South Australia’s secret coastal escape


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SA’s Eyre Peninsula really has everything an RVer can love – rugged coastal scenery, world-class fishing, amazing wildlife and lots of surprises! Hidden in the far south-west corner of the lower Eyre is a gem of a camp spot. It could also boast being the friendliest camp anywhere in this country. Travel to Farm Beach once and you’ll be hooked!

Farm Beach is situated on the western tip of the southern peninsula at the end of a well-maintained limestone road. The road turns off the highway at the small settlement of Wangary and passes through hilly farmland for a scenic 10km drive to the beach. Along the way there’s a good chance you’ll spot emus taking a drink at a water trough, the odd couple of kangaroos on the run or a flock of Cape Barren geese feeding in a paddock.

As you reach the hilly summit and prepare the descent to the beach, take the time to slow down and take in the breathtaking views across Kellidie and Mount Dutton bays. As you drive on, Mt Dutton rises out of the farmland to your north and stands as an imposing background to Farm Beach.

Happy Hour at Farm Beach
Happy Hour at Farm Beach

The camp at Farm Beach is set back about 200m from the beach behind low dunes. Though sign-posted as Farm Beach Caravan Park, it is really a campground. There are plenty of large sites set among shady trees but we chose a more open site to maximise our solar power. During the warmer months, the camp is very popular with locals and travellers alike. Some enjoy an extended stay and others just a few days as part of their touring experience. This is one of those destinations where you plan to stop for a night or two and you’ll end up staying for weeks!

A glance over the dunes reveals Farm Beach – a glistening, white sandy beach stretching for more than 2km along the shore of the peninsula. To the north, limestone cliffs dominate the rugged coastline and you can easily make out the imposing Frenchman Bluff in the distance. To the south you can see the beach halt at a sandy point, marking the entrance into Port Douglas – a protected boat harbour. Farm Beach is a safe swimming beach and the hard sand makes it ideal for driving vehicles and launching boats into the bay.

You get a clue to the origins of Farm Beach’s name when you get to the campground – surprisingly it’s not about the farmland you drive through to get here. Nestled between the campground and the beach is a compound housing thirty or more well-used, rusty tractors. These ancient beasts are used by locals to launch their larger boats off the beach, and are the remnants of a once much bigger fleet. The beach was originally known as Tractor Beach and just a decade ago these tractors were used to haul a convoy of caravans onto the beach where locals set up a beach caravan park. In the interests of the environment, camping is no longer permitted on the beach.

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With enthusiastic prompting from our four-legged companion, our days at Farm Beach started with an early morning walk on the beach. If you’re early enough, you might just catch a couple of emus emerging from the bushy dunes to head down onto the beach.Keep an eye out along the edge of the weed line for dolphins cruising by or the occasional sea-lion playing in the shallows. There’s a good chance you’ll have the beach to yourself but if you meet any of the friendly locals, be sure to say hello. In a few minutes’ chat you can find out a lot about local history and places to visit. Could you start a day any better?

We got chatting to Matt on the beach and were invited to visit his nearby furniture-making business on his property overlooking Lake Wangary. He specialises in pieces made from slabs of jarrah and other timbers sourced from the south-west WA region. A few days later we dropped in and Matt showed us around his workshop and showroom. We loved his work, particularly the large, highly polished and richly coloured jarrah slab tabletops. A pity we couldn’t fit one in the caravan!

The Eyre Peninsula is a seafood-lover’s delight and you can’t get any fresher than by catching your own! We launched our dinghy from the beach and didn’t need to travel far to catch a good feed of King George whiting, flathead and squid. Ravenous Pacific gulls and pelicans will crowd you on the beach and keep an eye out for a small flotilla of stingrays gliding in the shallows. Back at camp it wasn’t difficult to gather up a crowd to share our catch and before long another fish cook-up was under way.

This is a seafood paradise
This is a seafood paradise

If you love fresh seafood, then this is the place for you. The oysters from the Eyre Peninsula are world-famous! Oyster farms are clearly visible from shore in the estuaries offshore from Farm Beach. At vantage points around the bays you can watch the oyster boats working the farms. We bought freshly harvested oysters direct from a Douglas Bay grower and enjoyed quite a few oyster lunches. Contrary to the oyster’s reputation, we didn’t notice any difference to our love life! I think the blue pill is the wiser choice.

There is plenty to see and do without straying too far from the Farm Beach camp. Movie buffs will want to visit Gallipoli Beach, which is a scenic 4km walk or drive from the Farm Beach parking area along the top of the cliffs. The limestone track can be a bit rough in places but with due care you shouldn’t have any dramas. From a cliff-top viewing point, you can take in the expanse of the beach, named for and made famous in the 1980s by the filming of Peter Weir’s ‘Gallipoli’, starring Mel Gibson. There’s a foot track winding down to the beach for those wanting to enjoy the stunning views of the sheer limestone cliffs, which rise 30m above Gallipoli Beach.

You can also head out to Minniribbie Paddock and Cafe, just a few kilometres from Farm Beach via the small settlement of Wangary. The farm is home of the organically raised Berkshire pig and we passed paddocks of pigs and piglets of all sizes as we drove in the gate. A rustic cafe shares a large red shed with an antiques shop, making for a very interesting browse before having a meal in cafe or outside on the deck. The menu features delicious home-grown pork and you can even buy fresh organic pork meat. We indulged in freshly made pancakes with maple syrup and luscious vanilla ice-cream; big enough for two to share and very yummy!

A great way to spend a day is to take a drive inland to the picturesque hills country and Koppio Smithy Museum. We chose a loop route, which meant mostly travelling on unpaved roads. Although the roads are well maintained and suitable for all vehicles, it is useful having a GPS unit to plan a route as signage along these roads is minimal. Though it will take a bit longer, it’s worth going via Cummins, the home of Cummins Mill, the only operating flour mill on the Eyre Peninsula. You can pick up freshly-baked goods using Cummins flour, from the town bakery, to enjoy on the spot or take with you for a picnic lunch. I bought some Cummins Mill bread mix from the local supermarket and baked my own bread back at the caravan. Is there any better smell than the aroma of baking bread?

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One of the most lasting memories of our first trip across the Nullarbor to SA nearly a decade ago was our visit to Koppio Smithy Museum. For me, a return visit was a must-do and, this time round, I found it even more fascinating!

Plan to spend a couple of hours at Koppio Smithy Museum, browsing the rustic buildings, artefacts and memorabilia from a bygone era of farm and home life. The original blacksmith shop and restored cottage were the inspiration and starting point for the museum. The Brennan family, descendants of Thomas Brennan, the first blacksmith, donated two and a half acres of their farm to the National Trust for the museum. Kevin found the Bob Dobbins barbed wire and fencing equipment a drawcard while I was difficult to prise from three generations of Jericho family photos, treasures and records in Heritage Hall.

Sadly, this part of the lower Eyre Peninsula was devastated by the Black Tuesday bushfires in 2005. Fortunately the Koppio Smithy Museum survived, and thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers, the museum and its vast collection has continued to expand. Take the time for reflection in the new Burning Issues Exhibition – a very moving visual display of the events and aftermath of that day. The museum grounds are a lovely backdrop for a picnic lunch but we continued on to nearby Tod Reservoir and enjoyed our lunch overlooking the dam wall.

The Eyre Peninsula is the perfect spot to relax away from the madding crowds. It’s not difficult to find a stunning camp in a scenic coastal or inland location, but there’s none better than Farm Beach. Enjoy this pristine coastline in all its glory. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

CHEAP TREATS

Taste some fresh oysters

Oysters are readily available from local growers or retail outlets at a fraction of city prices. Visit The Oyster Shed to buy fresh oysters or take a tour of the land-based facility.

Various Walks

Take a leisurely stroll out on the heritage-listed jetty at Mt Dutton Bay and enjoy views over the bay, or enjoy the Oyster Walk Trail, which meanders along the Coffin Bay foreshore.

Catch a feed of fish

This region offers a range of spectacular fishing opportunities. Launch your boat at Farm Beach or try your luck off the sand of rocks.

 

TOURING INFO

Farm Beach is at the end of a fairly well-maintained limestone road. It can be a touch rough in sections, but if you take it easy you shouldn’t have any dramas. Fuel can be a bit more expensive in the smaller villages, so it’s best to fuel up at Port Augusta or Port Lincoln.

MUST SEES

Gallipoli Beach

Take your camera and drive up to Gallipoli Beach, 4km north-west of Farm Beach. If you’re feeling a bit more energetic you can also walk up. Film buffs will love exploring this region.

Minniribbie Paddock

Ph: 0417 681 792

Web: www.minniribbiepaddock.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Check out the magnificent free-range pigs before enjoying a meal at the café. Fresh organic pork is available for purchase.

 

HOW TO GET THERE

Farm Beach sits in the lower Eyre Peninsula, 370km from Ceduna and 393km from Port Augusta via the Lincoln Hwy.

STAYING THERE

Farm Beach Campground
26km northwest of Coffin Bay

TOILETS, SHOWERS, NO DRINKING WATER, CAMPING FEES APPLY, PET FRIENDLY, BUSHWALKING, SWIMMING, FISHING

 

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE - BEST 4WDING

Derrick from West Coast 4WD says that all the locals enjoy the terrain between Sleaford Bay and Wanna.

“There’s no real track, but there are rough markers along the sand hills, so you can just mosey your way along the coast,” says Derrick.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE - MOST INTERESTING MUSEUM

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Sandra from the Wangary General Store reckons you should scope out the Mount Dutton Bay Woolshed museum.

“Shearing is the foundation industry of the region, and the fact that it’s a working museum really helps to bring that history to life,” says Sandra.