Lipson Cove

The cove

About 15 km north of Tumby Bay, a dirt road through paddocks ends at one of the prettiest beaches on the whole east coast: Lipson Cove, a tight crescent of white sand and impossibly clear turquoise water. The cove is sheltered, the swimming is excellent, and a council-run campground sits right behind the dunes — simple sites at a modest nightly fee, with a 14-day limit that plenty of travellers max out.

Lipson Island

Just 150 metres offshore sits Lipson Island, a small rocky islet that, with its surrounding waters, has been a conservation park since 1967. At low tide a sand bar emerges and you can walk out toward it — but the island itself is a rookery for black-faced cormorants, crested terns and a colony of little penguins, one of the few stable penguin colonies left in Spencer Gulf. Give the birds their space, especially in nesting season, and enjoy the spectacle from the sand instead.

Beyond the beach

Hooded plovers nest on the beach, white-bellied sea eagles patrol overhead, and dolphins are regular visitors to the cove. It is a favourite of photographers, beach fishers and anyone working through our list of the best beaches on the Eyre Peninsula — and at night, with no town lights anywhere near, the stars are ridiculous.