Yorke Peninsula Itinerary

On the Yorke Peninsula there’s plenty of space to breathe. This itinerary lets you roam free.

Just over an hour from Adelaide, the Yorke Peninsula is a place where the small things take centre stage. Across 700 kilometres of coastline, the scent of salty air drifts across quiet beaches, golden sunlight warms red dirt roads and towns hum with stories of copper, crops and sea. In this itinerary, you’ll find our local picks of where to stay, what to see, do and eat, as you slow down and take in the simple pleasures of this coastal haven.

Where to stay

Love and Mutiny, Chinaman Wells 

A beach shack can be like a time machine — its walls containing years of family trips, childhood memories and sandy summers. At Love and Mutiny, that machine is painted pink. Perched above the sand at Chinaman Wells, this 1950s shack — that sleeps up to six — has been lovingly restored to its original hue. Inside and out, life here is pared back to the good stuff: sand between your toes, sunrises over the western Yorke coastline and time that’s all your own. Soft greens and ocean blues peak through every window, while a record player, cocktail-making station and cosy wood fire invite you to slow down and just be.

The Sanctuary, Marion Bay

We all know that love can thrive thanks to a little change of scenery. At The Sanctuary, Bayside Glamping’s newest retreat in Marion Bay, you’ll get just that. Life feels smaller and simpler here. You sleep late together, lulled by the sound of waves. You share coffee on the deck, talking more than you do at home, before heading out to explore Innes National Park. And when you return, there’s the perfect spot to slow down — soak in the luxurious bath and let the day wash away. This adults-only retreat gives you back the time you’re always chasing at home. Local tip: You can also stay in Bayside’s stylish tents or tiny house, just steps from the beach and park. 

The Klein Pod, Stansbury

Set on the edge of the coast, The Klein Pod feels like it’s always been here, a part of the landscape. It hugs the sand and scrub, letting the view stretch out in front of you. From the daybed, enjoy your morning coffee with views through Pitts Cutting to The Spit at Stansbury, or watch as the tide pulls back to reveal neat rows of oyster beds, where local farmers check their lines. Designed for two, the pod includes an outdoor shower and a small firepit, perfect for slowing down and soaking in the simple pleasures of the Yorke Peninsula.

Hillocks Ocean Pod

Leave your phone behind and escape the city for a green getaway on the coast. A deluxe camping experience, Hillocks Ocean Pod is surrounded by coastal bush with uninterrupted views of Butler's Beach and Hillocks Point. Solar powered and kitted out with eco-toilets, it’s the perfect destination to get back in touch with nature if you’re not ready to give up all your creature comforts. And the location? On the doorstop of Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, here you can watch whales pass by your dining room window (during the winter months) and be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the surf. How’s that for serenity.  

What to see 

Arts and crafts 

On this coastal stretch, art isn’t just hidden away in galleries. It spills onto silos, water towers and workshop walls. Follow the Yorke Peninsula Art Trail and you’ll step inside local studios, where you can watch a painter at work, chat with a jeweller shaping silver or take home ceramics still warm from the kiln. Maybe it’s the space, maybe it’s the sea air — either way, art finds room to breathe here.

Beaches 

Here, the sea sets the agenda and the only deadline is getting to your fish and chips before the seagulls do. Pack the esky, grab the fishing rod and roll out the towel — these 700km of coastline are made for unhurried days. From sweeping white beaches that stretch to the horizon, to calm coves painted in shades of turquoise and deep blue, it’s the kind of place where your toes sink into the warm sand and a beach umbrella marks your patch of paradise for the day.

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park

At the southern tip of Yorke Peninsula, Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park feels worlds away. Dhilba is the name of the southern clan group of the Narungga people, and Guuranda means southern land or territory — a name that honours the deep cultural connection Aboriginal peoples have with this region. The landscape sets the scene for traditional storytelling, across rugged cliffs, turquoise bays and quiet stretches of mallee scrub. Keep an eye out for emus, kangaroos and the elusive malleefowl, or trace the coastline where shipwrecks and lighthouses speak of a different past. Spend the day walking between lookouts, surfing at Pondalowie Bay or camping under skies thick with stars. However you explore, don’t forget to grab a park pass before you go.

What to do 

Tarnasey Farm, Wallaroo

At Tarnasey Farm in Wallaroo, daily tours bring the farm to life — the soft bleat of sheep, the warm cluck of chooks and kids rushing forward with feed buckets in hand. Families can stay overnight in the cosy cabins, waking up to join the morning rounds, collecting  eggs straight from the coop. Just two hours from Adelaide, it’s a hands-on escape, where little ones can run free and grown-ups can sink into the simple pace of country life.

Walk the Yorke Trail

Think of Walk the Yorke Trail as the ultimate coastal road trip — only slower. Spanning 500km, you can walk it, ride it or tackle it in sections. Whether it’s a half-hour stroll or a week-long wander, the trail leads you past fishing shacks, samphire flats and windswept dunes. There are interpretive signs along the way shaped by locals, schools and the Narungga people, sharing local history and Dreamtime stories that bring the land to life. 

Ocean experiences 

Here, the ocean sets the pace. Move in time with its rhythm as you float on a surfboard, paddleboard or kayak, while local instructors from Neptune’s Surf Experiences guide you. Out at Marion Bay, the coastline opens wide: glide past cliffs and dunes aboard the Vixen on a Marion Bay Ocean Safari. Or drop a line on a fishing charter, catching dinner straight from the ocean’s edge. 

Historic Moonta Mines 

Walk into Moonta Mines and you can almost hear the clang of picks and the chatter of Cornish miners, who made this place hum in 1859. Skilled workers from Cornwall were digging shafts, building stone fences and leaving their mark on the town — from streets and architecture to pasties you can still enjoy today. Now, the Moonta Mines National Heritage Area stretches across 320 hectares. Ride the tourist railway past old engine houses, wander the miners’ cottage gardens, pop into tipara forge blacksmithing workshop or explore hands-on exhibits at the museum. Finish with a treat from the sweet shop — a small slice of history, just for you.

Salt Lake Trail

Drive the Salt Lake Trail and watch the land shift shades like an artist at work — blush pinks brushed across the flats, whites and blues shimmering under the sun. Around Yorketown, salt and gypsum once shaped whole industries, their remnants still etched into the landscape. Now the lakes tell their own stories, changing with the seasons: mirrors of sky in winter, veiled in autumn fog, alive with birds in spring and baked into bold strokes of colour by summer. With four trails to choose from, there’s always another way to see the palette change.

Where to eat and drink 

Bond Store, Wallaroo

At Bond Store Wallaroo, the brewery, distillery and restaurant are under the same roof. Behind the bar, the stainless-steel tanks wait patiently, ready to pour whatever’s brewing today. Downstairs, the copper still, lovingly referred to as Ginger, turns local grains and hand-picked botanicals into gin that tastes of its home. Everywhere you look, the day’s work shows — tanks bubbling and chefs stoking the grill. When you’re ready to eat, plates of local produce, smoky from the parrilla, arrive perfect for sharing. Local tip: At the Bond Store you can become a brewer for the day - milling grain, filling kettles and tasting a paddle of beers fresh from the source. It’s ’s as close as you can get to the craft.

Sunny Hill Distillery, Arthurton 

At Sunny Hill Distillery, the spirits are made where you can see them — a true crop-to-drop experience. Grains from the farm become spirits in the still and land straight in your glass, for a true taste of place. Try local gin, vodka or liqueur while perched atop one of the Yorke Peninsula’s highest points, where views stretch west to the Spencer Gulf. Enjoy a cheese platter and cocktail while sprawled out on the lawn, or go behind-the-scenes with owner Sam to taste the craft straight from the barrel. 

Watsacowie Brewing Company, Minlaton

In Minlaton — the Barley Capital of the World — it feels only right to have a brewery pouring fresh from the source. At Watsacowie Brewery, sandy feet shuffle in from the coast and locals lean on the bar for their regular. The recycled timbers of the cellar door still carry the grainy warmth of the old shearing shed they came from, along with an easy country welcome. With 18 taps, there’s always something new, from crisp lagers to small-batch trials you won’t find anywhere else. 

Hedonbar Brewing Company, Kadina 

Meet Kadina locals Troy and Rayma, who brew small-batch ales and lagers on-site, from crisp Aussie blonde to chilli choc stout, Belgian golden ale and winter warmers. It makes sense here: Kadina sits at the heart of the Copper Coast’s broadacre farmland, so the grain for your pint may have been grown just down the road. Inside the airy taproom at Hedonbar Brewing Company, sunlight catches the glasses on the bar,  while the owners greet locals by name. Out in the beer garden, kids run around, dogs nap under tables and farmers wander in for a pint. Local tip: If you’re staying on the Yorke Peninsula for a while, order a squealer to go. The 1-litre refills are a favourite with regulars and a more sustainable way to keep your fridge stocked.

Linger longer

There’s always one more beach to wander, or one more perfect patch of coast you didn’t know you needed. Take your time — here are a few more things to do on the Yorke Peninsula while you’re here.