The Seafood Frontier: a 4-day gourmet road trip along the Eyre Peninsula

Embark on this four-day road trip along the Eyre Peninsula’s oceanic utopia. Swim with sea lions, test your nerves in a shark cage, wander along pristine beaches and indulge in exquisite seafood in South Australia.

Day 1: Adelaide to Port Lincoln   

• Drive time: 7 hours
• Distance: 650 kilometres (400 miles)
• Fly: Alternatively, fly to Port Lincoln with Regional Express or Qantas and pick up a hire car when you arrive.

Depart from Adelaide early and begin your road trip along the Seafood Frontier. First stop is Whyalla, via Port Augusta. Join a snorkelling or diving tour in Whyalla to witness the ‘chameleons of the sea’ — Australian giant cuttlefish — change colour during the spectacular annual migration between May to August. For another phenomenal experience, head to Whyalla’s foreshore marina to meet the friendly pod of local dolphins who are regularly seen greeting tourists.

Continue to Cowell, a coastal town well-known for its oysters and jade minerals. Drop a net from the town jetty to catch big blue crabs, or hire a kayak and paddle out over the calm, fish-filled water. Then head on to Tumby Bay, where you can hire a fishing charter and try catching King George whiting, before carrying on to Port Lincoln. 

Stay overnight: Port Lincoln

Day 2: Dive down under in Port Lincoln

Port Lincoln is home to some of the most unique marine experiences available. Swim with playful sea lions, or for an adrenaline rush, try cage diving with great white sharks — this is the only place in Australia where you can see these astonishing predators up close from the safety of a cage.

For a more relaxing outing, explore Lincoln National Park and Coffin Bay National Park, where you’ll discover stunning cliffs, sand dunes, sheltered bays and white sandy beaches, just a short drive from Port Lincoln. There's a seafood highlight to be found at Oyster Farm Tours in Coffin Bay, where you can wade out into the water and taste fresh oysters at the semi-submerged tasting deck.

For dinner, book a table at the Port Lincoln hotel and indulge in fresh seafood and ocean views. If you’ve got the appetite, try the one-kilogram (2.2-pound) oyster challenge.

Stay overnight: Port Lincoln

Day 3: Port Lincoln to Streaky Bay

• Drive time: 3 hours
• Distance: 293 kilometres (182 miles)

From Port Lincoln, make your way up the west coast to Streaky Bay. When you arrive, follow the 283-step stairway down to Locks Well Beach. It’s rated one of the best salmon fishing beaches in Australia, so it’s well worth the effort to get down there.

Next, explore the area’s nearby spectacular coastal spots, including Venus Bay and Baird Bay, where you can take up another opportunity to swim with sea lions and dolphins.

Between Streaky Bay and Port Kenny lies the unique outcrop of pink granite boulders known as Murphy’s Haystacks. Make sure you stop by for a breathtaking view and an Instagram-worthy photo.

Feeling hungry? Purchase some of the exquisite local seafood available throughout this very relaxed idyllic coastal town. 

Stay overnight: Streaky Bay

Day 4: Streaky Bay to Fowlers Bay 

• Drive time: about 3 hours
• Distance: 251 kilometres (156 miles)

Firstly, drive to Smoky Bay, another oyster hotspot on the Eyre Peninsula. From there drive 184 kilometres (114 miles) to Fowlers Bay, which is a great base to explore the rest of the far west coast, across to Head of Bight and the Nullarbor. Take a two-hour cruise from Fowlers Bay to watch southern right and humpback whales frolic in the ocean (between May and October). Large numbers of southern right whales can also be seen from special viewing platforms at Head of Bight.

From Fowlers Bay, consider extending your trip and drive north towards Western Australia, or begin your journey back to Adelaide.