Exploring Whalers Way – The Eyre Peninsula’s Hidden Coastal Gem

Published: June 2025 / Read Time: 4 Minutes

You may not have heard of it before, but Whalers Way, on the very tip of the Eyre Peninsula, is a coastal gem with rugged coastlines, ancient rock formations, powerful blowholes, and photo-worthy rock pools to check out.

It also has a great campsite at the end to spend the night. Nestled between the well-known Lincoln and Coffin Bay National Parks, it’s well worth adding to your itinerary and stopping in for a night.

Track Details

Location: South Australia (7-8hrs from Adelaide)
Terrain: Dusty gravel tracks with corrugations, some sandy sections
Permits: $40 entry fee applies (includes one night camping)

Vehicles

79 Series Display Car

About Whalers Way

Whalers Way is an old grazing property right on the tip of the Eyre Peninsula. It can be a rugged and windswept location, but in the right conditions, it also provides great access to some stunning coastal formations. The property is privately owned, and an entry fee must be paid to receive an access code for the gate. This can be done online via the official Port Lincoln website.

How To Get To Whalers Way

From Port Lincoln, head along Sleaford Bay Road before turning right onto Fishery Bay Road. From here, the road turns to gravel, and you’ll have another 10 minutes of driving before arriving at Fishery Bay Beach. Consider heading down onto the beach for a quick look—it’s the only beach in this area that you can drive on and is a great spot for a swim.

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Lovely beach to stop at for some lunch and a swim

Finally, follow Right Whale Road for a couple of minutes and you’ll arrive at the entrance to Whalers Way. Use your provided code to unlock the gate—you’ve officially made it.

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The old buildings here are no longer maned and permits must be purchased online

Things to see at Whalers Way

Whalers Way is an in-and-out track with attractions dotted along the roadside, with a few turn-offs worth exploring. I’d suggest planning your visit so you can stop at half the attractions on the way in, camp overnight, then check out the rest on your way out.

Here’s a small selection of highlights:

Cape Wiles

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One of the most impressive rock formations on the Eyre Peninsula. The car park sits high above sea level with sheer cliffs dropping to the ocean below. Offshore, two massive sections of land have been eroded away from the mainland by the relentless ocean. Watching waves crash between these rocky pillars is both mesmerising and awesome.

Blowhole & Baleen Rockpool

If you’re fortunate enough to visit during a big swell, you’ll witness an epic show from nature. Waves rush into the rocks below before being funnelled up and blasted into the air. It’s a truly impressive spectacle.

Peer over the cliffs and you’ll spot a stunning emerald-green rock pool down below. While it may look inviting, swimming is not recommended—as the eerie warning signs will remind you.

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Theakstone Crevasse

One of those natural formations that makes you stop and scratch your head. Over millennia, the ocean has carved out a narrow crevasse which you can walk over. Below, waves come barrelling through the channel—it’s a surreal experience to see them rushing beneath your feet.

Old Whaleman’s Grotto & Caves

Take a short walk down from the car park and explore along the cliff edge. You’ll find rock pools and some very cool sea caves tucked into the coastline.

Red Banks Beach

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One of the most unique beaches on the Eyre Peninsula. As you drive in, you’d never know it’s there—the cliff edge appears to drop straight into the ocean. But peer over and you’ll spot a small, hidden beach surrounded by towering cliffs and protected by a massive rock shelf that juts into the sea.

Walk along the cliff edge until you find an old wooden ladder, then follow the track down to what I reckon is one of the most unique beaches on the Eyre Peninsula.

Camping In Whalers Way

Follow your map and take a right toward the Red Banks area—this is the main camping spot at Whalers Way and a great place to spend the night. While most tracks are 2WD accessible, I’d suggest only coming in here with a 4WD. It’s not overly technical, but the clearance helps and the track can get sandy in sections.

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At the end of the track is the main camping area, where most people set up. But if you poke around a little past that, you’ll find epic cliff-top sites—often with no one else around.

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For a reasonably small fee (including a night’s camping), Whalers Way is a cracking little destination that many haven’t even heard of—even among Eyre Peninsula locals. If you’ve got the time, stop in and check it out.

Words And Images By Jayden Threadgold

Additional images by Edward Eastwood

“From being thrown in the 4WD when I was three for a lap around Aus, all the way through to today, I’ve spent most of my life exploring hard to reach corners of Australia and doing my best to capture them through my lens.”