Holiday houses in Ardrossan

The coastal farming town of Ardrossan in southern Australia makes its mark on the surrounding scenery with dramatic red clay bluffs that rise stunningly from the sea. Situated on the northern bounds of the St. Vincent Gulf, Ardrossan serves as the perfect jumping-off point for exploration of the Yorke Peninsula’s many vineyards, kilometres of picture-perfect beaches, and myriad outdoor activities. Ardrossan is also well known as a central agricultural hub, and the barley belt of the Yorke Peninsula, so expect to find rolling farmland as far as the eye can see here.

The compact town has a collection of seafood restaurants, boutique shops, and cafes, all a stone’s throw from the water. Wineries up and down the coast allow visitors to taste a selection of award-winning wines of the Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Shiraz variety. Take a walk down the town’s famous jetty for fishing, crabbing, and sunset viewing opportunities alike. Or, take day trips to the surrounding capital city of Adelaide for metropolitan activities and the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park to explore the southern tip of the peninsula.

Between the months of November and March, you can expect characteristically warm and dry weather conditions in this region. Since most of the attractions here centre around outdoor activities, summer is the best time to book accommodations in Ardrossan. If migratory bird watching interests you, summer is also a prime time to visit, as this is when many species of water-fowl, sea, and shorebirds make this area their home. The weather in the winter is cold and less conducive to rural travel as the rainfall increases substantially.

If you plan to fish while in Ardrossan, be sure to check out the seasonal availability of your chosen catch. Crabbing, for instance, is best during the warmer months. Making a day trip into Adelaide can be a great choice if interested in checking out larger community events like the Bloomin’ Spring Market Fair in September, or the Adelaide Festival of Arts in late summer, which showcases visual, performing, and literary arts from across the region.

Ardrossan Museum

In the mid-1800s, an Ardrossan farmer invented the “Stump Jump Plough,” a device that revolutionized agriculture across the continent. Today, the former factory dedicated to manufacturing the iconic tilling device has been converted into the Ardrossan Museum, and each exhibit explores different aspects of the region’s agricultural history.

Fishing and Crabbing

The blue swimmer crab is a local culinary delicacy in Ardrossan. During the summer, you can search the low tidal areas or cast nets from the jetty to try your hand at catching some of the famed crustaceans. If you’re interested in fishing, the waters in the surrounding gulf are also well known for their abundance of snapper, mulloway, snook, squid, garfish, tommy ruffs, mullet, and King George whiting.

Zanoni Wreck

One of 85 shipwrecks off the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, the Zanoni was a wheat clipper sunk in 1867. Rediscovered in 1983 and declared a historic shipwreck the same year, the Zanoni wreck site has become a popular diving destination for those able to obtain the required permits. In 1984, the No. 5 Barge was sunk about a mile south of the wreck as an alternate dive site for those who don’t want to go through the required permitting process.