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Port Lincoln: This regional centre plays a dual role as a major commercial centre for South Australia's Eyre Peninsula and a popular destination for visitors. Not just a pretty town overlooking Boston Bay, Port Lincoln sees itself as both the Seafood Capital of Australia and an ideal base from which to explore the coast and hinterland of the Lower Eyre Peninsula. Port Lincoln has proximity to 60,000 hectares of National Parks. To the town's south is Lincoln National Park and a tourist drive on private property named Whalers Way. Both give access to some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the country.
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Pildappa Rock
Granite Country: the area around the town of Wudinna on the Eyre Highway is known as Granite Country for the spectacular granite outcrops in the region. Eroded, exposed and bizarre outcrops of granite scattered across the countryside, they feature flared slopes, caves, inselberg and gnamma holes. They are among the most ancient and unspoilt attractions on the Eyre Peninsula, and include Mount Wudinna, Polda Rock, Ucontitchie Hill, Pildappa Rock and the stunning Tcharkulda Rock. Mount Wudinna, located 12 km north-east of the town of Wudinna, is Australia's second largest monolith after Mount Augustus.
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Point Avoid, Coffin Bay National Park
Coffin Bay: Coffin Bay is a beautiful and idyllic holiday destination surrounded by National and Conservation Parks with an abundance of wildlife, bird life and magnificent wildflowers to be seen. Coffin Bay National Park has a diverse coastal landscape from high windswept cliffs, massive sand dunes, limestone pavements with sheoaks and black tea trees to long white beaches and sheltered waters. Download brochure
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The land-locked HMAS Whyalla, built at the Whyalla shipyards in 1941, takes pride of place at the city's Maritime Museum
Whyalla: Founded as a company town in 1901 to houses workers at BHP's steelworks and (later) shipyards, Whyalla is South Australia's second largest town. Though the closure of its shipyards in 1978 was a major blow to Whyalla, fears of its demise were unfounded as the city has since diversified its economic base. Tourism has come to the fore, as Whyalla boasts outback landscapes, scenic views, a vast coastline, great fishing and a rich culture and heritage. The Point Lowly Lighthouse and nearby beach is 34 km from Whyalla. It offers beautiful views of the gulf, coastline, and across to the Southern Flinders Ranges.
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Gawler Ranges: the undisturbed Gawler Ranges are full of secret places with much of the fun here being discovering these special wonders. The Gawler Ranges landscape is believed to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest landscapes on Earth. The rocks formed from ash spewed out by massive volcanic eruptions almost 1600 million years ago. As the volcanic ash cooled and consolidated, columnar joints developed. The vast hill and valley complexes, rocky gorges and seasonal water flows create a stunning landscape of natural beauty. It is most spectacular in spring when covered with a colourful carpet of wildflowers.
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Iron Knob: An iconic iron ore mining town in the heart of a semi-desert area, Iron Knob today struggles not to become a ghost town. Its name recalls the iron ore deposits of the nearby mountain, the mining of which brought the town into existence and began Australia's iron ore mining industry. Although it is now 150 m lower than it was in 1880 when mining commenced, the mountain still looms over the township. The few residents that remain residents are proud of the town's heritage and manage a fascinating museum that recalls the history of the mine and the town.
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About the Peninsula: The Eyre Peninsula is an area to the west of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia's west which is larger in area than the state of Tasmania. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges. It is named after explorer Edward John Eyre who explored some of it in 1839-1841. The coastline was first explored by Matthew Flinders in 1801-1802. The west coast was also visited by Nicolas Baudin at around the same time. The major industry is farming - cereal crops, sheep, and cattle in the drier north and more water-intensive activities such as dairy farming and a growing wine industry in the south. Many coastal towns have commercial fishing, in particular Port Lincoln, had a large tuna-fishing fleet, which is gradually being converted to fish farming in bays along the coast. There is a commercial nephrite jade mine near Cowell. Iron ore is mined in the hills near Iron Knob inland from Whyalla, to where it is transported by rail for smelting. The Peninsula was named after explorer Edward John Eyre who, after several expeditions into the interior of South Australia, became the first European to travel across the Nullarbor from South Australia to Albany in 1840.
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| Regions of South Australia |
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