The
Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula pointing South between Spencer Gulf and the
Great Australian Bight. The coastline along the Peninsula is pocked by sheltered bays, beautiful beaches and pleasant little port towns popular for summer holidays and known for great fishing. Along the western side of the peninsula, there are breeding grounds for the southern right whale, the
Australian Sea lion and the
Great White Shark. Surfers from around the world are drawn here for the excellent breaks along the coast, but it’s not for the faint-hearted as rips can be dangerous and sharks are a common and real threat. The main towns are
Port Lincoln on the southern point, Whyalla and
Port Augusta which is at the crossroads of main routes leading to
Adelaide,
Darwin and
Perth.
Ceduna is the main town in the west of the Eyre Peninsula. The major industry is farming; cereal crops, sheep, and cattle in the drier north and more water-intensive activities such as dairy farming and wine growing in the south. Many coastal towns sustain a commercial fishing industry; in particular Port Lincoln, which is home to a large tuna-fishing fleet. It is also often referred to the peninsula of parks with nearly half its area set aside as
reserves, parks and native bushland.