Coast With the Most: Adelaide to Port Vincent travel guide

Head north from Adelaide on an incredible South Australian road trip that takes visitors to the Yorke Peninsula, where there’s more than 700 kilometres of coastline waiting to be explored.

WHY YOU SHOULD DO IT

A small boy on a beach at sunset casting a fishing line into the waves, Browns Beach, South Australia

South Australia’s coastline doesn’t get the accolades it so deserves. Any activity that can take place on the water – fishing, surfing, diving, kayaking – happens here, often in regions where it’ll be just you, your partners in crime and the wilderness around you. And it’s like that just a few hours from Adelaide on the Yorke Peninsula. In just a little over two hours following the Samphire Coast, you’ll arrive in a region popular with locals for lazy summer holidays. Laidback and low-key, it attracts people who want to watch birds, go fishing or tuck into blue swimmer crab (the Spencer Gulf to the peninsula’s west is full of them). Bring your snorkel because there’s plenty of action beneath the waves as well.

DON’T MISS

A platter of four freshly shucked oysters sitting on a bed of salt and garnished with slices of lemon, Yorke Peninsula

Join the salty sea dogs of Pacific Estate Oysters in Stansbury for their Deckie for a Day experience. They’ll tell you when to arrive at the boat ramp for departure. Don’t be late because the work here is all tied to the tides. Then you’re off. You’ll be out for between 90 minutes and two hours and you can get as involved as you want. Find out more about how oysters are sustainably farmed, jump over the edge and lend a hand, or just sit back and see how it’s done. It’s shuckin’ good fun.

FIVE ON THE DRIVE

  1. It’s not always a vivid shade of pink, but when the salinity is right Lake Bumbunga, about two hours from Adelaide, looks as though it’s filled with melted musk sticks. Wade out in the shallow water to get the right shot for the ’gram and be sure to look out for Loch Eel, a big sculpture made from old tyres, just off the highway.

  2. Jump right in at Edithburgh Jetty, a spot where the conditions are usually good for beginner snorkellers. Around the pylons you’ll see colourful soft corals and sponges, crabs and fish. But keep your eyes peeled because this is also home to leafy sea dragons, sea horses, squid and rays. You might even see a sea lion or two. DIY or book a tour with Experiencing Marine Sanctuaries.

  3. It might be hard to believe now, but Moonta was once home to a massive copper mine. It closed in 1923, but the town and much of the operation is still intact and looked after by the National Trust. Grab a walking map from the Moonta Mines Museum in the old school then explore the town’s history.

  4. The southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula is taken up by the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. Crossed by walking trails that take you through dunes and bushland and along the rugged coastline, it’s also a haven for wildlife, including the rare tammar wallaby. There’s great surf too, and the Yorkes Classic is held here each May.

  5. Join a Narungga guide at Point Pearce then spend the day listening to Dreaming stories, visiting ancient sites and discovering how Indigenous people survived British settlement with Aboriginal Cultural Tours. You’ve got two options: either heading straight to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park or travelling down the Yorke’s east coast to Pine Point to see ancient ochre quarries and a fish trap.

WHERE TO STAY

Hillocks Ocean Pod

It’s kinda like camping, but with a bit more coverage. Perched on a hill, Hillocks Ocean Pod offers amazing views of secluded Butlers Beach (just before Marion Bay) and the sound of the waves as you fall asleep.

Pickering Cottages

Just south of Stansbury, at Wool Bay, Pickering Cottages has four two-bedroom abodes arranged around a lawn, with space for kids to play between visits to the beach.

Mac’s Beachfront Villas

At the northern end of the peninsula at Wallaroo, Mac’s Beachfront Villas offers everything you need, including a pool and barbecue area. Take to your private deck at sunset and enjoy the views.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT

Kangaroos bound across rocky ground above a brilliant blue bay, Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Prebook your vehicle with Apex Car Rentals and pick it up when you arrive at Adelaide Airport. The northernmost end of the Yorke Peninsula is only a couple of hours away, but there’s so much to see and do up and down its length you’ll want to spend at least three or four days exploring and winding down.

WHEN YOU’RE DONE

In a barrel room, a man is holding a glass of red wine, O’Leary Walker Wines, Clare Valley, South Australia

Add a couple of days in wine country on your way back to Adelaide with a stop in the Clare Valley. Famous for its incredible riesling, it is the birthplace of the Stelvin (screwtop) closure that is now used around the world. You could certainly spend quite a bit of time exploring the 40 cellar doors here – be sure to put beautiful O’Leary Walker Wines on your itinerary – but this is part of the spectacular Mount Lofty Ranges, so seek out hiking trails, wildlife and historical Bungaree Station.