Cowell SA

By Andrew

Approximately two-thirds of the way up Eyre Peninsulas’ east coast lies the historic seaside town of Cowell. Long famous as the source of one of the worlds biggest and best Jade deposits and home to fishermen and many oyster leases, Cowell is also a year round holiday destination with plenty to offer the passing and overnight tourist. Located on the sweeping Franklin Harbour, Cowell has an excellent boat ramp, long public jetty, playgrounds, caravan park and most importantly it’s a convenient base for touring type four wheel driving.

Cowell can be found on the Whyalla to Port Lincoln road and is accessible too for people willing to detour from their Adelaide to Perth trip. A new way to reach Cowell is by using the Wallaroo (on Yorke Peninsula) to Cowell vehicle ferry that docks at Lucky Bay, about 5km North of Cowell. This new ferry can cut the drive time by up to two hours.

Atop the hills behind Cowell is the large Mount Millar wind farm that is well worth the short drive and includes tourist information boards and is located on a scenic loop road that makes it a worthwhile half day trip. To the Northeast is the Munyaroo Conservation Reserve which includes accessible white beaches and long abandoned copper mines, and to the Northwest is the Middlecamp Conservation Park.

Accommodation options in the immediate area include two caravan parks with powered sites and modern cabins, two hotels, a motel, holiday houses, shacks at Lucky Bay and free campsites marked on the Port Gibbon coast road.

Additional Information:
Franklin Harbour Council website (http://www.franklinharbour.sa.gov.au) lists tourist attractions, maps and accommodation guide.
The Wallaroo to Cowell ferry is operated by SeaSA. For timetables, pricing and other information visit http://www.seasa.com.au