Holiday houses in Port Hughes

Known as the Copper Coast, the top end of South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula is renowned for its calm white sandy beaches, great fishing and scuba diving, and copper mining heritage. Home to one of the region’s most picturesque stretches of sand, lapped by idyllic turquoise water, Port Hughes is a popular seaside holiday spot.

Extending for 2.5 kilometres south of the Port Hughes Jetty, South Beach is the main attraction for many visitors. Others come to fish, or to play a round at the golf course. There’s also copper mining heritage to explore in the neighbouring town of Moonta to the north, which was the centre of the region’s copper industry from 1861 to 1923. You’ll find more mining history in the nearby towns of Wallaroo and Kadina, which are connected by the Copper Rail Trail, an eight-kilometre track shared by cyclists and pedestrians that traces the path of the former railway.

The Yorke Peninsula enjoys a Mediterranean-style climate with cool breezes that moderate the summer heat, making this a perfect time for a beach holiday at Port Hughes. While single-digit winter temperatures don’t make this the best time for swimming, autumn and spring can still be warm enough for beach days. The cooler months are also ideal for long walks and bike rides in the area. There’s also good fishing year round, depending on your preferred catch. Held biennially in May in celebration of the region’s Cornish heritage, the Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival, hosted across the towns of Moonta, Kadina, and Wallaroo, is a fun time to visit, with the cavalcade of vintage cars and motorcycles typically a festival favourite.

Heritage trails

Copper Coast tourism authorities have created a heritage driving trail, as well as a heritage walking trail, for each of the Copper Triangle towns of Moonta, Kadina, and Wallaroo. All trails offer a fascinating insight into the region’s past, allowing visitors to take in sites including copper mine sites and heritage churches. All trail maps can be downloaded for free from the Visit Copper Coast website.

Water tower art

Water towers around Australia are increasingly being beautified with dazzling giant murals. Depicting an image of a young maypole girl holding copper and wheat, the stunning mural adorning Kadina’s water tower was the first to be painted on the Yorke Peninsula in 2018. It’s now one of half a dozen (and counting) water tower murals that can be spotted on the peninsula.

Scuba diving

The Yorke Peninsula is home to dozens of dive sites, most of which fall into two categories: shipwreck dives, or jetty dives (including the Port Hughes Jetty) that focus on macro marine life such as nudibranchs and seahorses. There are also two underwater trails, including the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail, just off Port Victoria, 60 kilometres south of Port Hughes.