EYRE PENINSULA
In the driest state on the driest continent on Earth, the Eyre Peninsula provides a wel¬come belt of lush countryside, sandy white coves, and pounding, fish-filled surf—all uncrowded and removed from anything resembling urban bustle. A popular vacation spot for South Australian residents in the know, the population burgeons during vaca¬tion times. The peninsula covers a huge area stretching nearly 1000km from Port Augusta and Whyalla in the east to the border with Western Australia. Projecting into the Southern Ocean and circumscribed to the north by the Gawler Ranges, the main, genuinely peninsular part of the Eyre is traversed by two main routes. The inland Eyre Highway runs 468km from Whyalla west to Ceduna. The coastal triangu¬lar route, via the Lincoln Hwy and Flinders Hwy, takes 763km to connect the same two towns. West of Ceduna, the peninsula eases into the mainland as the road to WA sets out across the vast, desolate Nullarbor Plain.
The eastern side of the peninsula offers quirky coastal towns with sheltered bays, good swimming areas, and vast stretches of white sand. At the tip, Port Lincoln rests by the calm waters of Boston Bay, while farther west the rugged coastline bears the full force of the Southern Ocean's pounding surf. The Great Australian Bight, along Eyre's west coast, is known for some of the roughest waves in the world and some of the best surfing. Eyre's appeal lies in its remote inlets and expansive national parks. Even if the towns don't hold your attention themselves, they provide good bases for exploring mile after mile of spectacular, isolated coastline.