Tumby Bay

Tumby Bay is best known as one of the Eyre Peninsula's leading street art destinations, home to a large collection of murals created through the biennial Colour Tumby festival. It is also loved for its long, sandy foreshore, its heritage jetty and the views across Spencer Gulf to the Sir Joseph Banks Group of islands.

Tumby Bay is roughly a 600 km drive from Adelaide, on the eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. The nearest regional hub is Port Lincoln, which is only about a 40-minute drive to the south.

Visitors come to explore the town's street art trail, relax along the foreshore beneath the Norfolk pines and fish or dive from the heritage jetty, which is one of the region's well-known spots for leafy sea dragons. Nearby you can swim at Lipson Cove or visit the Koppio Smithy Museum.

Spring through autumn is generally the most comfortable time, with warmer weather suited to beach days, fishing and exploring the murals on foot. The Colour Tumby festival, held every second year, is a particular drawcard for art lovers, though it is worth checking current dates before planning around it.

Yes - the waters around the Tumby Bay jetty are known as a home for leafy sea dragons, the marine emblem of South Australia, making it one of the area's most prized snorkelling and diving spots. Sightings are never guaranteed, but patient divers and snorkellers are often rewarded.