Innes National Park

Situated at the very tip of the Yorke Peninsula, Innes National Park is far away from any significant town, which for most who make it down to this southern end of the road is all part of the allure. One might look at a map and think there couldn’t be much to see or do in this tiny national park. Yet, surprisingly, the park packs a punch despite its size, with a raft of amazing attractions all within close proximity of each other.

The landscape of this southern frontier has been beaten and weathered by a high-energy coastline over thousands of years, creating a series of huge cliff faces. It’s a remarkable showcase of rugged beauty and one of the many reasons travellers rate this national park so highly.

Moments before you drive through the park’s borders, you’ll find the sleepy seaside town of Marion Bay, which for some will be a great place to base themselves. While it’s a small town, there’s enough here to keep you going with a variety of accommodation options to suit all travel styles. Marion Bay has a great restaurant and takeaway shop that may be a welcome sliver of civilisation in this otherwise isolated region. For those looking to get back to nature, Innes National Park has you covered with several great unpowered campsites, usually a stone’s throw from the water’s edge.

Attraction-wise, you’re spoiled for choice, with some awe-inspiring scenery to be discovered both in and outside the park. The following free things to see and do in and around Innes are spellbinding, and most definitely worth a peek — in this pristine southern end of the Yorke Peninsula.

If there’s one beach that’s sure to impress, it would have to be Pondalowie Beach. Known first and foremost as a great surfing beach, there’s plenty of room for everyone on this sizeable sandy stretch. When the swell is up, surfers enjoy some of the best waves to be had on the peninsula. For everyone else, the views to be enjoyed from this beach are worth the visit alone, with West Cape Lighthouse a prominent landmark at the left-hand end of the beach.

Getting to the sandy shores of Pondalowie is almost as good as the beach itself. Taking off from the carpark, a lengthy boardwalk rolls over an undulating stretch of foredunes before finally reaching the shore, where a fantastic viewing platform can be found. Overall, there’s much to like about this beach. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll with views, or are keen to soak up the waves and rays, Pondalowie is an excellent open-water option.

There are many opportunities to take in sensational views from the clifftops within the Innes National Park. Of all the vantage points to be found, the high cliffs of West Cape offer some of the most expansive views you’ll find on the peninsula.

On a loop walk, the most encompassing views of the cape can be taken in along the West Cape Headland Walk. This scenic stroll offers stunning views of Pandalowie Bay, Wedge Island and Althorpe Islands all in the one short walk. At times, the trail takes you within metres of the cliff edge, with ruggedly spectacular scenery and ocean views to savour — all of which are from a great height.

At the tip of the cape, you’ll find a stainless steel lighthouse — at which point the barren landscape gives way to a surreal, big-ocean atmosphere with views in all directions. It’s indeed a breathtaking moment and one you’ll not forget in a hurry.

With the entire cape raised high above the ocean, even the views from the carpark are excellent, with a 360-degree viewing area only a short distance away. If you’re short on time, admiring the views from this point is a grand experience in itself. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also find a picnic area next to the carpark with the most amazing views of the Southern Spencer Gulf, including Pandalowie Bay and its islands — so be sure to take time out at this spot if you’re feeling peckish.

If you’re looking for a natural setting that’s packed to the rafters with features, you won’t find many locations that have as much going for it as Ethel Wreck Beach. The lofty cliffs of Ethel Wreck Beach set the scene for amazing views that stretch across the Southern Ocean, with Althorpe Island adding to the postcard-perfect scene. Taking the set of stairs down to the beach will surround you within the sheer cliff faces — elevating the overall experience even further. If you happen to be here in the late afternoon, you’ll also have the pleasure of watching the walls of the cliffs warm up with the setting sun, which can take the atmosphere of this beach to an entirely new level.

Living up to its name, a shipwreck is visible only moments from the staircase as you step onto the sand. The Ethel, a Norwegian three-masted iron barque, ran aground in 1904 while sailing from Semaphore to South Africa. For decades, the Ethel was buried under sand until a huge storm in May 2015 sucked a large portion of the sand out to sea, revealing the sunken treasure once more. Overall, this is an amazing location, as unique as the colossal cliffs on which it is situated.

You sure are spoilt for beaches within Innes National Park, with Dolphin Beach adding to an impressive list. Squeaky clean sand, lichen-covered rocks and azure waters all come together here with dramatic effect. As this beach faces west, it’s pretty much protected from the southern swells which can, at times, lash the other shores found within the national park. Indeed, it’s generally quite calm and tranquil at Dolphin Bay. For these reasons, it’s a tremendous all-ages beach, so if kicking back and enjoying yourself is on the to-do list, bring your hat and sunglasses and unwind in this little-known stretch of paradise.

You can access the beach via a track on the left-hand end, which is also the most swim-friendly section. Should you wish to go for a stroll, it’s an interesting beach to walk along, with a reef in the shallows running parallel to the shore midway up the beach. For those who love to explore, walking to the far end of the beach will almost guarantee a solitary experience, with a faint trail up to the headland’s summit a highly enjoyable experience. From this point, you’ll have a spectacular view looking back the way you came, with a ruggedly gorgeous coastline to admire. Walking to the very end of the headland, there’s also a great rock pool to enjoy, which proves to be highly popular on social media, so if you’re the kind of person who loves nothing more than a secluded hotspot, you’ll find it here.

If you’re keen to soak up all that the area has to offer, you’ll find a most amazing scenic drive running up the west coast of the Yorke Peninsula — just outside of the national park. Of the many signposted destinations along this scenic drive, Formby Bay is one of the better ones, with a coastline that will have you impressed for its natural beauty. If you can get to this one when the sun is shining, you’ll be rewarded with intense colouration throughout the waters of Formby Bay, with rugged cliffs framing a mesmerising view.

As you drive down the Yorke Peninsula, finding the scenic drive is easy enough, with large road signs pointing the way to two different scenic drives, just before you reach Marion Bay. The scenic drive that lists Formby Bay on the road sign is the one you want to take, which tees off the main road to the right. (Note: there is a secondary scenic drive which tees off the main road to the left, but, despite a substantial road sign alluding to great things — there isn’t much to see along this route and your time will be best spent elsewhere).

Once you’re at the carpark of Formby Bay, you’ll find a trail which skirts the clifftop for about five-hundred meters before dropping down to beach level. As there are so many beaches to enjoy in the area, simply turn back after walking along the clifftop, as the views from the clifftop are what will be the standout attraction for most here.

The other must-do on the west coast scenic drive is the sensational Daly Head. Far from just about anywhere, Daly Head is an untouched slice of paradise. Firstly, there’s the tip of the headland itself, which you can drive to the very end of. It’s unsealed, but it can be accomplished in a two-wheel-drive vehicle. The views of the rocky outcrops extending from the end of the large headland are impressive and, combined with the moody turquoise colours of the waters, make for a sight to behold.

The star attraction, though, is the beach which lies a little north of Daly Head. This would have to be one of the most gob-smackingly beautiful beaches in South Australia — and the best part is it is relatively unheard of. The views from the top of the staircase leading down to the beach are worth the journey alone; so vivid are the colours of the bay. Stepping down to beach level, you’ll also be amazed at both the pristine quality of this beach and the striking colours of the contrasting rocks.

Daly Head is also a well-regarded surfing hotspot with long breaks a feature of this beach. So good that, in fact, Daly Head was declared South Australia’s first surfing reserve in January 2013.

This really is as good as the pictures suggest, so if you’d like to take full advantage of this stunning abode, those who are self-sufficient can camp here. Unpowered camping with large sites and expansive views of the beach is here for the taking, so if you’re the type that loves to get away from it all, be sure to consider some time here (permit required).