Tumby Bay Street Art: A visual treat of the Eyre Peninsula

Hey there, friend!

In this journal entry, I’ll be sharing our day trip to the delightful seaside town of Tumby Bay, highlighting the fun things to see and do: from the vibrant Tumby Bay Street Art to some of the coastal walking trails around town.

Explore Tumby Bay in the Eyre Peninsula with me

The entire town of Tumby Bay is like an open-air gallery, with a growing collection of sensational art to admire as you wander the streets. We had a blast finding all of the Tumby Bay street art murals painted on the walls of buildings.

Despite visiting in winter and experiencing less-than-ideal weather, we enjoyed the day. 

It was fairly quiet, however, I could envision Tumby Bay bustling with tourists during the summer months. The foreshore and beach looked very pretty, with a couple of lovely shops and cafes to explore nearby.

If you’re passing through, Tumby Bay is definitely worth a stop!

Things to do in Tumby Bay

Our time at Tumby Bay might have been brief, but we thoroughly enjoyed exploring this sweet coastal town. Here’s a list of some of the things you can see and do, and what we got up to during our day trip. 

• Check out the incredible Silo Art
• Explore all of the extraordinary Tumby Bay Street Art Murals
• Enjoy the pretty waterfront views at BlueWater Beach Cafe
• Indulge in a delightful coffee and cake at Seaspell Cafe
• Take a pleasant stroll along the town foreshore 
• Enjoy the town and bay views from the Island Lookout
• Walk around the Mangrove Boardwalk and Nature Trail. 

If you go in more pleasant weather, the foreshore beach seems like it would be a nice and safe swimming area on a calm, sunny day. 

Snorkelling and diving seems to be popular under the jetty because of the beautiful leafy sea dragons and other ocean wildlife that reside there. You have to check out the Tumby Bay Leafy Sea Dragons Facebook page which has fantastic photos of these stunning creatures.

Although, I’m not sure with the jetty being deemed unsafe and currently closed to the public, whether this extends to underneath it! The latest update on the Tumby Bay Jetty is that repair work will commence in February 2024.

Where is Tumby Bay & how to get there  

The tiny seaside town of Tumby Bay in South Australia is located at the southern end of the Eyre Peninsula. It’s about 50 kilometres north of Port Lincoln, where we stayed, roughly a 37-minute drive.

From Adelaide, Tumby Bay is about 650 kilometres, going north past the Yorke Peninsula, towards Port Augusta and then back down along the right edge of the Eyre Peninsula. By car, it’s just under a 7-hour journey.

You could break up the long drive from Adelaide by staying at Whyalla. We stopped here for a little while to meet the resident bottlenose dolphins! 

Alternatively, you could take a flight with Rex or Qantas to Port Lincoln, which takes just under an hour. From there, you can easily hire a car to drive the short distance to Tumby Bay.

About Tumby Bay in South Australia

We went on a Saturday morning in early November, and the township felt super sleepy and quiet. Mind you, it wasn’t the best weather for being out and about. And, I’m by no means complaining, I love it when touristy places aren’t busy.

The delightful Tumby Bay totally embodies the classic holiday-by-the-seaside vibe. When you stroll along the foreshore, you’ll come across pretty gardens and lawn, towering pine trees, a weathered long wooden jetty, and a white sand beach ideal for a dip, albeit on a nicer day than we had. 

Hands down, the highlight for me was the Tumby Bay Street Art dotted around the town. It was such a fun way to spend the day, wandering around town, checking out the phenomenal murals. A lot of them are hyperrealistic and will leave you speechless!

The best time to visit Tumby Bay

Being a coastal town, the best time to visit Tumby Bay is during the summer months. This way, you can take full advantage of the beach and ocean activities. However, it’s worth noting that this will also be peak tourist season, so it might get extremely busy. You may need to book your accommodation way in advance. 

During shoulder months like November and March, the weather can still be quite pleasant, and you’ll benefit from fewer crowds. 

The weather was hit-and-miss in the southern Eyre Peninsula during our entire stay (late October to mid-November). Our visit to Tumby Bay was in early November, and the day was mostly cold, grey and windy, but the sun did come out for a little bit in the afternoon.

Tumby Bay Silo Art

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly attraction

I personally draw a little bit with pencil but really only on A4 sized paper. I don’t really understand how people can create artwork to such a massive scale by hand. It’s just mind-blowing! My hat goes off to the talented and creative artist of the silo art, Martin Ron. 

This mural is massive and according to the information at the site, it covers an area of 2,200 square metres. It required a lot of paint as you can imagine! 

The car park for the Tumby Bay silos is located along Bratten Road, outside of the main town centre, just off the Lincoln Highway. It’s a large parking space with plenty of room for a caravan, if you’re stopping briefly along your travels. 

The four silos have gaps in between so they have been painted in the way where the artwork wraps slightly around. There is a designated viewing spot where the art is best seen and the gaps aren’t visible, it’s a short walk to the left from the car park. 

The short walk is well sign posted and has plenty of information boards to read along the way. It’s interesting to view the silo art from different angles as you walk along. 

Tumby Bay Street Art

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly attraction

During our day trip, there were 27 pre-existing street art murals around the township with a couple of new 2023 additions near the foreshore.

It’s a good idea to download a map of the Tumby Bay Street Art Trail before you go, you can find a map on the Tumby Bay District Council website. You can also grab a physical copy from the council office, and local shops and cafes. 

You could view the trail list in order, but for us we started around the foreshore area and kind of weaved our way, viewing the first street art on the list, last. 

I think I took a photo of nearly all of them. It’s so hard to choose which ones to share with you guys on here, because they’re all so brilliant. I highly recommend visiting Tumby Bay and seeing them for yourself! 

It’s a hard pick but one of my favourites is 16 on Spencer Street, which is by Smug and titled “Snapper”, appropriately. 

Incidentally, next to “Snapper” is a lifestyle boutique store called Mr Pelly. I highly recommend popping into this gorgeous shop because it’s got a lot of beautiful products ranging from jewellery to home decor. I bought a pair of earrings from there that I haven’t taken off since! 

Town Mosaic Art

While you’re exploring the Tumby Bay Street Art, you might also notice delightful mosaic art on some of the street lights. 

Where to eat in Tumby Bay 

We were hoping to try the Tumby Bay Bakery as we had heard good things about it, but unluckily, they only open weekdays. 

BlueWater Beach Cafe

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly Cafe with outdoor seating

Before hitting the Tumby Bay Street Art trail, we decided to have brunch at BlueWater Beach Cafe. The venue has a prime beachfront location with a wonderful deck overlooking the water. 

When you walk into the cafe, it’s very obvious with the decor, menu and counter cabinet that it has Greek influences. I was excited to try their food, because who doesn’t love a bit of moussaka or spanakopita?!

I’m sad to report that the food and service fell a little short on the day we went. I ordered the spanakopita, and the filling was lacklustre and the pastry soaking in oil.

I like to give places the benefit of the doubt though, hopefully they’ve improved since then because they have a lovely outdoor area with beautiful ocean views. 

Seaspell Cafe

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly Cafe with outdoor seating

After traipsing around town looking at all of the awesome Tumby Bay Street Art murals, we decided to grab some hot drinks and cakes. 

Seaspell Cafe is a small sweet cafe near the town centre on Lipson Road, not too far from the Tumby Bay Hotel. Everything about it had a cosy, homely vibe – from its colourful, eclectic boho styling to the food itself. 

I’m also a sucker for pink so they had me with their pink door. 

My hubby was happy with the coffee and I liked my sticky chai latte, it wasn’t overly sweet. For cakes, we ordered the banana caramel cream pie and a classic chocolate eclair. The banana caramel cream pie was delish, the flavours were simple and on point.

Lookouts & Walking Trails in Tumby Bay

Tumby Bay Foreshore Walk

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly Walking Trail

As mentioned, Tumby Bay has a lovely foreshore that’s very family-friendly, and mostly dog-friendly. We did see confusing signs for sections where dogs weren’t allowed.

Near the jetty, there’s a park with a lawn area, a large playground, BBQ facilities, shelters and picnic benches. Toilets are available nearby. For a short easy walk (about 2 kilometres return), there is a paved walking/cycling path that runs from the jetty southwards.

Please note that the Tumby Bay Jetty has been deemed unsafe and is currently closed to the public, the latest update is that repair work will commence in February 2024.

Dogs on the Beach & Foreshore

I believe that dogs are allowed on the beach at the foreshore on a lead between 9am and 7pm (daylight savings time), outside of those hours, they’re allowed to be off lead. I’ve shown a map below but this page of the Tumby Bay District Council website also mentions it. 

The map below is a bit confusing, but I think the areas where dogs are completely not allowed are some of the grass picnic areas and playground. The signs were confusing, even in person, to be honest. 

Tumby Bay Island Lookout & Walking Trail

Tumby Bay Dog-friendly Walking Trail & Scenic Lookout

This scenic lookout is located south of the township, past the Tumby Bay Marina. It provides a 360 degree view of the coastline and marina/town. To be frank, the scenery isn’t epic. You’re not missing out on anything if you didn’t visit.

The lookout is a rustic metal tower that reminded me of a crow’s nest from a ship. I’m terrible with measurements, it’s not very tall, maybe 5-6 metres? The platform at the top is small, there’s enough room for 2-3 people at most. 

Near the lookout, there’s a bit of a picnic area with toilets, shelter, BBQ facilities and a very tiny playground. There’s also a looped walking trail that follows the coastline from the lookout and joins up with the mangrove nature walk. Find out more below.

Tumby Bay Mangrove & Nature Walk

Not dog-friendly

We briefly left Charlie in the car since the 200-metre one-way walk wasn’t dog-friendly. Honestly, it was a bit underwhelming. If you’re tight on time and have to leave it out, don’t worry – you’re not missing out on much.

From the car park, it’s a flat gravel trail and there’s a little straw hut just over the halfway point with information boards about the mangrove area and birdlife. Then, you continue onto the modern boardwalk, where at the end, there’s a birdwatching hut. 

According to Walking SA, you can extend the walk further to make it a loop. If you’re interested, please visit their website, here. We actually walked one side of this trail from the Island Lookout to Pearson Street, we didn’t know it at the time! 

Where to stay in Tumby Bay

Dog-friendly caravan parks

If you’re travelling with a dog in a caravan and looking to stop overnight or more, there are a couple of options from what I could see. It’s worth noting that we stayed in Port Lincoln, so I can’t offer any personal opinions or experiences with these places.

• Tumby Bay Caravan Park: Situated at the southern end of town and looks to be walkable distance to the main centre of shops and foreshore. 
• Self-Contained RV Park: Located north of the main town area, next to the golf course. It looks like you can book online but Google reviews suggest you can also pay through an honesty box. You’ll have to do your own research with that one! 

And that’s a wrap!

I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring the sweet little seaside town of Tumby Bay through this journal entry. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re travelling through the Eyre Peninsula, the Tumby Bay Street Art are just incredible.

Have you been to any of these places before? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments or pop in any questions you might have; I’d love to hear from you. 

Safe travels and happy exploring! Thanks for joining me, hope to see you again!

Sheryl