In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 2,200 km from Port Augusta along the bays of the Eyre Peninsula via Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay and Streaky Bay to Ceduna, then on the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain past the Bunda Cliffs to Norseman in the Goldfields.
The spirit of the route
This route has two halves that could hardly be more different. First the Eyre Peninsula: turquoise bays with oyster beds, granite domes in the wheat country, sea lions dozing below the cliff at Point Labatt, and campgrounds where all you hear in the evening is waves and galahs. Then, beyond Ceduna, the land turns flat and quiet. The trees get shorter, then they disappear, and ahead of the windscreen the limestone floor of the Nullarbor runs to the edge of the world. From the sliding door you watch right whales off the Bunda Cliffs, wombat burrows in the saltbush and a night sky without a single point of light. The rhythm is set by roadhouses, rest areas and road trains, and the clock jumps by odd three-quarter hours. If you drive here, you plan fuel, water and daylight – and in return you get a vastness you won’t forget.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Port Augusta to Cowell (approx. 190 km)
- The drive
- From Port Augusta take the Lincoln Highway (B100) south across the Spencer Gulf to Whyalla (around 75 km), then along the edge of the Middleback Ranges through wheat and saltbush country to Cowell on Franklin Harbor (a good 110 km). Wide, flat sealed road with heavy ore traffic near Whyalla; the detour to the Point Lowly peninsula is around 30 km each way. Pure driving time just over 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Point Lowly with its lighthouse and coastal walk; at Stony Point/Point Lowly the Giant Australian Cuttlefish gather to spawn in the southern winter – you can see them with a snorkel straight from the shore.
- Hummock Hill Lookout in Whyalla with views over the harbour, the steelworks and the Spencer Gulf.
- Franklin Harbor at Cowell: oysters fresh from the grower and the long jetty in the evening light.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Cowell Foreshore Caravan Park right on the water of Franklin Harbor, with powered sites and amenities, a short walk to the jetty and oyster stalls. In Whyalla, Discovery Parks – Whyalla Foreshore is a large park on the beach if you want to split the stage.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Point Lowly peninsula the City of Whyalla runs basic coastal campsites: 19 numbered sites in five areas, online advance booking only (Bookeasy); check fees and length of stay when booking. Within the Whyalla town area, sleeping in your vehicle outside designated sites is not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- Stock up for the next few days in Port Augusta or Whyalla, swap gas bottles and fill up – prices are higher on the peninsula. The Lincoln Highway has overtaking lanes only at intervals; don’t push the ore trucks with trailers.
2Stage 2: Cowell to Port Lincoln (approx. 180 km)
- The drive
- On the Lincoln Highway along the east coast of the peninsula via Arno Bay and Port Neill to Tumby Bay and on to Port Lincoln. Well built, gently hilly, often with views of the Spencer Gulf; side roads to the bays are partly gravel. Just over 2 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tumby Bay: silo art and murals in town, plus the long jetty where locals fish for garfish and squid.
- Lookout above Port Neill with its small bay and jetty.
- Winter Hill Lookout over Boston Bay and Port Lincoln, just before town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Port Lincoln Tourist Park on Kirton Point overlooking Boston Bay: powered sites, amenities, washing machines, close to the centre. As a quieter alternative halfway, Tumby Bay Caravan Park right on the beach offers powered sites and amenities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the east coast several councils run basic coastal campgrounds (for example near Arno Bay and Port Neill) for a fee, often via honesty box or online permit. Within the Port Lincoln town area, sleeping in your vehicle outside campgrounds is not allowed.
- Insider tip for campers
- Port Lincoln is the last town with large supermarkets, workshops and tyre dealers before Ceduna – have the spare wheel, tyre pressure and oil level checked here. Buy fish and seafood directly at the harbour or at the fish shop; use the dump point and drinking water in town.
3Stage 3: Port Lincoln to Coffin Bay (via Lincoln National Park) (approx. 140 km)
- The drive
- In the morning head around 20 km south into Lincoln National Park: sealed and easily driveable gravel roads to Stamford Hill, Surfleet Cove and the bays on Proper Bay; Memory Cove in the wilderness area is 4WD and permit only. Back to Port Lincoln and on the Flinders Highway and the access road to Coffin Bay (around 46 km), then into Coffin Bay National Park as far as Yangie Bay. 2.5 hours of driving in total plus time in the park.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Stamford Hill in Lincoln National Park with the Flinders monument and a panoramic view over Boston Bay and the islands.
- Yangie Bay Lookout and the walking trails around the bay in Coffin Bay National Park, with emus and kangaroos between the dunes and the mallee.
- Point Avoid and Almonta Beach with surf and granite rocks on the open south coast.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Yangie Bay Campground in Coffin Bay National Park: reachable on sealed road and so the park’s only campground for 2WD vehicles, 19 allocated unpowered sites, drop toilets, fire pits (observe seasonal fire bans); also suitable for large caravans and motorhomes. Bring your own drinking water. Book online in advance with National Parks and Wildlife Service SA. With power and amenities: Coffin Bay Caravan Park in town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the national parks you may only stay overnight at booked campgrounds; in Lincoln National Park, for example, Surfleet Cove, Fisherman Point or Spalding Cove, also booked online. For Memory Cove only a limited number of vehicle permits is issued. Free camping is not allowed in the town of Coffin Bay.
- Insider tip for campers
- Park entry is charged and does not cover camping – sort out both separately online, as mobile coverage in the park is patchy. Beyond Yangie Bay only soft sand tracks lead towards Seven Mile Beach and Point Sir Isaac: 4WD only with lowered tyre pressure, not with a rental campervan. Buy your oysters in Coffin Bay directly from the growers.
4Stage 4: Coffin Bay to Streaky Bay (via Elliston, Point Labatt and Murphy’s Haystacks) (approx. 330 km)
- The drive
- On the Flinders Highway north through wheat country and past salt lakes to Elliston on Waterloo Bay, then via Talia and Venus Bay to Port Kenny. At Calca a gravel road turns off to Murphy’s Haystacks and on to Point Labatt, then back to the highway and on to Streaky Bay. Sealed with short gravel sections to the stops; a long day with just over 4 hours of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Elliston Clifftop Drive with sculptures on the cliffs and the steps down to Locks Well Beach.
- Talia Caves: Woolshed Cave and The Tub, limestone caves hollowed out by the sea – only in calm seas and keeping well back from the surf.
- Point Labatt: one of the few mainland colonies of the Australian sea lion, seen from the viewing platform on top of the cliff; and Murphy’s Haystacks, smoothly rounded granite inselbergs on private land (entry via honesty box).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Streaky Bay Foreshore Tourist Park (Discovery Parks) on the town’s waterfront, with powered sites and amenities. If you split the stage, Elliston has a caravan park on the edge of town overlooking the bay.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The District Councils of Elliston and Streaky Bay run basic coastal campgrounds (for example at Walkers Rocks and Sheringa south of Elliston, and Perlubie Beach north of Streaky Bay); fees apply, with online booking or honesty box depending on the site, mostly without drinking water. At Perlubie Beach booking is mandatory and you need your own toilet with a waste tank – check the conditions with the council concerned. In the town of Streaky Bay there is also an RV stopover for self-contained vehicles on Alec Baldock Drive (honesty box). Point Labatt is a protected area with no camping; the beach below the cliff is off-limits.
- Insider tip for campers
- Drive the gravel road to Point Labatt slowly and expect corrugations; after rain it can be soft. In Streaky Bay there is a dump point and coin-operated drinking water at Pioneers Park. The coast road south of Streaky Bay to Cape Bauer and the Whistling Rocks is worth a short detour the next day.
5Stage 5: Streaky Bay to Penong (via Ceduna) (approx. 185 km)
- The drive
- On the Flinders Highway via Smoky Bay to Ceduna, where it meets the Eyre Highway (around 110 km), then west to Penong (around 73 km). Flat, straight, little traffic apart from grain and fuel trucks. Just over 2 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ceduna and Thevenard: oysters from Murat Bay and a view over the harbour from the jetty.
- Penong with its windmill museum (Penong Woolshed Museum), whose largest mill, “Bruce”, towers over the plain.
- Pink Lake and the dunes at Cactus Beach, around 20 km south of Penong, a well-known surf spot.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Penong Caravan Park in town, basic with powered sites and amenities; according to the Shire of Dundas map, the last drinking water point before the Nullarbor. In Ceduna, Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park is on the water within walking distance of the centre.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Cactus Beach there is a simple campground on private land for a fee, without drinking water. Free camping is not permitted within the Ceduna town area.
- Insider tip for campers
- Ceduna is the last town with larger supermarkets before Norseman. Only buy as much fruit and vegetables as you will eat before the WA border, a good 480 km away – at the quarantine station beyond Border Village all fresh produce is taken off you. The checkpoint before Ceduna is for the opposite direction (from WA into SA); if you are heading west, you won’t be checked there. Top up diesel/petrol, water and gas here once more.
6Stage 6: Penong to Nullarbor Roadhouse (via Head of Bight) (approx. 245 km)
- The drive
- On the Eyre Highway via Nundroo, where the land opens up, through the mallee on the edge of the Yalata lands and then out onto the treeless plain. Shortly before the Nullarbor Roadhouse the access road to the Head of Bight turns off. Straight, wide sealed road, with more than 100 km between roadhouses. Just under 3 hours of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Head of Bight: boardwalks and viewing platforms above the Bunda Cliffs; from June to October southern right whales with calves are often just a few hundred metres offshore; visitor centre with entry fee.
- The moment the last trees vanish behind the rear-view mirror – the Nullarbor sign at the edge of the plain is a classic photo stop.
- Southern hairy-nosed wombats: burrows in the saltbush, the animals themselves more likely to be seen at dusk.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Nullarbor Roadhouse with motel, fuel, restaurant and a caravan area with powered and unpowered sites; showers for a fee. Water is scarce here and mostly desalinated – don’t rely on refilling. The roadhouse also has a hole of Nullarbor Links, the world’s longest golf course.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Along the Eyre Highway, overnight stays at signposted rest areas and parking bays are common and, according to the Shire of Dundas travel map, intended there; follow the rules of each site, take your rubbish with you, no fires during fire bans. You can’t stay overnight at the Head of Bight itself.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Aboriginal lands of Yalata may not be entered away from the highway and the designated access roads without a permit. The roadhouse at Yalata has a café and shop, but fuel there is not guaranteed; reliable stops are Nundroo and the Nullarbor Roadhouse. Plan to arrive before sunset – from dusk onwards kangaroos and wombats cross the road.
7Stage 7: Nullarbor Roadhouse to Madura (via Border Village and Eucla) (approx. 390 km)
- The drive
- West for around 184 km along the edge of the Bunda Cliffs to Border Village – the highway runs close to the cliffs here, with several signposted lookouts. Beyond Border Village (still South Australia) is the WA quarantine station at the border; 12 km further on is Eucla. Then down the Eucla Pass onto the Roe Plains between the Hampton escarpment and the sea, via Mundrabilla to Madura (around 180 km from Eucla). A good 4.5 hours of driving plus the inspection stop.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bunda Cliffs lookouts: limestone cliffs up to around 120 m high that drop vertically into the Great Australian Bight – don’t go to the edge, it is undercut and unfenced.
- Eucla: the ruins of the old telegraph station, half swallowed by dunes, 4 km south of the highway.
- Madura Pass Lookout with views over the wide expanse of the Roe Plains.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Madura Pass Oasis Motel with caravan area, fuel and restaurant at the foot of the pass. Eucla and Border Village also have roadhouses with a caravan park if you want a shorter day.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Western Australia you may only stay overnight at Main Roads WA rest areas where this is signposted (usually a maximum of 24 hours); unauthorised camping can be fined 200 AUD. On the SA side the Bunda Cliffs car parks are often used for overnight stays – keep your distance from the cliff edge and don’t park near the end in windy conditions.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the quarantine station the vehicle is searched, including the fridge and storage compartments. You have to hand over fresh fruit and vegetables, honey and bee products, and plants; dried fruit, nuts and seeds are also subject to restrictions, and soil should be removed from shoes and equipment beforehand. Cooked or hard-frozen vegetables are usually fine; if in doubt, declare them. From Border Village to Caiguna, Central Western Time is used unofficially – first set your clock 45 minutes behind SA time (or 1 hour 45 minutes while South Australia is on daylight saving time).
8Stage 8: Madura to Norseman (approx. 530 km)
- The drive
- Via Cocklebiddy (around 92 km) and Caiguna (a further 65 km); beyond Caiguna you set your clock to Western Australian time. West of Caiguna the “90 Mile Straight” begins: 146.6 km without a bend until just before Balladonia. After that, eucalyptus woodland and granite domes to Norseman. The longest gaps: Caiguna–Balladonia around 180 km, Balladonia–Norseman around 190 km. 5.5 to 6 hours; if you prefer a more relaxed pace, stay overnight in Caiguna or Balladonia.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The 90 Mile Straight signs near Caiguna and the marked Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency airstrips on the highway.
- Balladonia Roadhouse with a small museum on the debris of the US space station Skylab, which came down here in 1979.
- Newman Rocks west of Balladonia: granite outcrops with rock holes away from the road, and in Norseman the Beacon Hill Lookout over salt lakes and mine tailings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Norseman Gateway Caravan Park at the entrance to town, with power, amenities and washing machines – the first site with town services since Ceduna. The roadhouses at Cocklebiddy, Caiguna and Balladonia offer stopovers with caravan areas; Fraser Range Station, a good 100 km east of Norseman, has a campground on a station.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the 90 Mile Straight there are Main Roads rest areas signposted for overnight stays, including Baxter with toilets; Newman Rocks is about 1 km off the road. Fires only in existing fire pits and never during a fire ban – in the Goldfields, fires spread quickly over large areas in summer.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up in Caiguna or Cocklebiddy even if your tank is half full, and don’t compare prices with Perth. In Norseman the roads to Esperance in the south and Kalgoorlie in the north begin; there is a dump point, drinking water and a supermarket in town.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- South Australia: in national parks such as Lincoln and Coffin Bay, stay overnight only at booked campgrounds; park passes cover entry only, not camping. The District Councils of the Eyre Peninsula run numerous basic coastal campgrounds, mostly for a fee via permit or honesty box, with a limited length of stay and no drinking water. In Whyalla, Port Lincoln and Ceduna, council rules do not allow sleeping in your vehicle outside campgrounds; Streaky Bay, on the other hand, offers an RV stopover for self-contained vehicles (honesty box).
- Eyre Highway: at signposted rest areas and parking bays along the Nullarbor stretch, overnight stays are customary and intended. Clifftop car parks at the Bunda Cliffs sit on undercut edges without railings – park well back and don’t walk around at night.
- Western Australia: overnight stays only at signposted Main Roads rest areas (usually up to 24 hours), at roadhouse and caravan sites, or on private land with the owner’s permission (since 2024 up to 5 days without local government approval). Unauthorised camping carries a 200 AUD fine; the Shire of Dundas is responsible for the WA section to Norseman.
- Aboriginal land: the Yalata lands and other areas away from the highway may only be entered with a permit; stay on the highway, the designated access roads and rest areas.
- Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate show rest areas, roadhouses, dump points and water points with up-to-date user reports; download offline maps in advance, as on the Nullarbor there is mobile coverage almost only at the roadhouses.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Fuel: between Ceduna and Norseman (around 1,200 km) there are roadhouses at Penong, Nundroo, Nullarbor, Border Village, Eucla, Mundrabilla, Madura, Cocklebiddy, Caiguna and Balladonia. The longest gaps are Nullarbor–Border Village (around 185 km), Caiguna–Balladonia (around 180 km) and Balladonia–Norseman (around 190 km). Fill up at every second stop; don’t plan on Yalata as a fuel stop.
- Water: according to the Shire map, Penong is the last drinking water point before the Nullarbor; the roadhouses mostly have only rainwater or desalinated water and supply it in limited amounts or for a fee. Carry at least 40–60 litres on board plus bottled drinking water as a reserve; the national park campgrounds on the Eyre Peninsula have no drinking water.
- Dump points and water/waste facilities are available in the larger towns such as Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay, Ceduna and Norseman and at caravan parks; on the Nullarbor itself there are hardly any. Empty and refresh your cassette before Ceduna.
- Gas: swap bottles are available in Port Lincoln, Ceduna and Norseman, these days mostly with an LCC27 valve, older ones with a POL fitting – take an adapter. On the Nullarbor stretch bottle swaps are uncertain; set off with two full bottles.
- Shopping: Port Lincoln and Ceduna are the last major supply towns. Because of WA quarantine, use up fresh fruit and vegetables before the border and, if in doubt, preserve, cook or freeze them – buy fresh again in Norseman.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Drive on the left. South Australia: 100 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h only on signposted sections of the Eyre Highway; 25 km/h when passing emergency vehicles with red or blue lights and breakdown assistance with amber lights. Western Australia: usually 110 km/h outside built-up areas. Blood alcohol limit 0.5, phone only in a cradle. There are no toll roads on the route.
- Time zones: South Australia is on UTC+9:30, with daylight saving time (UTC+10:30) from early October to early April; Western Australia is on UTC+8 with no daylight saving. Between Border Village and Caiguna, roadhouses and residents unofficially use Central Western Time (UTC+8:45). Heading west, you therefore set your clock back twice – always read roadhouse and quarantine station opening hours in local time.
- Quarantine: heading west, Western Australia runs checks at the border near Border Village around the clock; fresh fruit and vegetables, honey and bee products, and plants are confiscated, and restrictions apply to dried fruit, nuts and seeds. Heading east, South Australia runs checks before Ceduna with similar fruit fly rules. Declare anything you are unsure about – if you conceal something, you risk fines.
- Road trains over 50 m long: overtake only on long, clear straights and with plenty in reserve; if necessary, pull over to the side for oncoming road trains and oversize loads with escort vehicles. On gravel, stop and wait for the dust cloud to settle.
- Animals: kangaroos, emus, wombats, and on the WA side also camels and cattle on unfenced sections; wedge-tailed eagles at carcasses take off late. Don’t drive between dusk and dawn – many campervan rental agreements exclude night driving or animal damage.
- Unsealed roads: detours such as Point Labatt are gravel, and the sand tracks in Coffin Bay National Park and to Memory Cove are 4WD only. Rental campervans are often not insured on gravel and sand – read the contract beforehand. Heat and wind: over 40 °C is possible in summer, observe fire bans; in a breakdown, stay with the vehicle.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Two extra 20-litre water jerry cans – between Penong and Norseman there is hardly any drinking water, and roadhouses supply only limited amounts.
- A cool box plan and preserving jars or freezer bags: if you cook or freeze vegetables before the WA border, you have less to throw away.
- Satellite messenger or PLB (personal locator beacon) – on the Nullarbor there is mobile coverage almost only at the roadhouses.
- Binoculars for right whales at the Head of Bight and sea lions below the cliff at Point Labatt, where you can’t get any closer.
- Head fly net and insect repellent for the rest areas in the saltbush, plus a sunshade for the driver’s window on the long westbound stages.
- POL/LCC27 gas adapter and a tyre pressure gauge with compressor for the gravel detours and the heat on the tarmac.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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