Venus Bay

Venus Bay is best known as a relaxed fishing and holiday village on a sheltered west-coast inlet of the Eyre Peninsula. Anglers come for species such as whiting, garfish, salmon and tommy ruff caught around the jetty and out in the bay, while the nearby Needle Eye Lookout and South Head coast draw walkers and wildlife watchers.

Venus Bay sits roughly 230 km north of Port Lincoln, around a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive. From Adelaide it is about 660 km via the Princes and Eyre Highways, a long day's drive of roughly seven to eight hours, so most visitors break the trip across the peninsula.

Fishing is the main draw, off the jetty or from a boat in the calm bay, along with kayaking, swimming and watersports in the sheltered water. On land you can walk the South Head trail, take in the foreshore and lookouts, visit the Needle Eye Lookout and explore the birdlife of Venus Bay Conservation Park.

Spring through autumn brings the warmest, calmest conditions for fishing and getting out on the bay, while summer is the liveliest stretch as holidaymakers fill the little town. For whale watching, time your visit between about May and October, when southern right whales pass along the coast near South Head.

Yes. The headland walk toward South Head and the Needle Eye Lookout is a good spot to watch for migrating southern right whales from roughly May to October, as well as dolphins and Australian sea lions. Pelicans are a regular sight around the jetty, and Venus Bay Conservation Park supports more than a hundred bird species, including sea eagles.