Cathedral Rock National Park : Guide
The bays and coastline of Coffin Bay National Park are excellent for boating, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, and windsurfing and are known for their secluded coastal scenery. You may explore the park’s rocky coastline, which features tall cliffs, enormous dunes, pounding waves, and secluded sandy bays.
Only high-clearance 4WD vehicles can reach Coffin Bay National Park’s pristine northern beaches. This lonely and stunning region, a favorite spot for anglers, birdwatchers, and surfers, offers various private camping areas with easy beach access.
The temperature is warm to hot and typically dry during the summer in Coffin Bay National Park, which is ideal. It’s perfect for beach lovers and wonderful for camping.
The park is likely to be alive with native flora and birdlife if you visit in late winter or early spring when walking is at its best.
If you happen to visit Coffin Bay National Park, here are some things you can do.
1. Bay And Beaches: Making Sand Dunes
Seven Mile Beach
This 4WD-accessible beach is next to Morgan’s Landing Campground and borders Thorny Passage Marine Park. The 4WD circuit is located on a beach with enormous dunes made of fine, soft sand.
It can be difficult to access these pristine northern beaches at high tide, so make sure to check the tidal schedule. If the tide rose while you were lounging on the beach, you wouldn’t want to be left without a method to go back.
Black Springs Beach
A stunning beach with a length of 250 meters, called Black Springs, is formed of shells rather than sand. The favorite campsite and location in the park. It requires 4WD to get there. Where the camping area is, the beach is surrounded by granite headlands and grassy slopes.
Almonta Beach
Sandal Almonta Beach is accessible to visitors of Coffin Bay National Park without a 4WD vehicle. It’s lovely for swimming, fishing, and unwinding with a picnic in the wilderness. Additionally, it contains some of the Eyre Peninsula’s whitest sand. Due to Golden Island’s protection, the location has the feel of a secluded beach bay within the park.
For breathtaking island vistas and secluded coastal landscape, leave your car at the beach’s parking lot and head across to the Golden Island Lookout. Dolphins might even be visible!
2. Surfing The Australian Waves
For more seasoned surfers, Coffin Bay National Park features outstanding surf locations. To go to the reef break, go to Point Avoid or Flatrock on the opposite side of Almonta Beach. Go to Mullalong Beach on the peninsula’s northern shore if you have 4WD. The isolated beach has a closer break than Flatrock and offers rough reef surfing flanked by bedrock headlands.
3. Don’t miss the adventurous Hiking
A popular place for bushwalking to explore secluded sandy bays and breathtaking ocean vistas is Coffin Bay, National Park. A pleasant 2 km coastal bushwalking trail, the Yangie Bay Hike offers views of the bay from Yangie Lookout. The trek through the tangle of coastal mallee is pleasant but unspectacular.
A longer hike that offers breathtaking views of Yangie Island and the surrounding animals is the 5 km Yangie Island Hike. The Whidby Hike takes you into one of the park’s most remote regions if you’re prepared for a full-day walk. This 24 km track follows hidden coves and rocky shoreline, and you’ll need 4WD to get there.
Long Beach Hike
The 3.5-hour Long Beach Hike is a 10-kilometer trek that connects the Yangie Bay camping area with the vast Long Beach.
Black Rocks Hike
The Black Rocks Hike is a four-hour, 12-kilometer hike that follows Avoid Bay’s rocky coastline and provides views of Lake Damascus along the way. The hike begins at the Black Rocks car park.
Black Springs Well Hike
The Black Springs Well Hike is a quick, easy, 2-kilometer trail that circles a promontory with views of Port Douglas and is only 40 minutes long. The track begins in the Black Springs camping area, making it the ideal walk for anyone spending the day there.
4. Drive On For 4WD Adventures
Coffin Bay National Park is a hotspot for offroad adventures because the majority of the park can be reached via a 4WD route. If you don’t have 44, make sure to stay away from Yangie Bay Campground since the sand is soft and the road is uneven.
Important 4WD Advice To Pay Heed To
Before stepping onto the sandy tracks, reduce the pressure on your tires. Bringing the pressure down to 16–18 psi will boost traction for sand driving. If you don’t have your pump, there is a petrol station in town where you can fill them back up for the road.
You should always have recovery equipment on hand since you never know what sand circumstances you might encounter.
Follow the route signs and, whenever possible, drive below the high tide line on beaches. Always be aware of the adjacent wildlife and vegetation.
4WD Tracks to Explore Around Coffin Bay National Park
A 28 km track called Black Springs takes roughly 3 hours to finish. Only three poor sand areas were encountered on this route, which was enjoyable. After Black Springs, where there are just one or two sandy areas, the drive to Seven Mile Beach takes another 30 minutes.
A 14 km shorter trail called Gunyah Beach is located at the southernmost point of Coffin Bay National Park. The pathway loops around after traveling along a sandy beach to significant seabird nesting places.
It takes 50 kilometers to travel across the Coffin Bay Peninsula to get to Sensation Beach. Sensation Campground, which provides an open camping spot for two vehicles, is reached by the track.
5. Coffin Bay National Park Shelters Wildlife
There are around 120 different bird species in Coffin Bay National Park, along with emus, goannas, and western grey kangaroos. Even southern right whales might be visible in the winter from the cliffs in Avoid Bay. Kangaroos may come to your campsite or you may spot emus on the road, but do not feed the animals!
6. You Can Camp Around Coffin Bay National Park
You can camp on some of Coffin Bay’s beaches, including Black Springs Beach and Seven Mile Beach, as they have campgrounds right there. Camping at Almonta Beach is not permitted.
7. Where To Stay: Coffin Bay National Park Camping
In the park, there are six approved campgrounds, however only one is reachable by 2WD. Coffin Bay does not allow camping on the beach, although there are plenty of campsites that are about 100 meters away.
Yangie Bay Camping Area
Yangie Bay Campground, the largest campground in the park, includes 19 campsites suited for tents, travel trailers, or campers. The only site in the park that is accessible by 2WD, is conveniently located near the park’s entrance.
There are restrooms, a picnic shelter, and a kayak launch nearby. Each unpowered site costs $13 per night to reserve online. Additionally, this should not be confused with Big Yangie Bay Campground, a 4WD site nearby.
Black Springs Campground (4WD)
Black Springs is a 4WD campground with eight approved campsites that is situated 50 meters from the beach. The local kangaroo mob will welcome you and will be quite curious and friendly. Other than the picnic table at site #7, the campground’s only amenities are drop toilets. Camping can be reserved online for $13 per night.
The Pool Campground (4WD)
The Pool Campground, a 4WD accessible campground with seven approved campsites, is located near the park’s easternmost point. The campsites are near to a drop toilet and a sandy, protected beach. Camping can be reserved online for $13 per night.
Morgan’s Landing Campground (4WD)
Four reserved campsites at Morgan’s Landing Campground, which is accessible with 4WD, are located at the end of Seven Mile Beach. The only amenities at camping areas are drop toilets and easy beach access. Camping can be reserved online for $13 per night.
8. Don’t Forget Park Amenities And Things To Bring
Bring your water since there aren’t any water fountains in the park. Some campgrounds provide rainwater, but you shouldn’t rely on it. When we arrived in April, every container for collecting rainwater was empty.
The park is devoid of any stores, ranger stations, or other amenities. Plan accordingly and store up while in town, especially if you intend to stay at one of the remote 4WD campsites.
There isn’t much cell coverage in the park. There are no connections everywhere else, and the only places with 4G are the Yangie Bay camping area and Black Springs.
If you need to go out and buy food or resupply, Coffin Bay town is nearby and is about 15 minutes away from Yangie.
The best part of your trip to Coffin Bay was buying wine and oysters in town to eat at the campground. Oysters are a must-have when visiting Coffin Bay, after all!
9. Places To Dine At Around Coffin Bay National Park
1802 Oyster Bar
If you try their recommended hazelnut crumbed oysters with apple purée, you will want to visit Coffin Bay National Park again. There are plenty of options for oysters. You can also enjoy delicious abalone and lobster dishes.
With first-class service, you can sip wine while having an adequate list of options. It will become the highlight of your visit.
Coffin Bay Yacht Club
If you are walking the path around the foreshore, this seafood and bar club has the perfect spot for a sunset drink. It offers you a classic seafood menu along with the steak. Let’s add wine to this selection.
You are greeted by friendly staff members as you walk in. It has a great selection of drinks and plenty of tables. No one will be left out.
You can dip into fish and chips. Let’s not forget the prawns and the delicious coleslaw. You can share the prawn arancini among your friends or just gobble it up yourself. Don’t forget the devilled scallops!
Perfectly cooked, this will be the best meal for your stay. If you want the in-city dining experience, on your visit to Coffin Bay National Park, this bar is for you.
With a drink in hand, you can enjoy the cool breeze and the phenomenal view.
10. Let’s Hear The Reviews About Coffin Bay
There is no wrong decision when it comes to national parks from the start if you want to experience the different landscapes of South Australia up close. Which national park do you want to punch in—Coffin Bay National Park, Flinders Chase National Park with its stunning stone views, or Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park, known for its breathtaking inland scenery?
In South Australia, the unique seaside scenery. Long, white-sand beaches, rocky headlands, limestone cliffs, and islands made of ancient granite are also present. The Southern Ocean and the southwest monsoon also sculpted many of these features.
In the national parks, there are several wild creatures. Depending on your luck, you might be able to observe how they develop in their natural habitat.
South Australia’s coastline has some unique scenery. The Southern Ocean and the southwest monsoon carved out islands, long beaches with white sand, rocky headlands, limestone cliffs, and ancient granite cliffs. The national parks are home to a variety of wild creatures. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to watch them develop in their natural habitat.
Conclusion
If you decide to visit Coffin Bay National Park after this guide, you won’t regret it. You have plenty to experience. While four-wheel-drive explorers frequently visit, there is also enough to see for two-wheel-drive tourists, both on land and in the water.
Whatever suits you, let’s go for it!
What’s more, you ask? You can also engage in sports like kayaking, windsurfing, snorkeling, swimming, and fishing there, in addition to bushwalking, bird-watching, and camping.
Coffin Bay offers the best of Australia, ranging from beaches to delicious oysters. You can go camping around the beaches or book some famous campgrounds.
If camping is not your cup of tea, then don’t fret. You can try hiking. The adrenaline from spotting wildlife will keep your legs moving.
With so much to experience, hurry and book a visit to Coffin Bay National Park.