Streaky Bay: Rugged cliffs, rocky shores & sandy beaches

Hey there, friend! 

In this journal entry, I’ll be taking you through our visit to the laid-back coastal town of Streaky Bay in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. I’ll share our experience staying at the wonderful Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park, the enjoyable coastline attractions we discovered in the area, as well as some delightful cafes in town to pop into!

Explore Streaky Bay in the Eyre Peninsula with me

Unfortunately, we encountered stormy weather during our first week in Streaky Bay, despite it already being December. Driving from Elliston, we had to tow through heavy rain, and once we got to the caravan park, we had to set up in it. As you can imagine, my hubby and I got absolutely soaked!

The weather was a bit hit-and-miss for the rest of the time, but we managed to do some sightseeing during most of our weekends. The coastal scenic drives were a fantastic way to explore the spectacular Streaky Bay coastline. I really enjoyed spots like Smooth Pool and The Granites with their rocky outcrop, and interesting rock pools and lagoons to explore. 

There are quite a few little seaside towns you can drive to from Streaky Bay, and one of the highlights of our trip was swimming with the sea lions and dolphins down at Baird Bay! I’ll cover this incredible experience in my next journal entry. 

If you’re curious to learn more about our adventures in Streaky Bay, please read on. I hope you enjoy it!

About Streaky Bay in South Australia

The district of Streaky Bay offers a blend of sandy beaches and rugged coastlines, making it the perfect destination for ocean lovers. You can go swimming, surfing, snorkelling, fishing, or admire the coastal landscape through a couple of scenic drives.

Good news pawrents, you’ll be pleased to know that the region is quite dog-friendly. We had no trouble bringing our dog Charlie along with us to most places. However, if you’re planning to visit somewhere like a conservation park, it might be a bit trickier. But don’t worry, there are dog-sitters available in the area. 

While the township isn’t massive, it provides all of the essential services, as well as having a handful of retail shops and eateries. I feel like Streaky Bay serves as an excellent base for exploring this section of the Eyre. 

An interesting fact that I read about Streaky Bay, from the council website, is that the name came about because of streaks in the water across the bay, caused by the reflection of light and seaweed. It was originally named Flinders, but the townspeople kept referring to it as Streaky Bay, so the name was officially changed in 1940. 

Where is Streaky Bay & how to get there from Adelaide

Streaky Bay is situated on the northwestern side of the Eyre Peninsula. Nearby towns include Venus Bay and Port Kenny to the south, and Smoky Bay and Ceduna to the north.

If you’re travelling from Adelaide, you’re looking at around a 7.5-hour drive. Alternatively, you could take a 1.5-hour flight with Rex from Adelaide to Ceduna, the closest regional airport. From Ceduna, you can hire a car and head south 110 kilometres, which is just over an hour’s drive.

Things to do in Streaky Bay, South Australia

• Explore the town: take a leisurely walk along the jetty or take a refreshing swim at the netted jetty pool enclosure. 
• Satisfy your hunger at the local cafes: Drift Cafe has a casual menu with pretty views of the bay, while Funk’d Coffee and Coffee has a lovely boho vibe and offers delightful brunch options. 
• Jump in your car and explore two coastal drives in the area:
  • Cape Bauer Loop Coastal Scenic Drive – this coastal scenic drive features some interesting locations like the Whistling Rocks and the Blow Holes, where if the conditions are right, you’ll get to hear and see both in action! 
  • Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive – this coastal scenic drive takes you to fascinating rocky shorelines where you can walk over ancient granite rocks and discover calm rockpools and lagoons.
• Head down to Baird Bay and swim with the gorgeous sea lions and dolphins! I’ll be writing about this in a separate journal entry! 
• While you’re south of Streaky Bay, you can also view the unique rock formations at Murphy’s Haystacks and observe a colony of sea lions soaking in the sun at Point Labatt.
• You could also consider a day trip down to Venus Bay and nearby Talia Caves. Venus Bay offers a tranquil beach and an epic cliff-top walking trail. Talia Caves is a set of caves not to be missed, the most popular being the Woolshed—it’s Instagrammed a lot! Read about our time visiting Venus Bay and nearby Talia Caves, here.

The best time to visit Streaky Bay

I feel like I’ve been saying the same thing for every Eyre Peninsula township. In the summer months, you’ll have beautiful weather for spending time at the beach, swimming, fishing, and enjoying scenic coastal drives, among other activities.

We thought early to mid-December would be crowded in the area, but it wasn’t actually too bad. The caravan park did get noticeably busier once school holidays officially started, however, there were still plenty of sites available in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

During our stay in Streaky Bay in early December 2023, certain parts of South Australia were affected by severe thunderstorms, while other parts of the state had severe heat waves. Streaky Bay received heavy rainfall, making some of the sites unusable when we checked in.

As mentioned, it rained pretty much the whole first week of our stay. For the rest of the weeks, the weather was kind of inconsistent, and we experienced a fair few muggy days.

Where we stayed in Streaky Bay

Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Caravan Park

This is undoubtedly one of the best-managed caravan parks we’ve stayed at. The staff were easy to communicate with, the grounds were pleasant and well-maintained, the amenities were excellent and offered a mixture of regular toilet cubicles and ensuite bathrooms, and the sites were spacious. 

Despite its beachfront location and the amount of incredible park features available, Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park doesn’t charge ridiculous prices during peak season! How good is that?! 

• Website: streakybayislandscaravanpark.com.au
• Length of our stay: 21 nights
• Time of year: Early December
• Type of site: Powered waterfront site
• Site number: 16
• Cost per night and total: $490.00 total, $35.00/night. Booked through email, no deposit was required. 
• Grocery shopping: Beck’s IGA and Foodland, both are deceivingly large and do stock a wide selection of products. 
• Phone and internet reception: We use Telstra phones and a Nighthawk wifi router. Internet connection was on the slow side at this location. We had to put up our antenna to boost coverage. 

About Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park

• The caravan park is located slightly out of town, just a short 10-minute drive away. 
• It’s right next to a stretch of beach with direct access, the walk was probably no more than 5 minutes from our waterfront site. The beach is dog-friendly, although it’s the kind of beach that has lots of shells and gritty sand. There are a couple of small islands you can walk up to and explore at low tide. 
• Streaky Bay Islands is a fairly large sized caravan park with a layout that feels more spread out compared to others we’ve stayed at. 
• Our waterfront site was spacious, we could fit our awning, car and caravan side by side.
• Sites are separated by bushes/trees, giving you a sense of privacy from your neighbours. 
• The caravan park was designed so that every site offered a view of the ocean. We had a great outlook, it was especially nice during sunrise and sunset. However, being so close to the ocean, we experienced strong winds, particularly late in the afternoon and evenings. 
• The amenities blocks were spacious and perhaps one of the nicest we’ve encountered. They were modern and well-maintained, featuring a mix of large ensuite bathrooms and standard toilet cubicles.
• The caravan park is family-friendly with a recreation room, pool, playground, and even a golf course. 
• There’s a long walking trail that goes past the caravan park, and according to their website, goes all the way into town. We only walked a section of it, but it’s about 6 kilometres in length. 
• Power/water connections are only on odd-numbered sites, if you don’t have cords or hoses long enough, you can always ask at the office as they should be able to supply one for you to use. 

Would we stay at Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park again?

Yes, we would stay here again. For the price per night, I do think you’re spoiled with the high quality of the park!

Want to be closer to town?

Streaky Bay has another dog-friendly caravan park that’s closer to the town centre, Discovery Parks – Streaky Bay Foreshore. It also has a beachfront location!

Where to eat & drink in Streaky Bay

Drift Cafe

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Cafe

Drift Cafe seemed to be a popular dining spot for both locals and tourists alike. Nestled right by the water, it offers wonderful views of the bay. The cafe has a fun coastal vibe with a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. It provides plenty of booth seating along its open deck and bar seating facing the ocean.

The cafe serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. We went in for lunch, and as expected, their menu featured a variety of dishes using locally sourced seafood. I chose the creamy garlic prawns with rice and a side of garlic bread, while my husband went for the classic fish and chips.

I found my dish enjoyable; the sauce had a great garlic flavour, and it was wonderfully creamy. Although the portion size of eight prawns and a small mound of rice looked small, it turned out to be quite filling.

Funk’d Coffee & Flowers 

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Cafe

Funk’d Coffee & Flowers is a cute little cafe with a lovely retro boho vibe. They had maybe 4-5 small 2-seater tables out front. Inside their cabinet, they displayed a nice selection of savoury wraps, bagels and the like, as well as a few sweet treats. My hubby and I just went in for cakes and drinks, but I do believe they have a menu as well. 

Aside from the walnut and coffee cake being slightly bland and dry, we enjoyed the drinks and cakes from here. 

Other places we tried

We did grab pizzas and dessert from Terrace 24 Pizzas one night, but I felt they were on the average side. We found the toppings were a bit lacking in flavour. We also got pies from Elliot’s Bakery for lunch a different day, but found the fillings were too gelatinous and lacked meat, while the pastry was soft.

Fun attractions in Streaky Bay 

Cape Bauer Loop Coastal Scenic Drive

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Scenic Drive 

As mentioned earlier, there are a couple of coastal scenic drives you can do in Streaky Bay. We started with the Cape Bauer Loop, which begins just a few kilometres outside of town. We stopped at the Cape Bauer Lookout Point, Whistling Rocks and Blow Holes, and Hally’s Beach.

Road Quality

The scenic drive follows Cape Bauer Road, is an unsealed gravel road that forms a loop covering a distance of about 38 kilometres. The road is in decent condition and I think it would be manageable, even for 2WDs. The turnoffs aren’t as long or in poor condition as some of the ones along the Westall Way Loop. Watch out for the khaki-coloured signposts for each turnoff.

How to get there

From the town centre, head northwest on Wells Street, which turns into Cape Bauer Road. We did the loop anti-clockwise which meant we spent quite some time driving before reaching one of the sights! Instead of doing what we did, turn left onto the gravel road with brown signs that say Cape Bauer Loop and Hally’s Beach. 

I personally thought the drive itself wasn’t visually interesting; it went through farmlands and shrubs, and there were only a few short moments where you caught a glimpse of the ocean. However, the stopping points were enjoyable and delivered beautiful coastal scenery.

Stop 1: Cape Bauer 

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Lookout Point

This headland provides a gorgeous lookout point for viewing the surrounding coastline of tall rugged cliffs and rock formations. While there was interpretive signage, the area lacked a proper car park. There was a couple who had driven their car closer to the cliff edge; they had their chairs set up to enjoy the cliff-top views while sipping on bubbly.

Stop 2: Whistling Rocks & the Blow Holes

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction

According to interpretive signage, the best conditions for visiting the Whistling Rocks & the Blow Holes are during high tides with an onshore wind. Unfortunately, we didn’t visit in ideal conditions, so missed seeing the Blow Holes in action. However, it was still a great attraction to explore for its gorgeous coastal scenery.

The tourist spot has a large car park and toilets are available. A long boardwalk, roughly 300 metres in length and including several sets of stairs, leads from the car park to the viewing platforms. Along the way, interpretive signage provides information about how the Whistling Rocks & the Blow Holes were geologically formed.

Near the end of the boardwalk, it branches off to the left and right. The shorter path on the left leads to a platform for the Whistling Rocks, while the longer one on the right leads to a platform for the Blow Holes. We could faintly hear the Whistling Rocks, which sounded more like a dragon’s breath. Although we spotted the Blow Holes, unfortunately, we didn’t see any sprays of water.

Stop 3: Hally’s Beach 

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Beach

This looked like a beautiful beach to walk with the puppers; however, the weather was a bit muggy, making us feel drained. The long staggered boardwalk to access the beach didn’t appeal to us at the time, especially the thought of having to climb back up later!

Near the car park, there’s a viewing platform and some interpretive signage. Fortunately, for dog owners, Hally’s Beach allows dogs off-leash. However, according to the Streaky Bay council, dogs must be on a leash in car parks, on boardwalks, and within 50 metres of beach entrances. Hally’s Beach doesn’t seem like the type of beach suitable for swimming with the large swells we witnessed. 

Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Scenic Drive

I personally found the Westall Way Loop to be much more enjoyable than the Cape Bauer Loop as a scenic drive because it offered better views of the ocean and coastline while driving.

How to get there & Road Quality

The starting point of the Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive is located approximately 10 kilometres south of town, just off Sceale Bay Road. Westall Way is also an unsealed looped gravel road, however, it’s in decent condition. As a heads up, some of the turnoffs were lengthy and in poor condition, with many indicating ‘no towing vehicles’. 

Similar to the Cape Bauer Loop, keep an eye out for khaki-coloured signposts for each turnoff. We stopped at the Yanerbie Sandhills, Smooth Pool, Point Westall, The Granites, and High Point.

Stop 1: Yanerbie Sandhills

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction (on-lead)

We found that there were very few markers or directions once we turned off from the main road. It was a very rough and narrow track, and we weren’t sure if we were heading the right direction or not. We decided to stop at this roundabout point and go on foot to explore the area. 

We walked up a couple of sand dunes and came across a huge clearing surrounded by white sandhills. We realised we could have probably driven up to the clearing but it was hard to tell with the lack of signposts. It did look like it might be good for sandboarding. 

Stop 2: Smooth Pool

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction (on-lead)

This had a long corrugated rough road, definitely not suitable for towing a caravan park. The parking was down at the beach on hard sand, in front of the rocks.

This was a fascinating area to walk around because of the granite rock shoreline that consisted of rocks and boulders of varying shapes, sizes, and colours. There were also heaps of calm little rock pools and lagoons. I feel like you could spend a while here!

I’m sure in better weather, this would be a great location for snorkelling and swimming. We saw a few people fishing off the rocks. Others were mostly just walking around as well.

Stop 3: Point Westall

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction (on-lead)

The track for this was extremely rough, narrow in parts, very uneven, and rocky. I don’t think it’s suitable for a 2WD, and there’s no way you’d want to risk going in with a caravan. There were no signposts anywhere, and with the quality of the road, we ended up turning back after a short while of driving. 

Stop 4: The Granites

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction (on-lead)

I didn’t make a note of the turnoff quality for The Granites, but I don’t think it was as bad as Point Westall or Smooth Pool. The large car park is located at the top of the cliffs and to get down to the beach, there’s a long boardwalk with stairs.

From the top of the cliffs, you get a beautiful view of the rocky shoreline and lagoon below. Just like Smooth Pool, it’s fascinating because of all of the granite rocks of varying shapes, sizes, and colours. You could take a couple of hours exploring this area! 

There were beautiful giant rock pools with calm protected waters that looked pretty inviting. I’m sure this would also be a popular snorkelling and swimming spot in better weather! 

Stop 5: High Point

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Attraction (on-lead)

This was a small rocky car park just off the road. The views were okay but if you don’t have time to stop, you’re not missing much. 

Streaky Bay Jetty & Pool

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Jetty

A summer hotspot in Streaky Bay is the jetty, popular for its netted swimming area. According to the Streaky Bay website, the tradition of swimming in the bay and near the jetty dates back as far as 1936. A net enclosure was soon installed following several shark sightings and the capture of a 9-foot shark at the jetty! 

Streaky Bay Coastal Walking Trail

Streaky Bay Dog-friendly Walking Trail

We noticed this walking trail driving along the Cape Bauer Loop, it seemed to have run all the way from town right up to the boat ramp or just past it. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to walk along it.  

Fun attractions south of Streaky Bay

Day trip to Baird Bay to swim with the sea lions & dolphins

Swimming with the sea lions and dolphins at Baird Bay was truly an unforgettable experience. Seal lions really are the puppy dogs of the sea and utterly adorable. I’ll be sharing the details of our day trip in a separate journal entry, please keep a lookout for it!

Murphy’s Haystacks

Eyre Peninsula Dog-friendly Attraction

I had been seeing photos of Murphy’s Haystacks quite a bit on Instagram, but I wasn’t sure if they were going to live up to the hype in person. I’m happy to report that this attraction didn’t disappoint! 

Where are Murphy’s Haystacks?

Murphy’s Haystacks is located on private property in the small township of Calca, 41.6 kilometres south of Streaky Bay, making it about a half-hour drive. From memory, you’re driving along unsealed roads as you get closer, however, it’s in good condition. 

What are Murphy’s Haystacks?

Don’t be fooled by the name; the “haystacks” on Murphy’s property are actually a collection of interesting rock formations with peculiar shapes. The name originated because, back in the day, passing coachmen would refer to the rock formations as “haystacks” when pointing them out to their passengers.

Entry Fee & Facilities

There is a small entry fee to wander around Murphy’s Haystacks, with all fees to be placed in a honesty box at the entrance.

Prices when we went: 

• $2 per person
• $5 per family 
• + $10 for camping. 

There are also toilets and a large picnic shelter available at the grounds. 

Dog-friendliness

I didn’t see any physical signs at the property to say that the attraction was dog-friendly, but many websites and travel blogs mention that it is. We also saw visitors bringing their dogs. I think as long as they’re leashed, well-behaved, and you clean up after them, you should be okay.

We had left our dog, Charlie, with a dog-sitter for the day as we had gone out swimming with the sea lions and dolphins earlier. Hence, no photos of him at Murphy’s Haystacks!

Short Walking Trail

Murphy’s Haystacks is nestled on beautiful farmland with lovely scenic views. There’s a short looped walking trail that takes you past the rock formations and extends all the way to the back of the property, where there’s a cluster of giant rocks. We saw some people walk only to the first set of rocks with the popular “Hippo’s Yawn,” but there are more if you walk another 200-300 metres.

The rocks are fun to investigate with their random shapes. I really liked seeing the different patterns and colours on the surfaces of the rocks, a great example of art in nature. I highly recommend stopping by Murphy’s Haystacks if you’re in the area!

Point Labatt Australian Sea Lion Colony Lookout

Not dog-friendly

A wonderful attraction to visit near Streaky Bay is the Point Labatt Australian Sea Lion Colony Lookout, where you can view a huge number of sea lions lounging in the sun along the rocky shore. It is part of the Point Labatt Conservation Park, so it is not a dog-friendly attraction, unfortunately! 

We had booked Charlie in with a local Streaky Bay dog-sitter for the day so we could swim with the sea lions & dolphins, and afterwards visit Murphy’s Haystacks and this lookout.

Where is Point Labatt Conservation Park? 

Point Labatt is about 50 kilometres south of Streaky Bay, making it about a 40-minute drive. From memory, you’re driving along unsealed roads when you enter the conservation park and head towards the lookout; however, I don’t recall it being in bad condition.

We had an amazing time driving through the national park, especially with the gorgeous weather we were having. We drove past the protected inlet of Baird Bay, and the colour of the water was incredible. The car park for the lookout is at the end of Point Labatt Road.

Park Entry Fees

There are no entry fees for Point Labatt Conservation Park.  

The Lookout

There is plenty of parking at the lookout, and along the path, you’ll find interpretive signage with information about the sea lions and why Point Labatt is their ideal habitat and breeding ground. The viewing platform is perched atop a cliff about 50 metres high, so you might want to bring binoculars or a high-resolution camera to get a closer look at the sea lions below.

During our visit in the afternoon, the sea lions weren’t very active, but it was still fascinating to see so many in one spot, and the surrounding coastline was a beautiful sight!

And that’s a wrap!

I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring the popular holiday destination of Streaky Bay through this journal entry, and it’s inspired you to consider it for your Eyre Peninsula travel itinerary. I highly recommend spending some time here, even if it’s only for a few days! 

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