Whales, Sealife & Seafood of Eyre Peninsula

Friday 13th to Thursday 19th August 2027 – 7 Days

Accommodation: Whyalla, Ceduna, Pt Lincoln

Discover the wild, colourful and delicious side of South Australia on this seven day, fully escorted tour of the Eyre Peninsula from the Spencer Gulf to the edge of the Great Australian Bight. The highlight will be a whale watching cruise at Fowlers Bay, where you can get up close to these magnificent creatures in their natural setting.

Closer to the coast, you’ll see Australian sea lions at Point Labatt, the only permanent sea lion breeding colony on the mainland, before taking to the water again on a two hour Seafood Bay Cruise from Port Lincoln,

Visit Coffin Bay, the oyster capital and hear how the industry works at Turners Oysters in Cowell. Then enjoy a memorable dinner at FUMO 28 Oyster Bar and Seafood restaurant, one of Port Lincoln’s signature dining spots.

Along the way, the peninsula’s outdoor gallery unfolds before you: towering painted silos, vibrant murals and quirky street art in towns like Kimba, Tumby Bay, Elliston and Cowell. You’ll also see some of Australia’s best loved “big things”, wander through the Windmill Museum at Penong, marvel at the pink granite of Murphy’s Haystacks, visit the Axel Stenross Museum and the Stories of the Road Museum. The pace is relaxed, with plenty of short stops.

Highlights of the tour:

  • «Travel north stopping at Port Wakefield for morning tea near the first of our murals depicting the local industries and events.
  • «Continue on to see “the big blade” at Snowtown, and the water tower mural celebrating John Hansen, a CFS volunteer for 25 years. We stop for a delicious lunch at Crystal Brook.
  • «Once we reach Pt Augusta you are now officially at the top end of Eyre Peninsula. The last leg of the journey today finishes at Whyalla where we will see plenty of street art.
  • «Head inland for our first stop at Kimba, home of the “big galah”. You are now at the half way mark across Australia.
  • «On to Wudinna before a stop at Pildappa Rock, part of the Gawler Ranges and a rock with the highest and longest wave formation on the Eyre Peninsula.
  • «Minnipa has our next lot of street art, this one being a circular toilet block called the “Concrete Crappa”.
  • «We finally at Ceduna, on the shores of Murat Bay with the port of Thevenard 3 kms to the west.
  • «We will do a tour of the town street art before settling into the Ceduna Foreshore Motel, our home for the next two nights.
  • « We will travel to Fowlers Bay for a unique whale watching cruise and see the beautiful creatures up close.
  • «Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way.
  • «Stop at Penong to look at the outdoor Windmill Museum showcasing old, new, big and small windmills including “Bruce” the biggest windmill in Australia. It’s a tribute to the farmers “whirling workhorses” that have nowadays mostly been replaced by solar panels.
  • «Say goodbye to Ceduna and follow the coastline stopping at our first seaside town of Streak Bay.
  • «See the bronze statue, (unveiled in 2022), of a local boy Kieren McEvoy, winner of three Melbourne Cups.
  • «Continue to Murphy’s Haystacks, Inselberg formations made of pink, massive rock consisting mostly of quartz and orthoclase. They are so named because a traveller in a coach saw the formation in the distance and asked how a farmer could produce so much hay. The farm was owned by a man called Murphy.
  • «More sea life to view at Pt Labatt, the only permanent sea lion breeding colony on mainland Australia.
  • «Sea lions are one of the world’s rarest seals and less than 12,000 survive in the wild today.
  • «Travel on through Pt Kenny, Elliston (with it’s huge wall of street art), Coffin Bay and finally arrive at Pt Lincoln for the next two nights.
  • «Drive to the sleepy town of Coffin Bay, the oyster capital and have a panoramic view of Pt Lincoln from Winter Hill Lookout on our way back.
  • «Visit the Axel Stenross Museum. Learn of the fishing cargo moving industries of Pt Lincoln and about Axel Stenross himself, the Finnish ships carpenter who made this place home. Discover his story and the lost craft of wooden boat building.
  • «It’s now time for a real treat, our two hour Seafood Bay Cruise from Pt Lincoln Marina. Hear first hand knowledge of fishing, aquaculture and colourful local history that brings seafood to your plate. Maybe there will be some tastings of local seafood. Along the way be informed with commentary from our Captain.
  • «See the statues of Makybe Diva, the first horse to win 3 consecutive Melbourne Cups in 2003, 2004 & 2005, Matthew Flinders and his cat Trim and the Pole Fisherman on our way back to our hotel.
  • «Time to leave Pt Lincoln in the rear vision mirror and make our way up the coast with our first stop being Tumby Bay, where street art is everywhere. Each year they have “The Colour Tumby Festival” which includes live painting. Each year well known artists come to Tumby Bay to add to the colour of the town. Of course they have a beautiful painted silo as well showing two boys jumping off the Tumby Bay Jetty.
  • «Make a quick stop to Arno Bay and then on to Cowell with it’s painted silo of local identity Lionel Deer and his camel Diamantina. Lionel bought camels to the local Christmas Pageant for over 30 years.
  • «Whilst here we add to our seafood part of the tour with a visit to Turners Oyster with a talk and tour about how the oyster industry operates. Turners Oysters is one of the original family operated farms and supplies fresh oysters, whole or opened, smoked or pickled, oyster kebabs, oyster pies and Kilpatrick or mornay oysters for sale.
  • On our way back home our first stop is Pt Augusta at the top of Spencer Gulf, before travelling onto Pt Pirie to visit one of the best museums in South Australia, the “Stories of the Road Museum”. Run by Liz Martin OAM and dedicated to the trials and tribulations of the men, women and machinery that made Australia the great country it is today.
  • «Our final lunch together will be at Pt Pirie with a delicious two course meal.
  • «Then the last leg of our journey back home, making a comfort stop at Pt Wakefield, having done a full circle of the Eyre Peninsula, having seen so much beautiful street art, sealife and seafood.

Inclusions

  • « Morning tea provided on Day 1
  • « Cooked or continental breakfast on Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
  • « Lunch provided on Day 1, 2, 3 and 7
  • « Enjoy a two course dinner on Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
  • « Fully escorted with a tour host
  • « Deluxe coach travel

COMPLIMENTARY HOME PICK AND RETURN TO SELECTED SUBURBS

Twin/Double Share: $3,195 per person
Single Supplement: $595 for 6 nights