Moonta, South Australia: What are the best attractions and things to do?

The best things to do in Moonta, South Australia, include South Beach at Port Hughes, the Moonta Mines Museum and the Moonta Mines Tourist Railway.

Moonta, along with Wallaroo and Kadina, is one of three towns that make up the Copper Coast on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Kadina is the commercial hub of the region and beachy Wallaroo has the Wallaroo ferry to Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula. But Moonta has arguably the most going for it.

Things to do in Moonta, South Australia: Moonta beaches

For most people, the best things to do in Moonta, South Australia, are beach-related. Moonta has some excellent beaches, with South Beach at Port Hughes one of the best in South Australia. As with Moonta Bay to the north, Point Hughes also has a jetty that provides excellent fishing. Moonta Bay offers cheap accommodation, too, courtesy of the Moonta Bay caravan park.

But much of Moonta’s appeal stems from its copper mining past.

Fishing at the Moonta Bay Jetty in Moonta, South Australia. Photo courtesy of the South Australian Tourism Commission.

There are a number of heritage buildings in Moonta, of which the large Wesleyan Church is the most obvious landmark. There’s also the Miner’s Cottage, managed by the National Trust and dating back to the 1870. The Miner’s Cottage is photogenic, but if you really want to know about how copper mining shaped Moonta, visit the Moonta Mines Museum. This is inside an old school building, and as little regional museums go, it’s genuinely interesting.

What to do in Moonta, South Australia: Moonta Mines Museum and Tourist Railway

The Moonta Mines Museum goes into the how copper mining worked, and how migrants flooded in from Cornwall to work in the mines. The social hierarchies, some of which were brought over from Cornwall, show how mine life and town life intertwined. Entrance to the museum costs $8.

Other things to do in Moonta, South Australia, include the Moonta Mines Tourist Railway. This short historic train journey departs from next to the Moonta Mines Museum. Carriages are open to the elements, and the driver-guides explain the workings of the copper mines on the way round. Tickets for the Moonta Mines Tourist Railway cost $12.

Things to do in Moonta, South Australia: Bird Islands Conservation Park

Alternatively, if you’ve got you binoculars with you, why not try the Bird Islands Conservation Park? This 369 hectare reserve to the north of Moonta covers Warburto Point. There aren’t many tourist facilities there, but if you want to see seabirds and mangroves under your own steam, then it’s easy enough to drive to.

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