Coffin Bay | It’s not just Oysters
Coffin Bay is on the western tip of Southern Eyre Peninsula and is one of my favourite places in South Australia. It really has everything, it is the quintessential small fishing town. The main wharf is around 20 kms from the open ocean and there is a plethora of bays and estuaries surrounded by natural bushland and national parks that make this place really something special.
The other enticing draw card to this ideal picturesque location is that this is home to my old mate Benda and his partner Vicky. Two nicer people you would be hard pressed to meet and on those rare occasions that we manage to get to this fairly remote piece of paradise they have a “My home is your home” mentality and welcome us with open arms.
Oysters, King George Whiting, Salmon, Crabs
Eyre Peninsula really has everything the traveller or holiday maker is looking for, especially if they crave the ability to experience nature without the crowds. Sure, during peak holiday times like Christmas and Easter it can get a little busy, but due to the remote nature of the peninsula for most of the time you can enjoy the unspoilt beauty of the coast and all the many gems it has to offer.
Where is Coffin Bay ?
One of those absolute prize gems is Coffin Bay. It is around 40 km northwest of the regional centre of Port Lincoln and if you are a fan of fishing, fresh seafood, especially oysters, water sports, natural bushlands and wildlife without the crowds this destination is a must on any travellers bucket list. This is one of those locations where an angler can expect to latch on to King George Whiting, Garfish, Crabs, Salmon and of course Coffin Bay is famous for its Oysters. I love to get out and about in my kayak (Kak) and the myriad of sensational tidal bays and estuaries makes this an absolute kayaking and fishing playground.
As I have mentioned earlier it is also home to one of my oldest mates Benda. He and I go back to teen years and it is always a highlight for Miss Linda and I to catch up and revel in stories of the past and present. Benda is one of those people who make conversation fun. It is a rare trait in people when you can sense their lust for life and adventure and their natural passion spills into conversation. That along with the fact that he earned the nickname Benda for a reason makes this already fantastic destination even more special. This visit was even more special again as we had an opportunity to share another of our mutual passions in the form of motorcycles.
Get on the bikes and ride
Benda and I both ride and have from an early age. We started riding with our teenage mates on small but potentially lethal two stroke road bikes back in our home town of Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills and we still enjoy the obsession of riding to this day. On this latest visit to Coffin Bay “Fork the Bus” had my faithful old 86 Harley Davidson Super glide in tow in the trailer I affectionately call “The Shed”. This was too good an offer to refuse so on a beautiful Autumn day on the Eyre Peninsula the peace was interrupted by the sound of Benda’s Triumph Bonneville and my Harley.
The wide open spaces of the Eyre Peninsula
One of the draw cards to the Eyre Peninsula is the wide open spaces and its variety. One minute you are fronted with beautiful coastal scenery and then in no time, the wide open brown and gold sweeping farming land of what is predominately broad acreage grain farming. Experiencing this at high speeds on large motorcycles with your best mates is simply, special time. We stopped at the fabulous farming town of Cummins and had a couple of brews and a quick feed before hopping back on the beasts and thundering down a remote dirt road. Money can’t buy this kind of experience and sometimes I just feel like a really lucky bloke.
We returned to Coffin Bay on the winding entrance to the town that weaves its way through the sparkling blue bays and estuaries, passed the oyster beds and arriving at Benda’s for an afternoon of beer and more of that enjoyable conversation that you just can’t get enough of.
What a great day and what a great bay.
