Best things to do in Port Lincoln, South Australia

The best things to do in Port Lincoln include shark cage dives, swimming with sea lions, eating Coffin Bay oysters and climbing Stamford Hill in Lincoln National Park.

Port Lincoln is a prosperous South Australian town at the bottom of the Eyre Peninsula. Due to the long drive from Adelaide to Port Lincoln via Port Augusta and Whyalla, it’s not exactly in prime place on most tourist itineraries. But if you take the short domestic flight to Port Lincoln, then hire a car at Port Lincoln Airport, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

Things to do in Port Lincoln, SA: Shark diving and sea lion swimming

The major attraction in Port Lincoln is the proximity to the Neptune Islands. This is the only place in Australia where great white shark cage dives are permitted. Calypso Star Charter is amongst the operators that will take visitors out on the often bumpy cruise to the Neptune Islands.

Between September and June, Calypso Star Charter also offers swimming with sea lions tours. These cruises visit the Australian sea lion colonies at Hopkins, Langton, Grindal or Blyth Island.

Adventure Bay Charters also runs shark dive and sea lion swimming tours, but it also offers a less adventurous option. The two hour seafood bay cruise visits Port Lincoln’s aquaculture sites, tasting the prawns, mussels and tuna that are farmed there.

Eyre Peninsula tours from Port Lincoln, SA

Not all the best things to do in Port Lincoln involve a boat trip, however. Australian Coastal Safaris runs tours around the Eyre Peninsula from Port Lincoln. Tailor-made tours are the specialism, but one day tours following suggested itineraries are available too.

The Exceptional Port Lincoln, Seafood and Wildlife Tour is the main product, costing $280 for an eight hour trip including a seafood lunch. The tour includes watching the Port Lincoln fishing fleet unloading its catch, coastal scenery at the Port Lincoln National Park and going behind the scenes at the Fresh Fish Place. This is where fish is prepared and prawns are peeled. It serves up mighty fine fish and chips, too.

Things to do in Port Lincoln, SA: Wildlife-viewing

The tour also goes to the otherwise difficult-to-access Mikkira Station, which is one of the best places in Australia to see koalas. The gum trees struggle to penetrate the limestone bedrock here, making them much shorter than usual. This means the koalas are much closer to the ground, and can be seen at eye level.

For more easy wildlife-viewing, the Glen-Forest Tourist Park has a working farm, plus native animal enclosures. You can hand-feed kangaroos and get close to other Australian wildlife. There’s also a winery on site.

To partake in a little more wine-tasting, head to the Boston Bay winery.This is a slightly quirky spot that claims it’s the closest winery in the world to the sea and reckons it makes one millionth of the world’s total wine crop. The Rieslings are the star attraction here if you’re going for sampling.

Things to do in Port Lincoln, SA: National Parks

There are also a couple of national parks to visit near Port Lincoln. The Lincoln National Park at the very bottom of the peninsula has plenty of good hiking trails. The slug up to the top of Stamford Hill is worth it for the history, explained by signs on the way. In 1802, explorer Matthew Flinders came up here to search for fresh water.

Meanwhile, Coffin Bay National Park has huge, intimidating sand dunes. These meet South Australia‘s rugged coastline and beaches that are often deserted apart from marauding emus. Abalone divers work the reef off Point Avoid. And you’ll share windy Almonta Beach with just gulls and oyster-catchers. Camping in Coffin Bay National Park is possible at six campgrounds.

Coffin Bay is also where some of the best oysters in Australia are farmed. Buy Coffin Bay oysters in a restaurant elsewhere, and they’ll be hugely expensive. Here, you can buy them from oyster sheds on the cheap. Try the 1802 Oyster Bar if you’d prefer Coffin Bay oysters with soy and wasabi dressing or pinot noir sorbet.

Whalers Way is private land rather than a national park, but there’s some spectacular coastal scenery once through the gate.