Why South Australia is Underrated
Ask most east coast travellers about South Australia and they mention the Barossa Valley and maybe the Flinders Ranges. Most have never driven the Eyre Peninsula, never camped under the stars at Arkaroola, never stood on the Nullarbor Plain watching the longest straight road in Australia disappear into the horizon.
SA rewards the van lifer who looks beyond the obvious. Here is where to look.
Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula
Cleland Conservation Park
20 minutes from Adelaide CBD, Cleland offers native bush camping with actual wildlife — kangaroos in camp, kookaburras, echidnas. A good shakedown camp before heading further afield.
Newland Head Conservation Park
Clifftop camping above the Southern Ocean on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Free camping, toilets only, extraordinary whale watching from shore during migration season (June-October). The stretch of coast between Victor Harbor and Cape Jervis is seriously under-visited.
Cost: Free | Best time: June-October for whales
Flinders Ranges
Wilpena Pound
The Pound is a natural amphitheatre formed by ancient mountain ridges — one of Australia's great geological spectacles. Camp at Wilpena Pound Resort campground ($30-40 AUD/night) and spend two or three days walking the rim and valley.
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
The northern Flinders at their most dramatic. Arkaroola is privately owned and managed as a conservation sanctuary. The Ridge Top Tour (4WD, guides only) is one of the great outback experiences. Camp at the Arkaroola Village ($15-20/night).
Brachina Gorge
The geological trail through Brachina Gorge takes you through 600 million years of Earth history. Free roadside camping at several pulloffs in the gorge. Yellow-footed rock wallabies are frequently seen here at dusk.
Eyre Peninsula
Coffin Bay National Park
Coffin Bay oysters are famous for good reason — spend a morning at the oyster sheds before driving into the national park. The beach camping at Yangie Bay and Avoid Bay is remote (2WD accessible in dry weather) with views across the bay and exceptional fishing.
Cost: $10-14 AUD per night
Point Labatt Conservation Park
The only mainland colony of Australian sea lions. Walk the clifftop boardwalk and look down at 50+ sea lions sleeping, playing, and occasionally arguing below. Free parking, no camping on site but the Streaky Bay caravan park is 40km north.
Murphy's Haystacks
Extraordinary pink granite tors erupting from flat farmland near Streaky Bay. Not a camping spot but an unmissable detour. The formations are around 1,500 million years old.
The Nullarbor
Head of the Bight
The Great Australian Bight: cliffs dropping 60-90 metres straight to the Southern Ocean. From May to October, southern right whales nurse their calves in the bight below. The viewing platform here is one of the most dramatic wildlife viewing spots in Australia.
Cost: $14 AUD entry fee (worth it if whales are present)
Nullarbor Roadhouse
The Nullarbor roadhouses allow overnight parking in their lots for a nominal fee. Staying the night at a roadhouse where the next fuel stop is 200km in either direction has a particular quality — you are genuinely in the middle of nowhere, and somehow that feels excellent.
SA Practical Info
- Water: Carry substantial water from Ceduna onwards if heading west. Remote stations may have water but do not rely on it.
- Fuel: The Eyre Highway fuel stops are manageable but prices increase significantly away from the coast. Fill whenever you can.
- Best season: April-October. Summer in the Flinders and outback SA is brutally hot (45°C+ common).
- Camping app: WikiCamps Australia is comprehensive for SA.