Holiday houses in Marion Bay

The unpretentious town of Marion Bay sits on a golden stretch of coastline near the tip of South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. Travelers come to this popular holiday spot to fish, surf, bushwalk, or all three. The town serves as the gateway to the stunning surf beaches and hiking tracks of expansive Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, which occupies the southern tip of the peninsula. There are great fishing spots in the national park, and on Marion Bay’s long jetty you can try your hand at catching large squid and mullet. You can also fish from the town’s beach or off the rocks, or take a fishing charter to seek out whiting, samson fish, and tuna. The waters off Marion Bay are part of Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park, which extends to the coastline of Kangaroo Island, the third-largest island in Australia. The town stretches down the shoreline from the jetty, along two beaches separated by a headland. A general store and a tavern on the highway offer the only hot meals in town. So come prepared with supplies — or catch your own dinner.

Summer is glorious on the Yorke Peninsula, with South Australia’s dry heat moderated by sea breezes, which keep the nights cool. If you’re planning to fish, consider coming in autumn for Marion Bay’s famous mullet runs. Autumn is also high time for bushwalking through Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, although by May the sporadic rains that mark the winter months set in. The national park is exposed to the wild winds of the Roaring Forties, and in winter you’ll encounter heavy waves and big seas. Southern right whales pass by the peninsula in the winter months, while you may encounter seals and sea lions on the shore at any time of the year. And in spring, the national park bursts into colour with blooming wildflowers.

Walk the Yorke Trail

Marion Bay is on the Walk the Yorke trail, 500 kilometres of walking tracks along the gorgeous coastline of the peninsula. From town you can head northeast as far as you like toward Foul Bay. (It’d take around 10 hours to walk the entire track to Foul Bay.) There’s a cycling track to Foul Bay as well, which runs inland near the coast.

Surfing the national park

There are more than a half-dozen recognised surf breaks in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. Head to the western side of the park for consistent waves throughout summer at West Cape or at the main break at Pondalowie Bay. Experienced wave riders can tackle the reef break at Trespassers, near Point Margaret north of the national park.

The shipwreck trail

The Yorke Peninsula coastline is littered with shipwrecks. You can check out beach wrecks like the Ethel in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, or dive accessible wrecks like the Marion and the Willyama off the coast of the park.