Where Is Coffin Bay
For those who don’t know, Coffin Bay is a small town located along the West side of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. With a population of around 1000 people, this small town is a beautiful stop along the South Coast.
Coffin Bay South Australia is approximately 50km (35 mins) from the town of Port Lincon on the East side of the Peninsula. As you can probably guess by its name, the town is formed around a large bay which faces inland. This makes the bay well protected from the wind resulting in beautifully clear and calm water.
How To Get To Coffin Bay
Getting to this beautiful coastal town is super easy if you already have your mode of transport. But for those who don’t you have a few options. The first is to hire a car, this can be done in Adelaide. Secondly, you could take the bus from Adelaide, this is quite expensive and take 10 hours!!
Or you could splash the cash and fly from Adelaide to Port Lincon, the cost of the flights to coffin Bay varies. Once you are in Port Lincon the Oyster Tours provide a free return transfer to a meeting point in the town.
Coffin Bay Map
Things To Do In Coffin Bay
One thing it is famous for is its Oysters!! As you drive through the town and around the bay you will see hundreds of submerged oyster boxes. We had no idea that oysters could grow so close to the shore and in such shallow water.
The second thing which puts it on the map is the amazing National Park. Inside the park, there are kilometres of sealed roads which makes it perfect for both 2 and 4-wheel drive vehicles to access the large selection of walks and lookouts scatter around the park.
Coffin Bay Oyster Tours
The reason everyone comes to Coffin Bay!!
If you are anything like us and only know oysters to be slimy salty sea creatures, then you need to continue reading this part.
When we arrived we realized how wrong we were about Oysters. The Coffin Bay Oyster Tour opened our eyes to this amazing aphrodisiac.
There are 2 tour companies to choose to do a tour with. We opted to go with Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours and the experience was worth every dollar!! Not only was this Oyster tour a lot cheaper, but it is also closer to Coffin Bay town which means more eating and drinking and less travel.
Without spoiling too much of the fun, this is our Coffin Bay Oyster Tour experience and some of the key points of the tour.
Our Experience
We meet at 11 am to begin the tour and all receive a pair of waders. Those who aren’t familiar with waders will look something like this (pictured below).
In our group, there were 6 people including Milly and me. This number does increase around the summer months, but this amazing tour prides itself on being able to interact with the guests so you will never be over 20 people.
You then take the short walk along the shore and onto a jetty into the water. The water is waist-high and squeezes you into those waders nice and tight. Once you’re in the water you will reach a floating seating area complete with parasols to keep the sun off you.
Tasting Time 🎣
This is where you will spend the next hour learning how the oysters are bred, grown and farmed. Now for some people, you might think why would I want to learn about that? But this part of the tour was really interesting. The tour guide will pull the oysters straight out of the water in front of you. Shucking the oysters (opening the oyster) see we are now pros and know all the lingo. The guide will then prepare a tasty oyster buffet complete with a bottle of champagne or wine. The wine at 11 am will help those who are new to Oyster tasting have the confidence to try a few!
After an hour or in our case just over an hour due to a lot of chatting and picture-taking the tour is complete. You will now have a new-found love for oysters and a much great knowledge which may become useful In a pub quiz one evening.
All in all, we can’t recommend The Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tour enough!
Coffin Bay Tours FAQ
- How do I book?📲 To book your tour visit Beachcomber Café, 113 Esplanade, 5607, this is where your tour will start. Having said that whilst we were here they were in the process of building a new office across the road from this location.
- How much does it cost? 🤑 There are several tour options to choose from. The basic tour which offers 4 oysters each and no alcohol cost only $40 each. That is seriously great value for your money. For an extra $10 each, you can add an alcoholic drink.
- What do I need to bring? 🎒 We would highly recommend bringing a camera and a bottle of water. Don’t worry you’re not going underwater so just don’t drop anything and you will be fine.
If you need to find out any more information about this amazing tour check out the Klook website.
Coffin Bay National Park
Best times to visit ⌛
If walking is your thing then the best time for you to visit is in spring. It is normally fairly dry and comfortably warm to complete those long hikes. If surfing and relaxing on the beach is more your vibe, then you should be aiming for the summer months (January / February).
Permits🎫
Like most National Parks in Australia, there is an entrance fee. The Coffin Bay National Park fees are straightforward. You pay per vehicle regardless of the number of people inside. A permit for the Coffin Bay National Park costs $10 per vehicle for the day. This permit can be easily purchased at the SA park entrance.
Coffin Bay National Park Camping 🏕️
When it comes to camping in the Coffin Bay National Park you are spoilt for choice. There are 7 campsites scattered around the park. Be aware some sites are only accessible in high clearance 4WD vehicles. Most of these campsites are located in the far north of the park. If you are planning on camping in the National Park you will also need to purchase a permit online. All campsites are priced at $12 and can be booked up to a year in advance. SA Parks Camping
You can purchase all your park permits from Beachcomber Café Coffin Bay, 113 Esplanade, 5607. This lovely small cafe has all the information and food you will need to start your adventure.
Coffin Bay National Park Map
Coffin Bay National Park Walks And Lookouts
There is a huge selection of bushwalks and lookouts to choose from. We are happy to admit we did not complete all of these walks mainly because we don’t have a 4WD van. But here are a few top picks from us and the park’s website.
Easy Walks
These three trails can all be accessed along a sealed road so you don’t need to worry about 4WD.
Yangie Lookout Walk (20 mins, 1km)
A short climb with great views overlooking Yangie Bay and Marble Range. If you have a little more time on your hands then continue to trail onto the Yangie Bay Hike (45 mins, 2km) The trail starts from the Yangie Bay camping area.
Point Avoid Lookout and Goldern Island Lookout
Both of these lookouts are close together and are a short walk from the car park. These lookouts are in the south part of the National Park.
Moderate Walks
Black Springs Well Hike (40 mins, 2km)
This trail follows the coast around the headland overlooking sheltered Port Douglas. Start this trail at the Black Springs camping area.
Black Rocks Hike (4 hrs, 12km)
Walking along the coastline of Avoid Bay with views overlooking Lake Damascus along the way. This trail starts in the Black Rocks car park.
Boarding House Bay Hike (8 hrs, 24km)
This walk takes you through coastal heath, samphire flats, and mallee woodlands. You’ll see cliffs, beaches and offshore reefs. The trail starts at the Whidbey Wilderness Area gate.
Places To Eat 🤤
Beachcomber Café $
113 Esplanade, Coffin Bay 5607 – Not only does this place serve great coffee and snacks but the staff here are extremely helpful. To the point, the chef came and sat down with us and went through all the best spots to visit on the map, whilst he was cooking everyone brunch.
Coffin Bay Hotel $ $
Shepperd Ave, Coffin Bay SA 5607 – Standard cheap and cheerful Aussie hotel/pub. Chicken Palma and beers all around.
1802 Oyster Bar and Bistro $ $ $
61 Esplanade, Coffin Bay SA 5607 – This place is a bit fancier than the local cafe. If you still have the craving for more oysters, then this place is the perfect dinner spot.
Coffin Bay Accommodation 🏠
When it comes to accommodation you have two options. The first is camping, the second is a homestay or hotel.
Coffin Bay Camping
If you have ever been to Australia you will know that they love camping! There is a large campsite in the middle of town called Coffin Bay Caravan Park.
This site comes with all the usual facilities and is reasonably priced and is in a great location. To get all the up-to-date prices and details check out their website
Free Camping Coffin Bay
If you are on a bit of a budget then there is a Free campsite around 12 km out of town. This is an old gravel site which is just off of the main highway that connects Coffin Bay to Port Lincoln. When we started here the mosquitos were BAD, and when I say bad I mean some of the worst we have ever experienced. I will let you decide between a free gravel pit and a $30 campsite with showers, we did both!
National Park Camping
Finally, for the camping section, you have the national park. Hopefully, you have already read about this further up to the page. If you just skipped straight to the section then you back up the back to find out how to camp in the Coffin Bay National Park.
Hotel/Apartments
If you have a bigger budget then you should book a fancy hotel or a self-service apartment. We found Long Beach Apartments to be the most reasonable and great to set up a base for a few days whilst you explore this area.
Things To Do Nearby
- Lake Macdonnell
- Port Lincon
- Greenly Beach
- Farm Beach
- Fishing
Although our time here was short, it was very memorable. We had never heard of this pretty little town before arriving on the Eyre Peninsula. But now thanks to the amazing tour and the kindest of the locals it made this trip is truly one to remember. We now continue our road trip onto Greenly Beach.
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What Camera Gear Do We Use
- Main Camera: Panasonic G80
- Go To Lens: Panasonic 12-60mm
- Tripod: Manfrotto Adventure Tripod
- Camera Bag: Manfrotto Backpack
- Underwater Camera: GoPro Hero 8
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- Power Bank: Anker Power Bank
- Hardrive: WD 1TB hard drive
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