Wild, beautiful, uncrowded, and undeveloped, the Eyre Peninsula -- the triangle of land jutting into the sea between Adelaide and the Great Australian Bight -- seems to be the place that tourism has overlooked, at least for now. But with one of the country's most dramatic coastlines, fantastic wildlife-watching opportunities and incredibly good seafood, it won't stay forgotten for long. In fact, it seems set to become the new holiday hot spot, thanks to several new hotel developments.
In the northeast, the industrial town of Whyalla is famous for its giant cuttlefish, which arrive in the tens of thousands each year between May and August for their annual ritual of mating and spawning. This phenomenon is the greatest mass gathering of the animal anywhere and attracts divers from all over the world to see it.
To the south, Cowell is famous for its oysters, and for one of the oldest and largest deposits of nephrite jade in the world. Farther on is a string of fabulously deserted beaches and the pretty coastal town of Tumby Bay.
At the tip of the peninsula is the regional center of Port Lincoln, the biggest town on the peninsula. It's home to the largest commercial fishing fleet in the Southern Hemisphere, so take a walk around the marina in the early morning or evening and check out the trawlers as they come and go.
The western coast has the most must-see sights, including beautiful Coffin Bay (also famous for its oysters), a sea-lion colony, sea caves, stunning coastal cliffs, and the attractive towns of Streaky Bay and Ceduna. Continuing west is the Nullarbor. At Head of Bight, a dip in the coastline 20km (12 miles) east of Nullarbor Roadhouse, there is a whale-viewing platform where, during the whale season from June to October, you'll see up to 100 southern right whales and their calves lolling in the waters at the foot of the cliffs.
Across the north of the peninsula, the Gawler Ranges are a line of volcanic rock hills more than 1.5 billion years old (twice as old as the Flinders Ranges). Most of the area is protected by national park and it's a great place to see kangaroos, emus, and other wildlife.
