Discover the Eyre Peninsula

Whyalla

Our first stop on the Eyre Peninsula was in the Whyalla region. You will find that there are a number of free or low-cost camps in the Whyalla area. We stayed at a free camp just to the north of Whyalla next to a military training area. It featured great ocean views as well as a number of strange noises throughout the day and into the night. As night fell we realised the noises were from a live fire exercise occurring over the hill and we were treated to a visual display of flares, explosions and machine gun fire (from a distance). 

The next day we decided to move into Whyalla due to the weather forecast predicting extremely high winds. These winds lasted three days and reached gusts of 60-80km/h. During this, we stayed at a camping area at a sports oval for $10p/n which included fresh ANZAC biscuits baked by the caretaker. What a bonus! We spent the time exploring Whyalla and enjoying the convenience of shopping centres. Once the weather cleared we moved on to Cowell.

Cowell

What a gem this place is. We stayed at the Cowell Caravan Park situated right on the foreshore. From our site, we could easily access the public jumping pillow, playground, and splash park (equipped with water slides). The local marina is perfect for taking the kids fishing and the caravan park staff can point you toward an oyster farmer who sells fresh oysters for $10 a dozen. Cowell had that great small coastal town vibe with a couple of pubs that put on wicked feeds.

Koala Sanctuary

From Cowell, we continued south towards Port Lincoln. We originally decided to stay just north of the town but then we found a koala sanctuary located a short drive out of Port Lincoln. We were very lucky as the park is generally closed over summer due to the increased fire risk, however, the cooler wet weather meant that it was still open in November. Within minutes of arriving, we spotted emus, kangaroos, and an abundance of koalas. Amelia was the first to spot a very new baby koala. A point of difference that this koala sanctuary offers is the fact that not only are these koalas left to their own devices, but the trees themselves are relatively short. This made koala spotting more accessible for the kids as some koalas were as little as a metre away. For those who are keen, the sanctuary offers a number of scenic walks although there is also plenty to see from the caravan.

Whalers Way

After leaving the Koala Sanctuary, we drove down the road to check out Whalers Way. This was a cool little bay which has a lot of historical, cultural, and modern significance. We found it to also be a popular surfing location for both surfers and sea lions. The area is also home to a small rocket launch facility which we found out after being met with barricades, cameras, and security. We only checked it out for a short time but the area does offer low-cost campsites.

Port Lincoln

We made our way back over to Port Lincoln where we stayed at a caravan repair shop. This was another great Wikicamps find. It was a cheaper option than the local caravan parks ($10p/n) and proved to be quite handy as we had some unexpected repairs that needed sorting out. They also stock an ample amount of caravan consumables and parts. For us, Port Lincoln was another location to resupply and while we were in town we made the much-anticipated purchase of our rooftop tinny boat and engine. We had been tossing up options regarding boating and fishing including the possibility of buying kayaks or hiring boats. Much to our disappointment, hiring boats was becoming increasingly difficult at the locations we would have liked the opportunity to fish on the water. Either the market was non-existent or the options were limited and quite expensive. We were more than happy with our purchase and were keen to get it out onto the water.

Coffin Bay

Our next stop was at the famous Coffin Bay. This small township is well known for its oysters. The caravan park was a great spot to stay with many facilities within walking distance. Across the road was the fancy restaurant Oyster HQ. This business, alongside their quality menu items, hosts oyster farm tours at reasonable prices. If you are in a hurry you can also pick up fresh oysters out of their oyster vending machine which was quite the novelty. It was here that we took our tinny for its maiden voyage. The kids enjoyed watching a sea lion playing with a blown-up puffer fish like a ball. We also whipped out the rods and caught a number of fish in the water. All in all, resulting in quite a successful trip. In addition to boating and fishing, Coffin Bay has a number of 4wd tracks in the National Park, as well as a couple of playgrounds along the water including 2 pontoons with a waterslide and diving board.

Venus Bay

Continuing north we took cover from some poor weather in Venus Bay. The first thing we noticed here was the smell. Rotting seaweed. It wasn't pleasant and managed to seep its way through closed windows finding the gaps in the vents. With a wind change and a lull in the weather, Cam took the boat out with William, while Cassie took Amelia to the playground and then onto the jetty for a fish. The boys found a pod of dolphins and spent time playing with these lively creatures. The girls battled the winds on the jetty and to our joy they finally bagged a few squid. We had been attempting (with no success) to catch squid many times along the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas, so this was a momentous occasion for us all. 

Murphy's Haystacks

If you are into cool rock formations then definitely take the time to stop into Murphy's Haystacks. These huge uniquely shaped rocks are known as Inselberg formations and appear to just pop out of the ground on a random hill. There was a small donation fee ($2 p/p or $5 p/family - paid into an honesty box) at the entrance, where you can also buy local honey. Just take note that if you are heading west, you cannot bring honey into Western Australia. These rock formations were impressive up close, so take the time to walk around the tracks checking them all out. If you want to camp here at night they allow unpowered camping for $10. 

Streaky Bay

Streaky Bay is another great little township to visit. It has a delicious bakery that you can't miss, as well as a cool museum display attached to its service station. It is free to have a look at this museum-styled display with the centerpiece being a huge replica great white shark that was caught by a local fisherman. There are a few accommodation options in town including the RV park which was essentially a large field that you could park at for $15p/n. It is great squidding off the jetty, however, we didn't get a chance to go fishing ourselves as the weather and time was against us. It was a good town to stop and resupply before we headed off-grid for a bucket list beach camp.

Perlubie Beach

Perlubie Beach is regarded as one of the best beach camps on the Eyre Peninsula. We stayed here for 5 nights and would have to agree that it is pretty special. Parked right on the sand there were at least 50 vans along the entire stretch of beach. Despite a large number of campers, it didn't feel like we were squished or on top of each other. We had many campfires at night while bonding with our fellow neighbours. We took the boat out and caught squid and fish and saw heaps of dolphins. Perlubie had a huge tide which meant that the sand flats stretched out for a good 100m or so at low tide, and on the tip of high tide, we had the waters lapping metres from the van. It was an absolutely beautiful spot and when the weather was right it was hard to beat. When we stayed it was a donation only, however, it is now able to be booked by the SA National Parks website. Upon changing to the online booking system, they have also capped the number of visitors that can camp at any one time. It is proving to be quite the popular camp so if you're visiting this area make sure to get your booking made early to avoid disappointment. 

It was a sad goodbye when we moved on from Perlubie Beach as we had to part ways with our new friends. Meeting fellow travellers is definitely a highlight of our travels. The kids absolutely love making new friends. We also love to connect with like-minded individuals and share stories. It is bittersweet when we have to say goodbye as we continue on our separate ways. For us, this marked the end of our time on the Eyre Peninsula, as we now head north to Ceduna to commence the trek across the Nullarbor.