It has been yet another spectacular Aussie summer in Coffin Bay, and we all know that means beach, beach, beach! Therefore the first port of call for our this group was Hopkins Island, about a 1.5hour boat ride out of Port Lincoln on Adventure Bay’s boat, the Adventure Lady. Here they got to play, swim and interact with the gorgeous resident Australian Sea Lion population- aka the puppies of the sea. It’s a fantastic half day trip, complete with toasted sangas to warm you up after the swim.

The afternoon was spent down at Long Beach in Coffin Bay, where our thrill seeking guests tried their luck with a bit of sandboarding. Kudos to EVERYONE for having a go! Being a 38 degree day (or 100.4 degrees in farenheit), the sandboarding lesson was closely followed by a swim off the beach.

Another highlight of the trip was the opportunity to hand feed Kangaroos at Glen Forest Tourist Park and Vineyard. I’m sure I’ve never seen anyone so excited about seeing a joey before One of the more entertaining moments at Glen Forest was Anne having a stare off with a fully grown ostrich!

In the afternoon, the adventure continued up the road to Cummings Monument, where there were nesting Osprey atop the pinnacle just offshore. From here it is a fabulous view of the Great Australian Bight. Back down the road a bit, father and daughter took to the water for a bit of abalone diving. Winners were grinners when they came ashore with a feed of greenlip and blacklip abalone. The day didn’t finish there however, as the family team threw a line in off the beach and attempted to catch some Australian Salmon to add with the abalone for tea. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon on the beach, and apparently the fish thought the day was too nice to be caught!

Friday morning was a bit of a sleep in, followed by a trip aboard the Coffin Bay Explorer for history, Sea Lions, NZ Fur Seals, fresh oysters and dolphin acrobatics. The night finished with a screening of Peter Jackson’s latest triumph the Hobbit at Port Lincoln WCYS.

It was a great few days of amazing experiences,  spectacular scenery and of course fresh local seafood and locally produced beef. We’re lucky to have such amazing food right at our fingertips, from Minniribbie free range beef and pork, to fresh Coffin Bay Oysters, Southern Rock Lobster, Spencer Gulf King Prawns and Kinkawooka Mussels. Even the desserts are to die for, with fresh homemade icecream, apple strudels, and my personal favourite- chocolate cheesecake!

If there is one thing we can guarantee, our guests did not leave hungry!

With the unbelievable summer weather that we are having, this number of sharks been seen daily has been incredible. This summer period is historically regarded as “off peak” with shark numbers normally well down until the cooler months of April to November.

Whilst the shark action is hotter than Oonnadatta at the moment, this is an unforgettable experience to tick off the bucket list. Seriously consider ticking this one off sooner rather than later! Whilst you’re down here in Australia’s Seafood Capital, take a few extra days to enjoy whats here. Explore Eyre Peninsula by self driving, or if you want to do it in a bit more style visit Goin’ Off Safaris for a tailor made package for you, your family, friends or even a corporate package for your business. The fish are biting everywhere, you can interact underwater with Southern Bluefin tuna & Australian Sea Lions, take a dolphin cruise at Coffin Bay, relax and check out Australia’s best beaches, trek or mountain bike along clifftops…..the list doesn’t stop!

Being so nice, we decided to shut up shop and take the bikes out for a spin in the Coffin Bay National Park. This place is a hub for a huge array of native wildlife, such as kangaroos, emus, heath goannas, and heaps of birds!

Aside from the amazing wildlife, the ride itself is an intense trip. The tight winding road on the way into the park is an awesome track- you just have to watch the crazy holiday drivers!

There are several stops on the way into the park, such as Templetonia Lookout, where you can get a birdseye view of the rest of the park and surrounds. Continue on towards Point Avoid and Almonta Beach and you’ll be refreshed by the cool salty air of the Southern Ocean. If you’re feeling energetic you can venture do to Yangie Bay and go for one of the four walks around the bay.

If you feel like you need to burn off a bit of your Christmas over-indulgence, come in and see us at the office to hire a brand new mountain bike. We’ll set you up with a camel pack so you can take plenty of water out with you. Call the office on 0427 755 065, fill out a contact form here or get in contact with us on Facebook.

Prices:

$10 per hour

$60 for full day hire

Book a 3 day package in Coffin Bay with Goin’ Off Safaris between December 1 and February 28 and receive FREE bike and sandboard hire during your stay!

Simply mention ‘summer special’ when booking, and our friendly Goin’ Off Safaris team will add bike and sandboard hire to your booking, free of charge.

*Indemnity forms must be signed prior to receiving bikes.

*All persons under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign for their bike/sandboard hire.

Its a very high risk industry with high profits as divers have to fight the “war” against the most feared and greatest predator in the ocean being the Great White Shark, the natural and dangerous elements of the ocean and mother nature, poachers who take 1 out of 10 legal tonnes per annum and the fierce competition between themselves makes compelling viewing.

Narrated by Mike Rowe, this is one of the worlds toughest occupations with high risk but also high profits which shape this $300m industry and you will see the good, the bad & the mad over the next 3 weeks!

Featured heavily in the series is our very own and beautiful back yard where we take many a guest to safely snorkel for their very own abalone or fish whilst on a “Hunt and Gather” package with Goin’ Off Safaris. There is even a very small cameo from yours truly which could be the start of bigger things……!!

For previews, videos and more information about Abalone Wars, click here. 

Check out the SATC’s latest video- Eyre Peninsula- It’s a little bit scary but a whole lot of fun!

Now contact us to plan your trip to Eyre Peninsula. Make the most of your Summer!!

“Came from Texas and was treated like we were a King and Queen! Get in touch with them for an adventure that you will remember! Thanks Erin and David!” Sandy and Billy

Check out the photos from their trip, and for more info about our packages contact us on the website or drop in and see us at our new office in Coffin Bay!

Cheers!

Well known as Australia’s Seafood Frontier, the brand Eyre Peninsula is a dynamic marketing strategy to secure the regions position as one of the worlds premium tourism and culinary destinations. There is so much to do here on the EP with diverse experiences in and on the water, spectacular scenery, fresh seafood and getting up close and personal with wild life and you should get here to check it out! The website is the perfect guide to check out  all on offer and Goin’ Off Safaris is rapt to be involved and take up a post on the home page to help you out with any up coming holiday plans for your family or group going forward!

The Eyre Peninsula brand reflects the regions abundant natural bounty and the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. “Nature gifted the Eyre Peninsula with something unique, something powerful, sharply defined, highly sought after. A coastal region that is isolated, rugged, pure, raw with seafood to die for. Natures definition of indulgence and abundance”

We like it!

Only 2 weeks to go before 6000 people from all over Australia and the world for that matter, swill into Birdsville for the annual Outback event of the year; The Birdsville Races! Its a horse race like no other and this special event is just one of the highlights included in one of Goin’ Off Safaris last Outback 3 day flights for this year.

Its a “flying pub crawl” departing from Adelaide early on Friday 31st August and thanks to the friendly Outback spirit, the patrons of the Marree, Innamincka, William Creek & Glendambo pubs all buy the first round.Thats a welcome like no other! Other highlights include low-level flying over the Flinders Ranges, the Cooper Creek, Coongie Lakes and Lake Eyre plus meeting well known local legends and characters of the bush.

As the article from the Australian Geographic magazine  will tell you, “The Birdsville Race day is a quintessential Australian outback experience and should be on everyone’s bucket list”!

So get going, get organised and get cracking for this unique Australian event of the year. Bugger the Melbourne Cup, get a group together as this will be a Outback experience of a lifetime! More details can be found on our website and you can also download our itinerary. 

The Birdsville Races

After warming up with an average sized Australian Salmon, our avid fisherman hooked onto the mother load- a double header of Salmon, each weighing in at around 4-5kg (roughly 11 pounds!)

The day was completed with a feed of fresh salmon cooked over a fire on the beach- nothing better!

For their final day on Eyre Peninsula, we introduced them to beautiful Coffin Bay. Again fishing was the key focus, with a few small Salmon, Tommy Ruff’s and a couple of King George Whiting being caught just off the Coffin Bay Jetty.

Mikkira was another stop on the agenda, as we took our lovely Americans out to see some Koala’s in their natural habitat. We were also lucky enough to see a baby koala with it’s mother- only a few weeks old!

We had a great couple of days, with our fantastic guests getting to know the stunning Eyre Peninsula. Now, I’m dying to try making a delicacy suggested by our guests- Smores! We’ll see how I go!