Guide to Yorke Peninsula South Australia Australia

Lazy days under the beach umbrella. Cold beers around a barbecue sizzling with the day’s catch. Historic wooden jetties that lead right out to where the fish are biting. And sunsets over boat-filled bays.

The toughest thing about a trip to Yorke Peninsula is dragging yourself off the beach. But there’s plenty to see “off-shore” … like kicking up your heels at the world’s largest Cornish festival; wandering through time in historic copper mining towns; meeting entrepreneurs and enthusiasts on the Yorke Peninsula Home Grown Trail; strolling along coastal trails and hiking through rugged bushland at Innes National Park.

With more than 600 kilometres of coastline and a host of sunny seaside towns, “Yorkes” is much loved by South Australians. And many of its best beaches are just a couple of hours from Adelaide.

Action Aplenty

Surf the breaks of Chinaman’s and Pondalowie Bay down at the base of the peninsula. Grab a waterproof map marking a scuba diving trail to eight shipwrecks around Wardang Island off Port Victoria. Visit in September for Yorke’s surfing classic, held annually at Innes National Park. Walk along trails in Edithburgh, Port Vincent, Stansbury, Barkers Rocks and Port Victoria. Search for big-bellied seahorses and Port Jackson sharks on a dive just off Edithburgh Jetty.

Innes National Park

Hike through tranquil coastal mallee in the 9,200-hectare Innes National Park, keeping a lookout for emus, kangaroos, 90 species of birds, and Southern Right Whales in winter. The historic ruins of Inneston village offer an intriguing insight into the area’s harsh days of gypsum mining, while the Investigator Strait Maritime Heritage Trail reveals 26 shipwrecks lying just off the rocky coast.

Luck of the Cornish

Journey through time in the Copper Coast towns of Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta, where Australia’s richest colonial copper mines operated in the late 1800s. Ride on the Moonta Mines Railway (part of the extensive Moonta Mines State Heritage Area); dress up as a miner at the Wheal Hughes Copper Mine; and count the coins at the Banking and Currency Museum. Visit in May 2007 for the Kernewek Lowender Cornish festival.

Fisherman’s Basket

Catch your fill of King George whiting, dive for scallops just off the beach and rake the shallows for blue swimmer crabs. The Yorke Peninsula is dotted with historic jetties and pristine surf beaches perfect for snaring the catch of the day, from snapper, garfish and salmon to tommy ruffs, mullet, crabs and squid. And boaties should try out the multi-million-dollar marina developments at Port Vincent and Wallaroo.

Home Grown Trail

Go behind the scenes of key and quirky rural enterprises on the Yorke Peninsula Home Grown Trail, a self-drive guide to everything from olives and oysters to ostriches. Grab a copy of the Yorke Peninsula Visitor Guide before strolling through fragrant lavender fields, tasting the region’s first wines, following the process for creating hand-made papers and stroking a baby alpaca.

Troubridge Island

Retreat to your very own island for the weekend. The Troubridge Island lighthouse was commissioned in 1856 after a series of shipwrecks off the Yorke Peninsula coast near Edithburgh. Today the island is a beacon for migratory birds and fairy penguins, and has clean sandy beaches for swimming and snorkelling.

Surf and Turf

Eat the freshest seafood and drink the coldest beer at great country pubs, cafes and restaurants. There’s gourmet wood-fired pizzas at Marion Bay Tavern; monster Kahuna burgers at Kadina’s Kahuna Café; giant seafood platters at Skinners Jetty Café at Wallaroo; and divine balcony dining at Faversham’s Restaurant in Edithburgh.