Mikkira Station, Port Lincoln: See koalas on the Eyre Peninsula?

The stunted manna gum trees at the Mikkira Station make it a superb place to see koalas on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. These Eyre Peninsula koalas can be observed at eye level.

The koalas at Mikkira Station near Port Lincoln help make South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is one of Australia’s most underrated tourism destinations. Hardly any overseas visitors go there, though, largely because it’s a pig of a drive to get there from Adelaide. But once there, you can swim with sealions, go cage diving with great white sharks and taste Australia’s finest oysters.

Eyre Peninsula wildlife

But the Eyre Peninsula is also a fine place for wildlife-spotting on land. Around the oyster farms of Coffin Bay, emus are notorious for running around on the beaches of the Coffin Bay National Park. And as for kangaroos, well, you’ll see plenty of them dead by the roadside. Drive carefully…

If it’s Eyre Peninsula koalas you want, though, the Mikkira Station is the best bet. This private property is 30km south-west of South Australian town Port Lincoln, neighbouring the Lincoln National Park. The station is based around the thatch-roofed Mikkira Homestead. On the grounds, you’ve got a decent chance of seeing kangaroos, emus, native birds and reptiles, but the koalas are the stars.

Mikkira Station koalas

The secret here is the hard limestone bedrock. This is hard for the eucalyptus viminalis (better known as manna gum) trees to penetrate. The manna gums at Mikkira, therefore, have stunted growth and are considerably shorter than usual.

Koalas like hanging out in manna gums, but elsewhere they can be hard to spot as they’re in higher branches. On this Eyre Peninsula outpost, however, the trees don’t grow as high so the koalas are considerably lower to the ground. Wander around the station’s walking tracks, and chances are it won’t be too long before you see a wild koala hugging a branch at eye level. It might be asleep – koalas sleep for most of the day.

But the viewings are likely to be better than at other koala hotspots, such as Kennett River on the Great Ocean Road or the Morialta Conservation Park in Adelaide. More convenient, however, is the Koala Conservation Reserve on Phillip Island near Melbourne. Here, boardwalks pass the koalas at treetop height.

Getting to Mikkira Station, Port Lincoln

The tricky part is getting to the station. You either need to visit on a guided tour with the likes of Australian Coastal Safaris, or get a key and permit from Visit Port Lincoln. The visitor information centre also gives out keys for Whalers Way.

Hire a car from Port Lincoln Airport if going the DIY route, and check out the Glen-Forest Tourist Park on the way.

Of course, it’s not worth going all this way from Adelaide just to visit Mikkira Station. But if you want to see Eyre Peninsula koalas while in the region, the station is one of the best places in Australia for spotting them.

More things to do in South Australia

Go walking in the Red Banks Conservation Park near Burra.

Taste chocolate at the Barossa chocolate factory.

Do a riverland kayaking tour from Berri.

Drive a 4WD along Sellicks Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Kayak to the Mouth of the Murray in the Coorong National Park from Hindmarsh Island.