South Australia (Eyre Peninsula)
Coffin Bay
The picturesque setting of the town of COFFIN BAY is worth a look, though perhaps not during school holidays when the caravan park and abundant holiday cottages are full to bursting. A stroll along the coastal “Oyster Walk” takes you past the original fishermen’s shacks, now mostly summer houses, and reveals a wealth of bird and plant life – a taste of Coffin Bay National Park to the west.

Situated on one of Australia's most beautiful estuaries, Coffin Bay offers a scenic smorgasboard of unspoilt inlets. bays and vast waterways perfect for fishing or family holidays.
Whilst named by explorer Mathew Flinders after his friend Sir Isaac Coffin. the many tragic shipwrecks along the rugged coastline might have seemed the obvious origin. The exposed jagged cliffs and wild seas contrast with the sheltered gentle waters of the bays themselves.

Watersports of all types are very popular here and all necessary facilities are provided, including mooring grounds and marinas. Apart from the natural beauty of the area, wildlife, birdlife and wildflowers are just some of the other attractions.

Coffin Bay National Park
Coffin Bay National Park, an hour’s drive west from Port Lincoln, is a landscape of dunes and saltmarsh, mostly only accessible by 4WD. Though parts are open to other types of vehicles, you should consult the NPWS in Port Lincoln before venturing here. You’ll be rewarded by isolation, sand sculptures at Sensation and Mullalong beaches, and the quality of the fishing. Semicircular stone walls on the northern shore are Aboriginal fish traps – fish were chased in at high tide and then the gaps in the side blocked with nets as the water receded. 

Coffin Bay National Park covers the entire Coffin Bay Peninsula and contains some beautiful, unspoilt coastal wilderness. The park has a great variety of wildlife, including the Coffin Bay brumbies. Seabirds are prolific, with white-bellied sea eagles, ospreys, albatrosses and petrels a common sight.

If you don’t have your own 4WD, Great Australian Bight Safaris (tel 08/8682 2750) will take you on various day-trips for around $60, as well as on longer camping and fishing adventures.

THE OYSTER FARM
Oysters cultivated in Coffin Bay are sought by gourmet chefs. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of seafood, fresh oysters and the famed Southern Rock Lobster.