Whyalla to Cowell road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stop on a Whyalla to Cowell road trip is Lucky Bay. By car, the Whyalla to Cowell drive covers a 106km distance in a driving time of 1h8m.

The Whyalla to Cowell drive connects an industrial city on South Australia’s Spencer Gulf to an under-the-radar holiday town on the Eyre Peninsula.

Roadtrippers may pass along the route as part of a longer journey – probably from Adelaide to Port Lincoln.

For Whyalla accommodation deals, hunt here.

To check out the holiday homes available in Cowell, head here.

This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Whyalla to Cowell road trip itinerary.

If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.

Whyalla to Cowell distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Whyalla to Cowell is 106km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and eight minutes.

The best things to do in Whyalla include tours of the Whyalla Steelworks and spotting dolphins from the unusually-shaped Whyalla Jetty.

Best Whyalla accommodation choices

The best places to stay in Whyalla are:

For good quality studios and apartments: Quest Whyalla.
For family-friendly facilities: Discovery Parks – Whyalla Foreshore.
For best location: Whyalla Playford Apartments.

Whyalla to Cowell drive attractions

After leaving Whyalla to the south along the Lincoln Highway, the Whyalla to Cowell drive heads inland, passing the Middleback Range and the Ironstone Hill Conservation Park. The latter, alas, is not set up for visitors and mainly exists to protect the dune ecosystem.

Before reaching Cowell, there’s the turn off for Lucky Bay.

For most people, this is where the Wallaroo Ferry comes in from Wallaroo on the other side of the Spencer Gulf. However, it is a sleepily attractive beach town in its own right.

Top things to do in Cowell include mullet fishing on Franklin Harbour, shopping for jade jewellery, surfing at Poverty Beach and admiring the silo art.

For Cowell accommodation, you’re either looking at caravan parks or holiday homes.