EXQUISITE EYRE PENINSULA

Fred takes a culinary journey along Australia’s greatest seafood trail

WORDS BY FRED WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRED WRIGHT AND JOHN HABEFIELD

Recently, I was lucky enough to go on a wonderful and informative trip through the Eyre Peninsula of SA. In my opinion, the Eyre Peninsula is one of the brightest jewels in the tourism crown of SA and one of Australia’s best kept secrets. We started our journey at Whyalla – known as the NE gateway to the Eyre Peninsular. We then headed south along the Lincoln Highway for roughly 200km to get to Tumby Bay. After spending some time in Tumby Bay we adventured along a dirt road to Second Creek, Arno Bay and then continued back onto the Lincoln Highway to end up in Port Lincoln.

WHYALLA

Starting at Whyalla on the east coast, which is four hours from Adelaide, we instantly began to enjoy the place where the outback meets the ocean. Whyalla is a dynamic cosmopolitan seafront community on the western shores of the upper Spencer Gulf and is the north east gateway to the Eyre Peninsula. A place that boasts 300 days of sunshine every year, its home to Arrium mining and One Steel Whyalla steelworks – you can understand why it would be known as a steel and ship building hub.

Whyalla was once known as Hummock Hill, until it was renamed in 1914, and was an important fort for the iron ore from Iron Knob. As befits the largest city in the region, Whyalla has plenty of shopping centres, 24 hour fuel, caravan parks and medical and dental services. In fact Whyalla has everything for the RVer, including veterinary services for those travelling with pets.

As you crest the hills leading to the foreshore you’ll be struck by the brilliant green and deep blue water of the Spencer Gulf and a short drive to Hummock Hill will reward you with 360° views. You will also find original gun emplacements, no doubt to ward off Japanese invaders during WWII.

You’ll see the steelworks, foreshore and marina, and across the Spencer Gulf to the Southern Flinders Ranges and Point Lowly lighthouse. Whyalla is blessed with one of the best information centres and should be your first port of call for any and all tours, including a tour of the HMAS Whyalla and a bus tour of One Steel steelworks. Whyalla also has the Mount Laura Homestead Museum, a telecommunications museum going back to the Overland telegraph era and up to the present day. Lots of working engines, the first police ‘lock up’, horse drawn vehicles, a steam locomotive and an original BHP cottage built in 1914 are here for you to explore.

The foreshore of Whyalla is unspoilt, dazzlingly beautiful and accessible, and begs you to take a stroll along its sandy beaches, have a swim in its shallow clear waters or drop in a line. As the water becomes deeper so do the colours change and here is a perfect spot for a cuppa, lunch and photo opportunity. The Whyalla foreshore also has one of the best foreshore parks in Oz, or if free camping is your style, drive 30km north east to Fitzgerald Bay for spots right on the water, but remember that you should be self-contained

One of the more bizarre attractions of Whyalla is the winter migration of the great Australian cuttlefish. Each year they come to Whyalla in numbers upwards of 200,000, to mate. They can grow to a tube length of 60cm and a massive 10kg. With eight arms, three hearts, blue blood and chameleon-like abilities, their courting rituals will captivate you as they ripple colours across their skin. If you’re prepared to don a wetsuit, goggles and snorkel you can observe these cuttlefish in shallow waters during winter months.

Heading south from Whyalla the Lincoln Highway leaves the coast before returning to Cowell, Arno Bay and Port Neill. During winter the grass is bright green with wildflowers by the roadside – a big change from the heat of summer. Any of these spots would be great to stop at. However, I’d previously been to Tumby Bay – one of the best secret spots in Australia, and wanted to see more of it.

TUMBY BAY

I like to begin with fish and chips, King George whiting of course, before taking a leisurely stroll along white beaches. You’ll love Tumby Bay’s welcoming people and long jetty with Norfolk Island pines lining its 10km foreshore. Fishing is the biggest draw card for Tumby Bay, but you will also find ‘Frosty’, a beautiful clydesdale horse, to take you on a horse drawn tour of the town. I particularly enjoyed The Excel Blacksmith and Mining Museum, and for those who like to commune with nature, you can swim with the delicate leafy sea dragons that live under the Tumby Bay jetty. Tumby Bay is a short drive from Port Lincoln to the South and would be an excellent base from which to explore.

There are a variety of fascinating and exciting holiday activities in Tumby Bay. If you’re in the mood for a relaxing drive, the Trinity Haven Scenic Drive will do the trick. There’s so much to see as you meander south of Tumby Bay via Second Creek and Trinity Haven to Redcliffs and Thuruna with numerous sheltered beaches along the way. Take a visit to Lipson Cove, north of Tumby Bay, here you’ll find a favourite fishing spot where a variety of fish can be caught. At low tide you can even walk across to Lipson Island, a coastal sanctuary with prolific birdlife. Of course an activity close to my heart needs a mention – picnics and BBQ! The best place to do this is the Tumby Bay foreshore lawns with fresh local Eyre Peninsula seafood. For those of you keen to be one on one with the wildlife you can go swimming in the bay with the sea lions. These creatures are known as the puppy dogs of the sea and are generally found in the clear, shallow waters of the Bay.

From leafy sea dragons, found nowhere else but the end of the Tumby Bay jetty, to a clydesdale horse and carriage ride around town to amazing restaurants, craft shops and so much more. Tumby Bay is the sort of place you only want your best friends to know about – it’s that good.

Leaving Tumby Bay we headed on a dirt road that took us to Second Creek which is a basic camp at $10 per night. You’re right on the water in a sanctuary so there’s no fishing, but there’s a toilet rubbish bin, and the views are outstanding across the clear blue waters. If you continue on this road it will take you to a dead end, but you’ll love the sights and there’s places you can stop right by the water’s edge of white sandy beaches with attractive rocky outcrops. You’ll feel like you’re the only person here and you probably will be.

PORT LINCOLN

Port Lincoln is a big place, very big compared to Tumby Bay so be prepared for roundabouts and large road trains. When you unhitch, travel along the foreshore to enjoy the views and the shops that line the roadway.

For an RVer there’s everything here with supermarkets, caravan and motorhome services and repairs, medical services and chemists. There’s parking for your RV at Tasman Terrace, just look for the statue of Makybe Diva – the famous racehorse. Motorhome camping is at Billy Lights Point and Axel Stenross Museum, so get your permits from Port Lincoln visitor information centre. There are recycling bins, water taps and a sewage point is in Windsor Avenue.

Port Lincoln is a short 13 minute drive from Lincoln National Park, a great place for camping and exploring. With nine campsites throughout, Lincoln National Park is a fantastic destination. There are plenty of ways to discover the park’s environment. Boating, fishing, beachcombing, swimming, birdwatching and nature walks are popular activities and a variety of designated campgrounds offer easy access to bays, beaches and walking trails. Lincoln National Park is also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and day entry or camping passes can be purchased at the entrance of the National Park with self-registration.

Lincoln National Park is also a great place to access the beautiful Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area. However, keep in mind to enter Memory Cove you must obtain a gate key and special permit from the Port Lincoln Visitor Centre, as this is a protected area. It is well worth the trouble, though, as Memory Cove has some of Australia’s most rare flora and fauna. Memory Cove is also the perfect place for spectacular cliff top views and you may even spot a whale or dolphin that pass the area during the winter months.

You could quite easily spend a week in Port Lincoln and tour the attractions such as Axel Stenross Museum, Koppio Smith Museum, wineries, art centres and taste the succulent fresh seafood. I also highly recommended the Adventure Bay tours with Matt and his exiting new boat where you can sit in a sealed section, dry and still and catch a glimpse of great white sharks. Spending a week at Port Lincoln may never be enough and try the caravan park on Boston Bay because it’s a beauty!

Considering the journey is only two and a half hours, your trip from Whyalla to Port Lincoln will be packed full of beautiful beaches, attractive rural scenery, enticing coastal spots and big city convenience. After you return home, looking back at your pictures, you won’t believe you saw and experienced so much wild life, good food and true Australian scenery in such a short distance!