Almonta Beach

Found at the southern tip of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, the township of Coffin Bay is, during the working week at least, a sleepy oyster-shucking village of 600 or so. But with Coffin Bay National Park, and in particular, Almonta Beach, just a short drive away, the population often triples on warm and sunny weekends. Apart from the well-worn path carved out by visiting vehicles, Almonta Beach remains one of the last of the perfectly untouched Australian beaches. Throw a stone around here and you’re likely to hit some form of wildlife (so put down the pebbles), from the dolphins playing in the crystal clear water to the kangaroos that bound down the sand. This is a favourite haunt of surfers too, with imposing breaks pumping in from the Southern Ocean. Almonta faces directly towards Antarctica, so, while it’s admittedly a fair way away, don’t be surprised if the water’s a little brisk.