Ardrossan

Ardrossan is a coastal town on the eastern side of Yorke Peninsula and is a popular tourist destination. Ardrossan is an easy 90-minute drive from Adelaide.

Understand

The town of Ardrossan was proclaimed in 1873 and named by Governor Fergusson after Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Tourist information

• Yorke Peninsula Visitor Information Centre, Minlaton (Harvest Corner Information & Craft), 29 Main Street, Minlaton, toll-free: 1800 202 445, tourism@harvestcorner.com.au. M-F 9AM - 5PM, Sa Su 10AM - 4PM. 
• The Old Grain Shed, Ardrossan, 33 First Street, ☏ +61 8 8837 4018, theoldgrainshed@bigpond.com. M-F 9AM - 5PM, Sa Su 9AM - 5PM. 

Get in

The town is about a 52-kilometre (32 mi) diversion from Pt Wakefield via the B85 and B86 taking approximately half an hour. There's no public transport, buses or trains that run to Ardrossan so car is your only option. There are also occasional ferries from Adelaide that come here.

See

Stump Jump Plough The ingenuity of early settlers is displayed at the Ardrossan Museum with the history of the ‘stump jump plough’. In 1876 the laborious backbreaking work of clearing mallee stumps became a practical proposition with this invention.

• 1 Ardrossan Museum (Ardrossan Heritage Museum), 14-16 Fifth Street, ☏ +61 8 88374195, museum@ardrossan.sa.au. Daily 10AM-4PM, closed Good Friday and Christmas Day only. Yorke Peninsula’s close relationship between the land and sea is reflected in the displays at the Ardrossan Museum. The building housing the Museum is the former Powerhouse of CH Smith Factory - famous for the manufacture of the iconic Stump Jump Plough. Also featured prominently is the history of the ‘Zanoni’, a sailing ship which sank off Ardrossan in 1867, on its way from Port Wakefield to Port Adelaide, with a full load of South Australian wheat bound for England. The Museum collection celebrates the lives of the pioneers of Ardrossan and its surrounding district since the inception of the town in 1873. Adults $5, children $2, National Trust members free. (updated Mar 2021)

Do

• Ardrossan Golf Club, Dinham Drive, ☏ +61 8 8837 3653, ardgolf@bigpond.com. The Ardrossan Golf Club is an 18-hole course with a par 69 and has an Australian course rating of 64. The length of the course is 4,925 metres and offers golfers the chance to test their skills while taking in the scenery. 
• Blue Swimmer Crabs can be caught along the coastline from Ardrossan to Stansbury, and are a favourite delicacy. Crabs can be caught by net from jetty or boat, or raked in the shallow. A general guide for crabbing is that its best in the months that have an 'r' in them, as the water is warmer.

Eat

• The Ardrossan Bakery makes bread, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, vanilla slices, etc.
• Ardrossan Chinese Meals. (updated Jun 2021)

Drink

• Barleys Stacks Wines, Minlaton-Maitland Rd, near Urania (13 km south of Maitland), ☏ +61 8 8834 1258, barleystackswine@internode.on.net. Daily 10AM-5PM. Varieties include Shiraz, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Viognier, Port, Liqueur Chardonnay and Ratafia. All are harvested, processed and bottled on site. Function Centre available for wedding receptions, conferences, social events and meetings. Barley Stacks is the first cellar door winery on Yorke Peninsula. The vineyard is planted adjacent to the old Urania Barley Stacks, which were active up until 1967. 

Sleep

• Ardrossan Hotel Motel, 36 First Street, ☏ +61 8 8837 3008, ardrossantoppub@netyp.com.au. Known as 'The Top Pub', this single-storey family run hotel-motel is located on the main shopping street of Ardrossan. There are 11 newly refurbished separate motel rooms, at the rear of the hotel. 
• Blue Manna Apartments, 38 First Avenue, ☏ +61 8 8837 3620, ardrossan@ljh.com.au. Two stylish self-contained elevated apartments with sea views await you. Each apartment has three bedrooms accommodating up to six people. Centrally located. 

Connect

Cellular (mobile) telephone network reception may not be available in many areas especially those distant from cellular network repeater towers normally located along the major highways and near larger townships. Hilly terrain will also effect reception. In an emergency seek higher ground. Some networks provide a poor coverage in regional and rural areas. It is generally considered that the best reception is available from either Telstra or Optus when in areas such as Yorke Peninsula.

For emergency services including police, fire services and ambulance call 000 from any telephone and ask the operator to connect you.
Such calls are placed without charge to the calling party.