Caravanning on Eyre Peninsula

Visit your local library and check the last couple of issues of Caravan & Motorhome. They have had continuing articles titled...
'Travellers Tales by The Woodgates'. They have provided some reasonably comprehensive reports on park and free camping Eyre Peninsula and surrounds. Might be what you're looking for. Good luck.

Hi Doug,
Although it is not free camping, i would suggest you make your way out to Coffin Bay National Park... You can camp at Little Yangie (spelling?), which is before the off-road stuff, and head out to Point Sir Isaac, which is a good day trip.

There is also good fishing at Gunyah Beach (Almonta Beach i think it's called), where u catch mostly salmon, however you'll need a surf rod as it's kinda like the Coorong...

Also, you could camp out at the North Shields Caravan Park, which is about 10?km out of Port Lincoln... Good fishing off the jetty where u can catch whiting, salmon, etc & squid at night...

Hope this helps

Cheers, Brad

Hi Doug G,
Elliston is a nice place to stay. 2 C/Parks to choose from, I have only stayed at the one right near the jetty. Think it is called Waterloo Bay C/P not sure though. Plenty of good fishing nearby. Jetty is good for squid, tommies and snook, easy 3 to 5 min walk. Locks Well beach is easy drive for large salmon, tommies trevally, etc. North of Elliston also many many places to fish and enjoy the scenery.
Cheers Peter and Lez

Doug
If you haven't done so already book into caravan parks on Eyre Peninsula as soon as you can because it is very popular over Xmas. Coffin Bay has a very nice park as does Elliston, Venus Bay and Streaky Bay. For bush camping Acraman Creek (between Streaky and Smokey Bay) is a nice spot and easy to get your van into. Another top spot is Davenport Creek (the other side of Ceduna) but you won't get a caravan in there.
We go to Venus Bay to fish several times a year but have never been there at Xmas time. The owners Bill and Raelene Southern have built the caravan park up to the point that it is a very relaxing place to stay. The only down side is the bore water for the showers etc. it is hard as nails. The swimming with the sea lions and dolphins at nearby Baird Bay is highly recommended.
Chris W

Pt Niell caravan park. Beautiful little town. The in laws have a beach front shack there and it is a hard life going out in the boat and getting your quota of king george whiting nearly every time.

Barnesy

Agree with Pete & Lez, at Elliston, prefer the caravan park closest the beach (top tourist). Great owners.Locks Well is just down the road (well a few kms anyway). Wind the only problem I have with Elliston.

My favourite park on Eyre Peninsula is Kirton Point at Port Lincoln. Get a site where you can look out over the water towards Boston island and watch sun/moon rise each day (nights with a red in hand etc), and watch big boats come and go. Recently (?) taken over by Sarin Group - stayed a night in a unit on business a few weeks ago, seemed ok. But previously they would let you choose as site - didn't care where - looked a bit more regimented now.

For kids I didn't think too much of Coffin BAy Park. Have to cross the main road to get to the water. 03/04 Xmas it was just burning hot there, don't know why cause park trees provide good shade.

4 wheeling also excellent at Lincoln NP (Sleaford Dune run) and Coffin Bay NP.

Enjoy
JD

Doug,

Coffin Bay CP and Pt Lincoln NP have some great spots to camp, minimal cost.

We have just got back from doing Googs Track and stayed at Shelly Beach C/Pk, pretty good. Only one respectable unpowered site. BUT all sites $23. Close to beach.

Streaky Bay looked pretty good.

We checked out the spot below, looked good, free camping, just out of Streaky Bay:

Perlubie Landing (Would be a great place to camp out. There was a couple of areas to camp, plenty of room for tents/trailers. Beach access pretty close, is just south of Streaky Bay.)
S 32 39.651
E 134 17.738
Elevation: 6m

Will be posting some info in PLACES re these in next few days.

Hi Dougg - we toured around the Eyre and Gawler Ranges in January year before last. Loved it. Quite warm inland, but cold along the coast at the time.

Elliston SA – Caravan Park: I thoroughly recommend this to travellers in the Eyre Peninsular. It's the one as you come towards town from the north near the silos and opposite the jetty. Very clean and tidy, well maintained lawns and bitumised driveways so no loose sand in the van. Very clean amenities. Fully enclosed campers room with gas cooker, fridge, microwave, television, games. Outdoor gas cooker too. Heaps of room for big rigs and "drive through" sites so you don't have to unhitch, low impact night lighting, fish cleaning area.Shop sells fishing tackle and bait, gives fishing advice.

Haslam SA – Honesty box camping $5 per night.Parking area right by beach and jetty. Lovely spot.Toilets, barbecue and water. Shower and free electricity were removed due to not enough funds going in to the honesty box. Limit on time you can camp there.

At Baird Bay there is a small community run camping area which was also around $5, but we didn't stay as although the Bay was a lovely spot, it was close to the houses and we choose solitude. Make sure you see the sea lions nearby at Pt Labatt.

Free camps

Lipson Cove free campsite (north of Tumby Bay). Two camping bays each with pit toilet. Delightful spot by beach and island where terns breed. Very large rigs may have difficultly turning around in the bays. The only place we found pleasant enough for a swim - and we were there in January. This was a highlight of the Eyre.

Carrapee Hill camp site in park. Pit toilet. Pleasant location amongst trees as the base of the hill which is the highest point in the Eyre Peninsular. Walk trails not marked, so we never found the way to the top.

On much of the Eyre Peninsular, old roads run roughly parallel to the new, often well screened by trees. On a major road, you may get traffic noise, but along a minor road, it all goes quiet at night. These were easy to find and a nice clean level place to pull up for the night.

Motherhen

If you take the cliff drives around Streaky Bay, there are also a few spot to free camp.

Member message me your email address if you would like to see my 'pictorialtravelogue'.

Doug,

You have had some great information re camping and fishing spots, all of them very good one that i believe has been missed is Sheringa Beach. The turn off is about 40k's Sth of Elliston and along with Fowlers Bay which is over past Ceduna would have to be my 2 favourite camping fishing spots on EP. I have never fished Sheringa without landing Sambo's and always seem to pick up some good Flathead, whiting and tommies of the shore. Along with the fishing the scenery is great with cliffs, beaches and large sand hills. If you want any further info to good spots at these 2 sites just email me at blazesport@tsn.cc and I will do you a couple of maps

Don't miss Smoky Bay. Ask the locals how to get to Acraman Creek too. Fantastic fishing.