheel drive.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Coffin Bay, South Australia; Wikipedia, Coffin Bay National Park; Wikipedia, Eyre Peninsula.

Sea life tours

The peninsula is one of the best places in the country to meet sea animals up close. You have three main options on this route.

• Tuna cage swim from Port Lincoln, as above.
• Sea lion and dolphin swims at Baird Bay. This tiny village is about 50 km south-west of Streaky Bay, the nearest town for supplies. Local guides run interactive swimming sessions with the Australian sea lion colony.
• Whale watching in Lincoln National Park, where southern right whales pass from July to November.

Baird Bay has very few services, only a few houses, a camping ground and a boat ramp. Fill up and buy food in Streaky Bay first. Tours depend on the weather and the sea, so keep a spare day if you can.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Baird Bay, South Australia; Wikipedia, Port Lincoln, South Australia; Wikipedia, Lincoln National Park (South Australia).

Planning tips

• Distances are long. Towns are far apart, so fill the tank whenever you pass a fuel stop.
• Book early in school holidays, especially at Coffin Bay.
• Take a map. Some roads in the parks are four-wheel drive only.
• Check the park rules for fees, fires and track closures before each stop.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Eyre Peninsula; Wikipedia, Baird Bay, South Australia.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Eyre Peninsula: en.wikipedia.org
2. Wikipedia, Port Lincoln, South Australia: en.wikipedia.org
3. Wikipedia, Lincoln National Park (South Australia): en.wikipedia.org
4. Wikipedia, Coffin Bay, South Australia: en.wikipedia.org
5. Wikipedia, Coffin Bay National Park: en.wikipedia.org
6. Wikipedia, Baird Bay, South Australia: en.wikipedia.org