# Copper mines, shipwrecks and kangaroos on the cape – around the Yorke Peninsula by camper

> Around 925 km from Adelaide via the copper towns of “Little Cornwall”, the quiet bays on Spencer Gulf and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park at the…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-469-sa-yorke-peninsula/

**At a glance:** 8-day round trip of about 704 km (438 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Adelaide. About 7 h 41 min of driving in total. Best time to go: March–May and October–November. Around 925 km from Adelaide via the copper towns of “Little Cornwall”, the quiet bays on Spencer Gulf and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park at the southern tip to the jetties and tidal pools on Gulf St Vincent.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 704 km (438 mi) |
| Driving | 7 h 41 min |
| Suggested days | 8 |
| Stops | 14 |
| Route | Adelaide → Adelaide |
| States | South Australia |
| Best time to go | March–May and October–November |
| Updated | October 1, 2026 |

[Download GPX file](https://camping-spirit.com/gpx/rf-469-sa-yorke-peninsula.gpx)

Practical guides for this route: [Driving the Outback safely: distances, water, road trains and emergency communication](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/oc-outback-driving-safety/), [Hiring a campervan or motorhome in Australia: what to check](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/oc-campervan-hire-australia/)

*Around 925 km from Adelaide via the copper towns of “Little Cornwall”, the quiet bays on Spencer Gulf and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park at the southern tip to the jetties and tidal pools on Gulf St Vincent.*

## The spirit of the route

On the map the Yorke Peninsula looks like a boot, and that is how you drive it: down the west side, around the toe, up the east side. In between lies flat barley country with silos you can see twenty kilometres away. In the north stand engine houses of rubble stone, built by miners from Cornwall who dug copper here and brought their pasties with them. In the south the land turns rugged: mallee, limestone cliffs, surf, the hull of the “Ethel” in the sand, emus wandering between the campers at Pondalowie. In the evening you slide open the door onto a bay where the sun sinks into Spencer Gulf, and in the morning kangaroos graze beside the awning. Distances are short, the roads quiet, the bush camps basic – you bring your own water. In return you often have a whole beach to yourself, and the garfish are biting off the nearest jetty.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: Adelaide to Wallaroo (via Port Wakefield and Kadina) (approx. 160 km)

- **The drive:** Head north out of Adelaide on the Port Wakefield Highway (A1): four lanes and flat through vegetable fields, salt pans and mangrove coast, around 100 km to Port Wakefield at the northern end of Gulf St Vincent. There the Copper Coast Highway branches off west, a good 50 km through wheat and barley country to Kadina, then another 10 km to Wallaroo on the coast. Driving time just under 2 hours; at Port Wakefield expect plenty of truck and weekend traffic around the roadhouses.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Port Wakefield: the old port at the head of the gulf, with its wharf wall and stone houses from the days when copper was shipped out from here.
  - Kadina: the Farm Shed Museum with farm machinery and mining history, and the ruins of the Wallaroo Mines with engine houses on the edge of town.
  - Wallaroo: the Heritage & Nautical Museum in the old post office, the long jetty and the grain silos at the harbour in the evening light.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Wallaroo Beachfront Tourist Park right on the beach at Wallaroo, with powered sites, amenities and a short walk to the jetty. Kadina and the beaches around Moonta Bay have further caravan parks with power in case Wallaroo is fully booked – book early in the school holidays.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Copper Coast Council runs an RV overnight area on a grassed reserve on Clayton Road in Moonta, around 17 km south: according to the signs for self-contained vehicles, by donation, with a dump point and bins. Free camping on the beaches and in the towns of the Copper Coast, on the other hand, is not permitted.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The council runs free dump points in Kadina (corner of Mine Street/Doswell Terrace), Wallaroo (corner of Mays Crossing/Owen Terrace, behind the service station at the town entrance) and at the RV area in Moonta. Kadina is the best shopping town on the peninsula – stock up on supplies, gas and water for the next few days here.

### Stage 2: Wallaroo to Port Victoria (via Moonta Mines and Moonta Bay) (approx. 90 km)

- **The drive:** A short drive along the coast to Moonta and the Moonta Mines heritage area east of town, then via Moonta Bay and Port Hughes back onto the country road south. Through wide farmland with side roads to coastal hamlets such as Balgowan to Port Victoria. Flat, sealed almost everywhere, some of the coastal access roads gravel. Around 1.5 hours of driving, but allow plenty of time for Moonta.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Moonta Mines: Hughes Engine House, mullock heaps and the Moonta Mines Museum in the former Model School; on some days the little narrow-gauge railway runs through the mine site.
  - The Miner’s Cottage and the large Methodist church at Moonta Mines – plus a Cornish pasty in Moonta, the heart of “Little Cornwall”.
  - Port Victoria: the Maritime Museum by the jetty, telling the story of the windjammers that loaded wheat here until the 1940s, and views of Wardang Island with its underwater wreck trail.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Port Victoria Gulfhaven Caravan Park on Davies Terrace, within walking distance of the jetty and museum, with powered sites and amenities. If you would rather stay further north, there are caravan parks in Moonta Bay and Port Hughes close to the swimming beaches.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Between Moonta and Port Victoria there are several Yorke Peninsula Council bush camps on the coast near Balgowan – The Gap, The Bamboos and Tiparra Rocks – as well as Barkers Rocks and Wauraltee further south. Overnight stays only with a permit bought in advance (online, per vehicle and night); Tiparra Rocks has no toilet and is for fully self-contained vehicles only. Point Pearce is a Narungga Aboriginal community and not a sightseeing destination; Wardang Island may only be visited with permission from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation.
- **Insider tip for campers:** If you want to dive the Wardang wreck trail or land on the island, it is best to arrange it through a dive operator, who will also sort out the necessary permission from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation. In Moonta it pays to visit early: the museums usually open only a few hours a day, so check opening days in advance.

### Stage 3: Port Victoria to Point Turton (via Port Rickaby and Minlaton) (approx. 85 km)

- **The drive:** South through the hinterland via Port Rickaby on the coast and then inland to Minlaton, the peninsula’s grain centre. From there via Brentwood and Hardwicke Bay to the sheltered bay of Point Turton. Quiet country roads with no climbs to speak of, access roads to the coastal sites partly gravel. A good 1.5 hours of driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Minlaton: the memorial hangar for aviation pioneer Harry Butler, with his monoplane fighter “Red Devil”, on the main street.
  - Port Rickaby: a small jetty and a quiet beach with seagrass meadows, typical of the peninsula’s west coast.
  - Point Turton: jetty and boat ramp in a calm, north-facing bay – sunset over Spencer Gulf.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Point Turton Caravan Park right on the bay, with powered sites, amenities and a boat ramp nearby – a good base for the southern tip. Alternatively, Port Rickaby has a simple caravan park on the beach.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The council bush camp at Port Minlacowie lies on the coast between Port Rickaby and Hardwicke Bay; the northern section is for self-contained vehicles only. Otherwise, overnight stays outside the 19 designated council campgrounds and the caravan parks are not allowed in the Yorke Peninsula Council area; offences cost several hundred dollars.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Minlaton has a supermarket, service station and workshops – the last good chance before the south to stock up on diesel, gas and food. The coastal paths of the “Walk the Yorke” trail pass Point Turton; walking a section in the morning does you good after the driving days.

### Stage 4: Point Turton to Stenhouse Bay / Pondalowie (via Warooka and Marion Bay) (approx. 75 km)

- **The drive:** South via Warooka, then on the road to Marion Bay through mallee, salt lakes and grazing land with views of the open Investigator Strait. Beyond Marion Bay begins Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park; the main road to Stenhouse Bay and on towards Pondalowie is sealed, side roads to some of the bays are gravel. About 1 hour of driving; drive slowly in the park, as kangaroos and emus can cross at any time.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Marion Bay: a wide white beach with a jetty at the entrance to the national park.
  - Stenhouse Bay: the old gypsum loading jetty and the cliffs with views across the bay.
  - Chinamans Hat Island and the lookouts on the south coast in the first part of the park.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In the park, National Parks and Wildlife Service SA runs seven unsealed campgrounds without power and with drop toilets. For motorhomes and caravans there are Stenhouse Bay Campground (27 sites, suitable for large vehicles, hard ground – bring sturdy pegs) and the Pondalowie caravan and trailer area (9 sites for large caravans, 16 for camper trailers); Pondalowie Bay itself is tents only. Book all sites in advance online with SA Parks.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the national park, stay overnight only at booked campgrounds. If you cannot get a site, fall back on the caravan park in Marion Bay or the council bush camps on the south coast (South Coast, formerly Foul Bay, and Foul Bay Boat Ramp, self-contained only) – there, too, only with a permit.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Park entry is charged per vehicle and paid online separately from camping; park passes cover entry only. Mobile coverage in the park is patchy, so save your booking confirmation beforehand. Fill up in Warooka or at the latest in Marion Bay – there is no fuel in the park, and drinking water is not reliably available.

### Stage 5: Stenhouse Bay to Corny Point (via Cape Spencer, Ethel Wreck and Inneston) (approx. 145 km)

- **The drive:** In the morning, around 50 km criss-crossing the park: Cape Spencer, Ethel Beach, West Cape, Pondalowie and Inneston, mostly sealed, the last stretch to some lookouts on gravel. Then back via Marion Bay and Warooka and west to the north coast as far as Corny Point (around 95 km). About 2.5 hours of driving in total, but easily a full day with walks.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Ethel Wreck: the iron ribs of the barque “Ethel”, stranded in 1904, in the sand of Ethel Beach, reached by a staircase – do not climb on the wreckage, and avoid swimming because of the currents.
  - Cape Spencer and West Cape: lighthouses and clifftop paths at the south-western tip with views of Althorpe Island and the surf at Pondalowie.
  - Inneston: an abandoned early 20th-century gypsum mining settlement with restored cottages on Inneston Lake; at dusk kangaroos graze here and emus stroll across the paths.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Corny Point Caravan Park in the small town near the lighthouse, with powered sites and amenities. If you want to stay another night in the national park, the small Gym Beach Campground in the north of the park (6 sites, only a few suitable for caravans) can be reached only via the road from Corny Point.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Around Corny Point there are several council bush camps on the coast: Gravel Bay, Swincer Rocks and Gleesons Landing, further east on the north coast Burners Beach and Len Barker Reserve near Point Souttar, and Daly Head to the south. All only with a permit; the eastern section of Burners Beach is reserved for fully self-contained vehicles. Non-flushing toilets, no drinking water.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Corny Point Lighthouse makes a lovely evening stroll. The tracks to some bush camps are sandy or washed out – before heading in, check whether your vehicle and your rental agreement allow gravel roads. On days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger, avoid remote bush camps or leave the evening before; warnings from the CFS.

### Stage 6: Corny Point to Edithburgh (via Yorketown and Troubridge Point) (approx. 115 km)

- **The drive:** Back via Warooka and east to Yorketown, past pink and white salt lakes. From Yorketown to the south-east coast: Troubridge Point Drive leads to the lighthouse on Troubridge Hill and along the coast to Edithburgh. Sealed, flat, little traffic. Just under 1.5 hours of driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - The salt lakes around Yorketown, pink to white depending on algae and water level – at their best when the sun is low.
  - Troubridge Hill Lighthouse and the view of Troubridge Island with its old cast-iron lighthouse offshore.
  - Edithburgh: the tidal pool in the rocks on the shore, refilled by every high tide, and the jetty, under which divers look for leafy seadragons.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Edithburgh Caravan Park on the foreshore, just a few steps from the tidal pool and the jetty, with powered sites and amenities. Alternatively, smaller caravan parks in nearby Coobowie.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Between Troubridge Point and Edithburgh there are two small council bush camps: Goldsmith Beach on Troubridge Point Drive and Wattle Point near Edithburgh, beneath the wind farm. West of Yorketown there are also Sturt Bay near Warooka and Mozzie Flat near Port Moorowie. All only with a permit, sites limited.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The tidal pool is the safest place to swim on the south coast; great white sharks occur off the peninsula’s open beaches, and most have no lifeguards. Yorketown has a supermarket and service station; fill up with drinking water for the bush camps here or in Edithburgh.

### Stage 7: Edithburgh to Ardrossan (via Stansbury and Port Vincent) (approx. 105 km)

- **The drive:** North along the east coast via Coobowie to Stansbury and Port Vincent, then via Pine Point and past the beach settlements of Black Point to Ardrossan. The road mostly runs a little inland, with short turn-offs to the bays of Gulf St Vincent. Sealed, flat. Just under 1.5 hours of driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Stansbury: oyster farming in Oyster Bay, fresh oysters straight from the growers, and the jetty in the morning light.
  - Port Vincent: a sheltered bay with marina and waterfront promenade – one of the calmest swimming spots on the east coast.
  - Ardrossan: red limestone cliffs above the jetty, the memorial to the stump-jump plough invented here and the small local history museum.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Ardrossan Caravan Park above the shore near the jetty, with powered sites and amenities. Along the way, Stansbury, Port Vincent and Pine Point each have a caravan park on the waterfront.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The large council bush camp at Parara lies on the coast south of Ardrossan; here too only with a permit, basic toilets, no water. Within the townships of Stansbury, Port Vincent and Ardrossan, sleeping in your vehicle outside the caravan parks is not allowed.
- **Insider tip for campers:** In summer, locals rake for blue swimmer crabs in the shallows at low tide. You do not need a licence for recreational fishing in South Australia, but size limits, bag limits and marine park sanctuary zones do apply – the fisheries agency PIRSA publishes the current rules on its website and in its fishing app.

### Stage 8: Ardrossan to Adelaide (via Port Wakefield) (approx. 150 km)

- **The drive:** North on the Yorke Highway through wheat country past Clinton to Port Wakefield (a good 50 km), then back south on the Port Wakefield Highway (A1) to Adelaide. Flat and fast; heavy traffic from the northern suburbs onwards. A good 1.5 hours of driving.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - The mangrove coast at the northern end of the gulf between Ardrossan and Port Wakefield, a breeding ground for numerous waders and migratory birds.
  - A detour to Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park – Winaityinaityi Pangkara on the coast north of Adelaide, with waders on the mudflats.
  - Port Wakefield once more for a break with views across the shallow gulf.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Adelaide, BIG4 West Beach Parks (formerly Adelaide Shores) in West Beach sits right by the beach and dunes, with powered sites and good bus connections to the city. If you are returning a rental vehicle, it is better to spend the last night close to the city.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Within the Adelaide metropolitan area, sleeping in your vehicle outside caravan parks is prohibited practically everywhere; the rest areas on the Port Wakefield Highway are also intended for short breaks only.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Before returning the camper, empty the cassette and grey water at a dump point or at the caravan park and fill the tank – fuel at the Port Wakefield roadhouses is usually more expensive than in the suburbs.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- Yorke Peninsula Council: overnight stays outside caravan parks only at the council’s 19 designated bush camps, from The Gap in the north to Parara near Ardrossan. A permit is required per vehicle (including caravan/trailer) and campground: single nights online via the council website or visityorkepeninsula.com.au, 20 AUD per night plus booking fee, monthly permits by phone with the council only. A permit is valid for a maximum of 30 consecutive days at one campground. According to the council, camping without a permit can incur a fine of over 300 AUD.
- Bush camps are basic: non-flushing toilets without paper, no reliable drinking water, no power. The council strongly recommends travelling self-contained; Tiparra Rocks, Foul Bay Boat Ramp, the eastern section of Burners Beach and the northern section of Port Minlacowie are reserved for fully self-contained vehicles. Leaving human waste in the open is prohibited and penalised. Dogs only on a lead or under control; observe the conditions in the permit.
- Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park: camping only at booked campgrounds (Stenhouse Bay, Pondalowie, Casuarina, Shell Beach, Cable Bay, Gym Beach), all to be booked in advance online with SA Parks; park entry per vehicle on top. Dogs are not allowed in the national park.
- Copper Coast Council: RV overnight area in Moonta (Clayton Road) for self-contained vehicles by donation; otherwise no free camping in the towns or on the beaches. The same applies within Adelaide’s metropolitan area.
- Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate show bush camps, caravan parks, dump points and water points with user reports; the council’s permit conditions, however, take precedence over comments in the apps.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- Water is scarce on the peninsula: the bush camps and national park campgrounds have no reliable drinking water, and even flushing toilets are missing because of the water shortage. Fill up with drinking water in the towns (Kadina, Minlaton, Yorketown, Edithburgh, Ardrossan) or at caravan parks, and for several days in the bush allow 15–20 litres per person per day.
- Dump points: free in Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta (Copper Coast Council); others in Yorke Peninsula Council towns and at the caravan parks – visityorkepeninsula.com.au lists current locations and water points. There are no disposal facilities at the bush camps or in the national park; do not let grey water out into the dunes or bush.
- Gas: swap-and-go cylinders are available at service stations and supermarkets in the larger towns such as Kadina, Moonta, Minlaton and Yorketown; today mostly with an LCC27 valve, older cylinders with a POL fitting – bring an adapter.
- Fuel: distances are short, but the network thins out in the south. Fill up before the national park in Warooka, Yorketown or Minlaton; there is no service station in the park itself, and small coastal towns often have limited opening hours.
- Shopping: Kadina is the largest supply town; Minlaton and Yorketown have supermarkets for the south. Do not collect firewood from the roadside or in reserves – it is prohibited; bring your own wood and use it only outside the fire danger season.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Drive on the left, including at roundabouts: roundabouts are travelled clockwise, and vehicles already on the roundabout (coming from the right) have right of way. South Australia: 100 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h only on signposted sections; usually 50 km/h in built-up areas. When passing emergency vehicles with red or blue lights and breakdown assistance with yellow lights, the limit is 25 km/h. Blood alcohol limit 0.05, mobile phone only in a cradle.
- Tolls: there are no toll roads in South Australia; the Port Wakefield Highway and all roads on the peninsula are free.
- Animals: western grey kangaroos and emus are everywhere, especially in the south and in the national park, plus sheep on country roads. Do not drive at dusk or in the dark – many campervan rental agreements exclude night driving or animal damage.
- Unsealed roads: many access roads to bush camps and bays are gravel or sand, and washed out after rain. Rental campervans are often not insured there; read your agreement beforehand and, if in doubt, stick to sealed destinations. Allow for grain trucks and harvesters at harvest time (roughly October to December).
- Swimming and sharks: great white sharks occur around the Yorke Peninsula, and most beaches are unpatrolled; surf beaches such as Pondalowie and Ethel Beach have strong currents. Safer options are the tidal pool in Edithburgh, sheltered bays such as Port Vincent and swimming areas by the jetties. Do not swim at dusk, alone or in murky water; current advice from Surf Life Saving SA.
- Fire: during the Yorke Peninsula fire danger season (usually roughly November to April, dates from the CFS) campfires are banned at all bush camps; gas or electric barbecues only with 4 m of cleared space around them, an extinguisher and not on Total Fire Ban days. Offences cost several hundred dollars. On days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger, leave bush camps in advance.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Two 20-litre water containers – neither the bush camps nor the national park have reliable drinking water.
- Sturdy steel pegs and a mallet for the hard, compacted ground at the campgrounds in Stenhouse Bay and on the coast.
- A folding shovel and sand boards or traction aids for sandy access tracks to bush camps such as Gravel Bay or Mozzie Flat.
- Snorkel set with wetsuit for the tidal pool in Edithburgh and the jetties with seagrass meadows – the gulf water stays cool even in summer.
- Head fly net and insect repellent – on still days bush flies, and at spots like Mozzie Flat mosquitoes, are a nuisance.
- Wind-resistant awning or windbreak: on the exposed south coast and at Cable Bay it often blows hard.

_As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Sources

- [Yorke Peninsula Council – Bush camping](https://yorke.sa.gov.au/discover/things-to-do/bush-camping)
- [Yorke Peninsula Council – Camping permits and fees](https://yorke.sa.gov.au/discover/things-to-do/bush-camping/camping-permits-and-fees/)
- [Yorke Peninsula Council – IS274 Bush Camping Permit Terms and Conditions](https://yorke.sa.gov.au/content/uploads/2026/03/IS274-Bush-Camping-Permit-Terms-and-Conditions.pdf)
- [Visit Yorke Peninsula – Camping permit booking](https://www.visityorkepeninsula.com.au/camping/book)
- [National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park: Accommodation](https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/dhilba-guuranda-innes-national-park/accommodation)
- [Copper Coast Council – Free RV dump points](https://www.coppercoast.sa.gov.au/leisure/public-toilets/public-rv-dump-points)
- [Yorke Peninsula Council – Caravan parks: Port Victoria Gulfhaven Caravan Park](https://www.yorke.sa.gov.au/discover/places-to-stay/caravan-parks/entry/27124/)
- [Yorke Peninsula Council – Caravan parks: Edithburgh Caravan Park](https://www.yorke.sa.gov.au/discover/places-to-stay/caravan-parks/entry/27117/)
- [South Australian Tourism Commission – Corny Point Caravan Park](https://southaustralia.com/products/yorke-peninsula/accommodation/corny-point-caravan-park)
- [Glam Adelaide – A new name for a familiar family holiday destination (West Beach Parks)](https://www.glamadelaide.com.au/a-new-name-for-a-familiar-family-holiday-destination/)

## Which stops are on the round trip from Adelaide?

1. **Adelaide** (South Australia)
2. **Port Wakefield** (South Australia)
3. **Kadina** (South Australia)
4. **Wallaroo** (South Australia)
5. **Moonta** (South Australia)
6. **Port Victoria** (South Australia)
7. **Point Turton** (South Australia)
8. **Stenhouse Bay** (South Australia)
9. **Corny Point** (South Australia)
10. **Edithburgh** (South Australia)
11. **Stansbury** (South Australia)
12. **Port Vincent** (South Australia)
13. **Ardrossan** (South Australia)
14. **Adelaide** (South Australia)

## When is the best time for the round trip from Adelaide?

The most pleasant months are usually March–May and October–November. Still fine, with some compromises, in June–September and December–February. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## FAQs

**How long is Copper mines, shipwrecks and kangaroos on the cape – around the Yorke Peninsula by camper?**
8-day round trip of about 704 km (438 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Adelaide. About 7 h 41 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Copper mines, shipwrecks and kangaroos on the cape – around the Yorke Peninsula by camper?**
We suggest 8 days: about 7 h 41 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Copper mines, shipwrecks and kangaroos on the cape – around the Yorke Peninsula by camper start and end?**
It is a round trip that starts and ends in Adelaide.

**Which states does Copper mines, shipwrecks and kangaroos on the cape – around the Yorke Peninsula by camper pass through?**
South Australia.