WORDS CATHERINE LAWSON PICS DAVID BRISTOW
Canunda NP, SA
SA’s wild Limestone Coast has plenty to offer those
willing to take the time to explore.
I
n the far eastern corner of SA’s wild
Limestone Coast, the tiny seaside
town of Southend is famous for two
things: a million-dollar live export
market in southern rock lobster and
the remarkable coastal wilderness of
Canunda National Park.
Stretching for 40km from Southend to
Cape Banks, Canunda NP covers an area
of more than 9000ha and demands a
patient itinerary to really explore. Although
it flies under the radar, Canunda is the
kind of national park that blow minds,
thrilling visitors with ever-changing views
of sea-ravaged cliffs, sandy coves and giant
shifting sand dunes, carved by the sea to
reveal ancient shells and middens.
This five-star destination offers one
of the best wilderness escapes in the
state, with 4WD and hiker access to
incredible trails that lead to Indigenous
and pioneering historical sites and lofty
lookouts over the sea.
From Southend, begin exploring at
Cape Buffon where a boat ramp accesses
Rivoli Bay’s secure anchorage and a
hundred good fishing spots on offshore
reefs and headlands to the south. We
drove then walked, tackling an easy
amble along Cape Buffon’s sculpted
cliff top trail. But by far my favourite
adventures were had along the Seaview
Hike, a much longer walking experience
that follows a coastal trail for 6km
through vast, eroded dunes, with rugged
vistas of undercut limestone cliffs
sculpted with sea caves.
The beach fishing is reputedly brilliant
along the entire limestone coast, where
steep sandy banks give way to deep
gutters. Surfers and snorkellers tough
enough to brave the chilly waters will be
thrilled by Canunda’s remote reef and
beach surf breaks and, on calm days, the
abundant marine life that thrives around
headlands closer to shore.
From Southend, a 65km-long 4WD
track cuts a rugged, sandy route that
runs the entire length of Canunda NP,
reaching Kyber Pass where the views
seem utterly endless, and pushing south
across a sea of shifting dunes to Geltwood
Beach, Lake Bonney and Cape Banks
Lighthouse near Carpenter Rocks.
If your offroad rig is up to the task, this
route provides a great 4WD adventure,
but you can also tackle it as a daytrip
from either end of the park.
FASTFACTS
GETTING THERE
Canunda NP is located 428km south-east
of Adelaide and stretches from Southend to
Cape Banks Lighthouse, 43km west of Mt
Gambier.
ACTIVITIES
Walk through the dunes and along the cliff
tops for spectacular views, set a pot and test
your luck with the crays, explore the beaches
and dunes in your 4WD.
STAY
There are six campgrounds: choose
Kotgee and Nal-a-wort campgrounds near
Southend, Geltwood Beach west of Millicent,
Number Two Rocks (accessible by 4WD only),
or Oil Rig Square and Cape Banks Lighthouse
in the park’s far south.
MORE INFORMATION
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks
ADVENTURES
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