Named after Sir Isaac Coffin by the famed explorer Mathew Flinders, Coffin Bay is the home of the world famous Coffin Bay Oyster.

Situated on the western tip of the Lower Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Coffin Bay is surrounded by pristine, calm, shallow and clear water providing the perfect location for producing world class oysters. And who could come here and not be tempted by a half-dozen? Well… er… that’ll be us then – neither of us are lovers of oysters but there are plenty more seafood options available for those like us.

Waders Required

Oyster Bay Farm Tours is a well known Coffin Bay oyster farm and eatery serving a great selection of seafood adjacent to their oyster beds in the bay. Tasting and farm tours take place on a floating pontoon just a stone’s throw from the restaurant and regularly featured on TV. Guests are supplied with waders and escorted over a narrow gangway to the pontoon where they learn about the Coffin Bay oyster production, shucking and a tasting session.

Oyster HQ

At the same location as Oyster Bay Farm Tours is the upmarket Oyster HQ restaurant, which overlooks the bay with indoor and outdoor shaded seating. Here we enjoyed delicious panko crumbed prawns and polenta chips with a mix of dips, tuna tartare and a bucket of fresh local prawns all washed down with a chilled glass of wine. Delicious!

Coffin Bay also has a National Park* of the same name and worth exploring for its scenery, wildlife and the drive itself along a narrow twisting road reaching out to Point Avoid with it’s crumbling limestone cliffs and spectacular views over Encounter Bay and Golden Island. There is also a large parking area that leads down to the beach.

Yangie Trail road splits with a route leading down to the National Park run caravan and camp site at Yangie Bay. The bay and its surroundings are worthy of an explore as it sits to the opposite side of Encounter Bay and provides shelter from the wind when Encounter Bay is windblown.

Yangie Walks

There are a couple of pleasant long distance and circular walks that begin, or pass through the campsite. We took a walk up to the Viewpoint above Yangie Bay, but it isn’t always easy to follow with some of the bush overgrown and several additional paths leading in different directions without markers.

We would recommend photographing the map on the signboard before setting-off on a walk, use a GPS to confirm your route and watch out for wildlife – snakes are regularly sighted here. Apart from the incessant flies we spotted several kangaroos and a couple of emus wandering about and of course a few shingleback lizards out searching for a mate.

Coffin Bay National Park also has a variety of pristine golden sandy beaches that were pretty much deserted on our visit and plenty of remote tracks to keep the 4WD adventurer happy.

No Drones

South Australia has chosen to ban all recreational use of drones in contrast to Western Australia, which actively encourages them and has benefited from the publicity aerial photographs have created. It’s a very short-sighted regulation but, until a proper and sensible legal framework has been adopted by the state government, it’s something we just have to live with.

*Being a National Park a permit is required.