Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
EYRE
PENINSULA
&THE
WEST
COAST
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
TOURS
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
PORT
AUGUSTA
and cooking facilities. Book ahead through
the park visitor centre; BYO drinking water
in summer.Rhino’s ̈Tavern ̈& ̈
Innes ̈Park ̈Trading ̈Post ̈ PUB $$
(%08-8854 4078; www �rhinostavern�com �au; 1
StenhouseBay Rd, StenhouseBay; mains$18-30;
hnoon-2pm&6-8pm) This is a one-stop shop
for fuel, bait, groceries and takeaway food,
or kick back with a beer and a pub meal
(laksa and ribs!).EYRE PENINSULA &
THE WEST COAST
The vast, straw-coloured triangle of Eyre
Peninsula is Australia’s big-sky country,
and is considered by galloping gourmands
to be the promised land of seafood. Meals
out here rarely transpire without the op-
tion of trying the local oysters, tuna and
whiting. Sublime national parks punctu-
ate the coast, along with world-class surf
breaks and lazy holiday towns, thinning
out as you head west towards the Great
Australian Bight, the Nullarbor Plain and
Western Australia.
Eyre Peninsula’s photogenic wild-western
flank is an important breeding ground for
southern right whales, Australian sea lions
and great white sharks (the scariest scenes
of Jaws were shot here). There are some
memorable opportunities to encounter
these submariners along the way.
Online, visit http://www.eyrepeninsula.info.T ̈Tours
Wilderness ̈Wanders ̈ WILDERNESS
(%08-8684 5001; www �wildernesswanders�com �au) (^) S One- to eight-day Eyre Peninsula ex-
plorations ex-Port Lincoln, with lots of walk-
ing, wildlife and wilderness. The epic eight-
day ‘Walking on Eyre’ tour ($2350) includes
transport, accommodation, national park
entry fees and most meals.
Southern ̈Blue ̈Tours ̈ SIGHTSEEING
(%08-86831330; www �southernblue�travel) Full-
day tours to Lincoln National Park ($395),
the Coffin Bay region ($245) and half-day
Port Lincoln tours ($135).
88 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Away
Seep783forinfoonthecarferrybetweenYorke
PeninsulaandEyrePeninsula�
AIR
Regional Express(Rex; www �regionalexpress�
com �au) Daily flightsfrom Adelaideto Whyalla
(one way from $140),Port Lincoln(from$99)
and Ceduna(from$180)�
BUS
Premier Stateliner(www�premierstateliner�
com �au) Daily busesfrom Adelaideto Port
Augusta($54 �50, 4¼ hours),Whyalla($62,
5½ hours),Port Lincoln($108�50, 9¾ hours),
StreakyBay ($113�50, 10 hours)and Ceduna
($126�50, 11¼ hours)�
TRAIN
ThefamousGhantrainconnectsAdelaidewith
DarwinviaPortAugusta,andtheIndian Pacific
(betweenPerthandSydney)connectswiththe
GhanatPortAugusta;seep1091fordetails�
Pichi Richi Railway(%1800440101;www�prr �
org �au; one-wayadult/child/family$52/19/122)
runsbetweenPortAugustaandQuorn(two
hours)onSaturdays�
Port Augusta
POP 13,900
At the head of Spencer Gulf, Port Augusta
is having an identity crisis: is it the gateway
to the outback, or the start of the south-
ern Flinders Ranges? Is it the first town
on the Eyre Peninsula, or the last big town
until Kalgoorlie? The answer is all of the
above. From the ‘Crossroads of Australia’,
highways and railways roll west across the
Nullarbor into WA, north to the Flinders
Ranges or Darwin, south to Adelaide or
Port Lincoln, and east to Sydney. Not a bad
position!
The old town centre has considerable ap-
peal, with some elegant old buildings and a
revitalised waterfront: locals cast lines into
the blue, and indigenous kids back-flip off
jetties. The town has had problems with al-
coholism (the streets are now a dry zone),
but the vibe is rarely menacing.
1 ̈Sights ̈& ̈Activities
Australian ̈Arid ̈
Lands ̈Botanic ̈Garden ̈ GARDENS
(www�aalbg �sa �gov �au; Stuart Hwy; tours adult/
child $8/5 �50; h9am-5pmMon-Fri,10am-4pmSat
&Sun, tours 10am Mon-Fri) F Just north of
town, the excellent (and free!) botanic gar-
den has 250 hectares of sand hills, clay flats
and desert flora and fauna. Explore on your
own, or take a guided tour. There’s a cafe
here, too.