2 0 TO U R IN G H O T S PO TS
WORDS ALI MILLAR PICS GLENN WARDLE
A D VE N T U R E S
Innes NP, SA
The tip of South Australia’s ‘boot’ rewards travellers
with relaxed coastal camping.
FASTFACTS
GETTING THERE
Innes NP is just under 300km south-west of
Adelaide via Port Wakefield.
ACTIVITIES
Explore the national park by car and on foot,
fish straight off the beach or from the Stenhouse
Bay Jetty, surf at Pondalowie Bay.
STAY
At one of eight campgrounds within the national
park (book online or at the visitor centre).
MORE INFORMATION
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks
16
ADVENTURES
F
or a couple of Victorians, the dry, arid
heat of a South Australian summer
was enough to knock our socks off
and a few blisteringly-hot February
days in the Flinders Ranges was all the
impetus we needed to hit the road south.
With the flip of a coin, we headed to Innes
NP on the very southern tip of the Yorke
Peninsula, by chance happening upon a
true South Aussie gem.
This relatively small national park
packs a punch, offering excellent
camping, fishing, surfing, swimming
and bushwalking, all easily accessible by
2WD. Long, sweeping beaches where you
can fish for Australian salmon and shady
campsites with walking access to the
beach add to the appeal.
We set up camp at the Casuarina
campground, one of eight campsites in
the park, and enjoyed the luxury of having
it all to ourselves. Facilities are limited
to drop toilets at most of the camping
areas and only two – Stenhouse Bay and
the Pondalowie Caravans and Trailers
campgrounds – are suitable for vans or
camper trailers.
Exploring the park’s rocky coastline
takes you on a journey through this rough
coast’s past, with around 40 shipwrecks
lying off the Yorke Peninsula. You can pay
a visit to the remains of the park’s most
famous wreck, the Ethel, although it’s not
always visible, at times hidden beneath
the shifting sands. As you continue your
coastal journey, stop off at the Cape
Spencer and West Cape lighthouses for
sweeping ocean views from the cliff tops.
Away from the coastline, stroll through
the historic village of Inneston and
explore the ruins of this abandoned
gypsum-mining town. Take the one-hour
loop trail to truly step back in time.
Other walks in the park take in the
rugged cliff tops and endless coastal
dunes, with spectacular scenery along
the way, and the opportunity to sight
rare Tammar wallabies that are part of a
growing population in the park.
But for me, sitting on the quiet stretch
of beach near our camp as the sun was
setting and watching a pod of dolphins
frolic near a small group of surfers, all
enjoying cruisy waves on the reef break
at Pondalowie, was a highlight, and one
that totally nails this national park –
relaxed and peaceful yet wild, rugged and
totally freeing.