BEACH AND OUTBACK ROAD TRIP THROUGH THE EYRE PENINSULA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA!
One of the silver linings of being in full Covid-19 lockdown is having the time and space to organise one’s photo albums.
My intrepid husband Angus and I set out to explore the Eyre Peninsula in the summer of 2020/21 by camping in our trusty rooftop tent, switching off and getting inspired by this ridiculously stunning (and seriously underrated) part of the country.
In an attempt to re-live my summer holiday road tripping through the Eyre - a wild and remote triangular-shaped peninsula about 7 hours drive from Adelaide - I’ve compiled my photo diary to shine a spotlight on this hidden gem of both natural and artificial beauty (my forever fav kind of road trip destination).
As travel wanderlust feverishly lingers on the brains of so many Australians stuck in lockdown, here are some piccies and tidbits from our travels to inspire future getaways to this veritable time warp of sea, surf, sun and...seals.
Fill the tank, buckle up, grab a Chiko and let’s hit the highway for a photo tour around the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia - FRIDA LAS VEGAS style!
PORT WAKEFIELD
The first port of call driving north of Adelaide is the tiny service town of Pork Wakefield. Primarily known for its petrol-pumping and pie-slinging abilities, a gorgeous 60s motel sits on the highway ready to star in the sequel to Paris, Texas.
There’s literally nothing else to do in Port Wakefield but get something beige, deep-fried and doughy into your gullet - and admire this mid-century marvel - but what more can you ask from a truck stop?
KIMBA
Driving roughly 5 hours west of Adelaide, the tiny outback town of Kimba awaits. Smack bang halfway in the middle of Australia’s land mass, Kimba is a gateway to the majestic Gawler Ranges and home to this deliciously glib carpark, resplendent with faux emu.
Angus and I had a much more iconic destination in mind - seeking out the true treasure of Kimba.
Yes folks, Kimba is home to The Big Galah: one of Australia’s most illustrious ‘big things’ and partial source to my glamour kaftan design honouring its grandeur.
There was NO WAY I was driving 500 kilometers away from Adelaide into the middle of nowhere without strutting my stuff chez galah to the bemusement of truckies and locals alike!
Are you EVEN in South Australia if you don’t pick up a couple of these legendary icons at the servo?
PORT LINCOLN
Arriving in Port Lincoln from a good 7 hour slog on the road in 40 degree heat, Angus and I checked into the glamorous Port Lincoln Caravan Park and pitched the rooftop tent in what looks to be an ad for Tourism Australia (mentally switch out our soccer Mum car for a Land Cruiser ploise).
Port Lincoln is the seafood capital of Australia and home to two very unique experiences you can’t do anywhere else in Oz: swimming with wild sea lions and shark cage diving.
We were slightly too chicken to become potential Great White Shark fodder and instead opted to take a boat tour 80 kilometers south of Port Lincoln to a remote island sea lion colony, where we snorkelled and frolicked with the puppy dogs of the sea (all looking, no touching of course), topped off with piping hot toasties on the boat trip home.
Seals and toasties, what more could you want? A total bucket list experience and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Adjacent to the Port Lincoln Caravan Park lies the Wheatsheaf Hotel North Shields, a classic country town pub with all the trimmings and usual suspects…cold cans of West End Draught (aka The Red Death), schnitties, wedges with 90s sour cream and some truly excellent hand-painted ye olde signs.
COFFIN BAY
An easy 30 minutes drive west of Port Lincoln is the luscious Coffin Bay, home to some of Australia’s most deliciously fresh and succulent oysters.
Naturellement Angus and I were keen to investigate and take the famed Oyster Farm Tour, one of South Australia’s most well-known tourist attractions, especially for unashamed seafood gluttons like us.
On an uncharacteristically cold and grey day during the peak of Australian summer, we donned our waders and sat amongst the oyster farm to learn about the farming process and gorge on freshly shucked oysters and champers at 10:30am, followed by the most gargantuan seafood platter known to humanity at Oyster HQ (book it in advance and thank me later).
A short drive from the centre of Coffin Bay town lies the beautiful and remote Coffin Bay National Park, brimming full of isolated beaches, dramatic rock cliffs and untouched sand dunes.
It’s possible to camp in a few sites around the national park, but given we were travelling in the peakest of peak seasons between Christmas and New Years - with campsites at 100% capacity - we had a half-assed poke around and put it on our list for next time.
The best thing about South Australian beaches? You always have them to yourself, even in peak time.
GREENLY BEACH
Perhaps the highlight of our Eyre Peninsula voyage was camping at Greenly Beach, an hour’s drive up north from Port Lincoln.
Greenly beach is known primarily for its photogenic rock pools at both the northern and southern end of the beach and they didn’t disappoint - insert Ariel and Sebastien here.
This is the northern rock pool that is accessible on foot climbing around the rocks at the northern stretch of the beach.
The southern rock pool was a TO DIE FOR snorkelling location at low tide. Lush and full of fish and plant life!
The main stretch of ocean at Greenly beach was out of this world. Angus and I stayed a good 5 days here and completely switched off from the modern world.
There are free camping spots right next to the ocean at Greenly beach - but zero water or power facilities - so make sure you come prepared (and leave this special place exactly as you found it).
This was the view from our camp site. Air BnB, eat your heart out!
TALIA CAVE
Driving up the wild west coast of the Eyre Peninsula is an exercise in getting one’s rocks off: specifically, magnificent rocks, like the huge Talia Caves (approximately 50kms north of Elliston).
PORT KENNY
Port Kenny is a tiny service town along the desolate Eyre Highway that’s home to nothing but a Lynchian roadhouse with some truly excellent old school signage and typography (my favourite kind of roadhouse).
MURPHY’S HAYSTACKS
Driving a further 50kms north of the Talia Caves, we stumbled across Murphy’s Haystacks - the ‘Stonehenge of Australia’ - some of the oldest (and oddest) rock formations in the entire country.
These bad boyz are big. Roolly big. Check out how the smallest rock dwarfs Angus. The rocks are on a hill in the middle of nowhere surrounded by private farmland.
Surreal and creepy-cool!
STREAKY BAY
The picturesque fishing mecca of Streaky Bay is primarily known for its aquatic delights (and oversized great white sharks) but I was quite taken with the laid-back 70s vibe of the Streaky Bay Hotel Motel.
I was told the Streaky Bay jetty usually gets lots of fishing action, but because we arrived on New Year’s Day, the beach and jetty were both fairly deserted. Did we get a seafood basket and eat it on the jetty? You betcha we did!
WUDINNA
One of my surprise favourite places on the whole Eyre Peninsula was the remote and desolate Wudinna.
A cool 566 kilometers west of Adelaide, I noticed a thing of beauty out the passenger window and urged Angus to screech the brakes.
The source that caught my magpie eye? A mid-century motel adjacent a dusty outback pub that could be straight outta palm springs circa 1958.
I was IMMEDIATELY inspired and illustrated my ‘Outback Motel’ artwork shortly after arriving back in Sydney, which promptly became a print and cushion cover in homage to this beautiful, dusty dirtbowl of an outback motel.
Further down the road from the Wudinna pub on the highway lay perhaps THE most beautiful derelict motel sign I’ve ever seen, complete with faded Sturt Desert Pea insignia.
Wuddina, you’re simply too much for this anachronistic retro-nostalgist to take!
PILDAPPA ROCK
All g-ed up from this chance encounter with vintage architecture, we took a signpost from Wudinna saying ‘Pildappa Rock - 15 kms’ down a road to nowhere…except it was a road to somewhere.
Pildappa Rock is a veritable baby Uluru on the outskirts of the Gawler Ranges with the highest and longest wave formations on the Eyre peninsula, rivalling WA’s notorious Wave Rock.
In short, Pildappa Rock rocked (hyuk hyuk!)
Making our way back to Radelaide, Angus and I stopped to camp at Mambray Creek, close to Mount Remarkable National Park at the base of the Flinders Ranges.
It was a fitting end to our 1.5 week camping odyssey exploring the Eyre Peninsula with some leisurely bush walks and encounters with furry friends. Australiana-rama!
Hope you enjoyed my photo diary documenting the spoils of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia! I’ll be back to keep exploring this surprisingly diverse slice of Australian paradise.
Photos were all taken on a mix of cameras (both analog and digital) including the Dubblefilm Show Camera, Google Pixel 4 and Panasonic Lumix TZ90.
Please credit @fridalasvegas if re-sharing images anywhere online.
