Port Lincoln is a town in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia.
Matthew Flinders visited the large harbour in 1802 and named it after his home of Lincolnshire. Port Lincoln is yet another Australian town that remembers this explorer. Flinders was looking for fresh water during his visit, which lasted several weeks. He eventually located some, which enabled him to continue his voyage into the Spencer Gulf.
He lost eight of his crew in a rowing boat prior to discovering the harbour. The boat was found but the bodies of the crew never were. The cape at the tip of Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area is called Cape Catastrophe after the event, and the surrounding islands named after each of the lost crewmen.
Port Lincoln doesn't get as warm as you may expect during summer, with averages remaining lower than Adelaide.
Port Lincoln today is a town of around 15,000 people, it has a foreshore area, marina district, and is close to the Lincoln National Park. Although tourism is important to the area, this is a working city, and you are just as likely to see trawlers in the marina as you are luxury yachts or tourist charters. While swimming at the foreshore jetty, you can see the large grain silos and conveyors load grain ships at speed.
About 8 hours drive from Adelaide, a little quicker and less driving when taking the ferry arriving at Lucky Bay from Wallaroo on Yorke Peninsula.
Rex Regional Express and Qantaslink fly from Adelaide several times daily. Compared to the drive, flying is quick and flights are easily obtainable for less than $100 each way. The distance of 245 km (152 mi) as the crow flies across the Spencer Gulf and St Vincent Gulf to Adelaide is not that great when compared to the much longer road route to the north via Port Augusta and around the top of the two gulfs and top of Yorke Peninsula.
Whyalla is the next closest airport with scheduled services, about 3 hours drive (268km) to the north. Flights there are less frequent and more expensive.
Premier Stateliner run daily services to Adelaide via Whyalla and Port Augusta.
Rental cars are available in Port Lincoln and at the airport taxis and taxis operating around the town including Enterprise
Bike hire is available from Port Lincoln Adventure Hire.
Lincoln National Park is 15 km drive south of Port Lincoln, The road is sealed (paved) for most of the distance to Cape Donnington and a well graded gravel road for the remainder. Near Cape Donnington there are many emu, kangaroo and goanna. Bring binoculars to see the wildlife on Donnington Island.
Coffin Bay with its two conservation parks, oyster farms and beaches, and Tumby Bay make ideal day trips.
Swimming
Go cage diving with great white sharks. Three operators have cage diving tours leaving from Port Lincoln, one offering a day trip and another offering multi-day sleep on board trips. The best time for seeing great white sharks is in the winter months as they like cooler water.
Rodney Fox Shark Experience, +61 8 8363 1788 (office), +61 428 810646 (cellular mobile), expeditions@rodneyfox.com.au. Liveaboard trips start at 3D/4N with diving and accommodation packages. From $1,995
Calypso Star Charter, 3/10 South Quay Blvd, +61 8 8682 3939, info@sharkcagediving.com.au. One day 'Shark Cage Diving' adventures $395 per spectator and $495 per diver
Adventure Bay Charters, 2 Jubilee Dr, +61 8 8682 2979, info@adventurebaycharters.com.au. One day 'Shark Cage Diving' adventures $345 per spectator and $445 per diver
You can swim with the tuna in enclosures. You can see the circular tuna nets out beyond Boston Island. Each can hold up to 3,000 tuna, with little room for anyone to jump in with them. The swim with Tuna platforms are purpose built, and have enough tuna so you can fit in as well. Tuna are large fish, with constantly open mouths, and they can swim up to 80km/h when darting for a pilchard. Swimming with them isn't a calm snorkeling experience, but rather a slightly freaky experience with tuna darting rapidly at you, and then turning away with precision accuracy as they avoid everything that isn't a pilchard. Wetsuits, gloves and booties are supplied if you want to dive in.
Adventure Bay Charters, 2 Jubilee Dr, +61 488 428862. Visit a Tuna farm and enjoy hand feeding, seeing fish from the underwater viewing platform or get in for a swim. This two hour tour is a fascinating insight into the history of the Tuna industry and includes a taste of sashimi. from $65
Swim with the Tuna. Underwater viewing, two pools, feeding and swimming. Free coffee and tea, and cookies and sausages available for purchase. No tuna available here though, so this may be the place for those who are more into watching them than eating them.
You can Swim with the Australian Sea Lion. A marine encounter. Half day tour including light lunch and morning tea. An experience not to be forgotten.
Tasman Terrace is the main shopping strip of Port Lincoln, with shops occupying one side of the street, and the park and waterfront on the other. There are some fashion stores, cafes, restaurants, as well as all the essential supplies available.
If you have been touring the Eyre Peninsula eating in pubs and at fast food outlets, Port Lincoln may give you a chance to branch out a little. There is a selection of restaurants here, with seafood being a speciality.
Telstra has good connection, while Optus and Vodafone do, they're very sketchy, and may not be suitable. Carry a satellite phone if necessary.
If you are heading onwards, you have three roads to choose from, two ultimately heading west towards Ceduna, and one heading east towards Port Augusta.
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