Things to do in Cowell, South Australia

The best things to do in Cowell, South Australia, include mullet fishing on Franklin Harbour. Other Cowell attractions include shopping for jade jewellery, surfing at Poverty Beach and admiring the silo art.

Most people’s experience of Cowell, South Australia, is driving through it. Cowell is on the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula, and the Lincoln Highway passes right through it. Anyone on the drive from Adelaide to Port Lincoln is likely to pass through on the Whyalla to Port Lincoln leg. The Wallaroo ferry from Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula also lands nearby, at Lucky Bay to the north-east.

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Beaches in Cowell, South Australia

The list of things to do in Cowell, SA, is fairly short. But it does have a few more attractions than many small Australian towns. For a start, there are the beaches.

Lucky Bay is more family-focused, while Poverty Beach is better for surfing. Point Gibbon has white sand dunes behind it, and Australian sea lions often hang out there.

Children on the beach at Cowell, South Australia. Photo courtesy of the South Australian Tourism Commission.

Things to do in Cowell, South Australia: Beaches

But fishermen tend to love Cowell more than beachgoers. The position on the protected waters of Franklin Harbour makes Cowell an ideal spot for shore-based fishing. From the beach or jetty, it’s pretty easy to catch blue swimmer crabs during the summer months. Other regular hauls in Franklin Harbour include garfish, mullet, snapper, squid and silver whiting. Cowell Fishing Adventures runs fishing charters for those who want to make a day of it.

Cultural attractions in Cowell, South Australia

There are also a few cultural attractions in Cowell, including the National Trust Machinery Museum and Franklin Harbour Historical Museum. If you’ve driven all the way to Cowell to visit either of these attractions, however, you have made a grave mistake.

The Franklin Harbour Historical Museum is well-meaning but unexciting, and the National Trust Machinery Museum is basically just a load of old farm vehicles.

The National Trust Machinery Museum is, however, next to something much more impressive. A large scale mural has been painted on the humungous Viterba grain silos. This sort of silo art can be seen in other rural towns across South Australia. There are also good examples in Kimba, Karoonda, Coonalpyn, Eudunda and Farrell Flat. More painted silos are on show in Tumby Bay, Waikerie, Wirrabarra, Owen and Paringa.

Cowell shopping: Nephrite jade

Cowell is home to the world’s largest deposit of nephrite jade. Plenty of the green gemstone is dug up around Cowell, then fashioned into jewellery.

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