Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park

A much smaller West Cape (not to be confused with Western Cape)

There is perhaps no better place to see Yorke Peninsula scenery than Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park (formerly Innes National Park). This national park is one of the many coastal parks in South Australia, but none quite have sandy beaches and a rugged coastline within a few kilometres like Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park.

Although the national park protecting the coastal wilderness is small with an area of just 94.15 km² (36.35 sq mi), it's the state's most visited park (despite the distance from Adelaide nearing 300 km). With distances between many of points of interest being comparatively short, Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park is never short of what a coastal wilderness needs to have.

Understand

History

The first peoples of this area area were the Narrunga Aboriginal people, who consisted of four clans: the Kurnara of the north, the Windera of the east, the Wari of the West and the Dilpa of the south.

The first European settlers cultivated land around Cape Spencer for grazing by sheep around 1847. The national park is named after William Robert Innes, who found commercially exploitable deposits of gypsum in the area at the beginning of the 20th century, which were then exploited until the 1930s. The main tourist settlement in the park, 1 Inneston was founded in the early 1900s for this exact purpose was converted into a tourist town after the demise of mining.

The park was then established in 1970 to protect the remaining patch of coastal wilderness. In 2020, the park became a part of a joint-management program where the park was co-mananged by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Narungga traditional owners, to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was also renamed from Innes National Park to Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park in recognition of this.

Landscape

The coastal stretch from Willyama Bay to Cape Spencer contains several bays, including Cable Bay and Stenhouse Bay, along with notable headlands like Rhino Head. Between Cable Bay and Stenhouse Bay, there's a line of cliffs; between Cape Spencer to West Cape, you'll find tall cliffs and sandy beaches.

The area from Pondalowie Bay to Gym Beach is dominated by sand dunes, except for Royston Head and the cliff line extending to Dolphin Beach. There are saline lakes between the national park's boundary and the road system.

Flora and fauna

Approximately 140 bird species have been sighted in the national park: these include emus, ospreys, peregrine falcons, little penguins and wedge-tailed eagles. Notably, the park is home to the rare Australian endemic species of the painted snipe and the vulnerable hooded plover. The once widespread western grey kangaroo experienced a significant decline in the first half of the 20th century, but its population within Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park is stable. Reptiles found in the park include species such as brown snakes, shingleback lizards and eastern bearded dragons.

The park is also home to over 300 plant species.

Climate

There isn't a particular time of year to specifically visit the park, but the wind can get strong during the winter, making it cold.

Visitor information

• National Parks and Wildlife Service SA website
• 1 Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park Visitor Centre, Stenhouse Bay Road, Inneston (turn left at first roundabout, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) upon entry), ☏ +61 8 8854 3200, DEWInnesNationalPark@​sa.​gov.​au. Daily 10AM–3PM. The first thing that you'll come across when driving into the park. Enquire here for campground bookings, maps and other visitor information that you might have. (updated Jun 2023)
• Park map

Get in

There is only one entrance to the park which is next to Marion Bay. Upon entering, there is a roundabout – turn left for the visitor centre and continue straight for all other points of interests. You are not allowed to enter the park via Gym Beach (despite what various mapping applications might claim) – use the Gym Beach Rd turnoff from Marion Bay Rd to access this beach and campground.

To get to Marion Bay from Port Wakefield, exit onto Copper Coast Hwy (B85) from Augusta Hwy (A1) and take the first exit onto Yorke Hwy (B86) from the Federation Corner Roundabout. After about ≈55 km (34 mi), turn right to stay on Yorke Hwy (B86). Continue on this road and follow B86 until the park entrance.

Fees and permits

A vehicle fee applies for all vehicles entering the park and must be made on the park website. As of June 2023, the fee per vehicle is $12.50 and is $10 for concession holders. The entry fee covers you to visit the park for one day.

SA parks passes (both the 2- and 12-month passes) are valid in Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park.

Get around

You will only be able to get around Stenhouse Bay and Inneston on foot, but otherwise, you will need to drive to explore the park. The distances between points of interests are far too large to travel on foot.

Gym Beach is not accessible from the rest of the park's road network – see #Get in for the specifics.

See

Being a coastal wilderness, there isn't exactly one thing to see – the many points of interest tend to vary from scenic lookouts to historic sites to lighthouses – the diversity is what made this park the most visited in the state in 2021.

View of Pondalowie Bay Rd, only if it weren't for the pesky speed limit signs...

• 1 Cape Spencer Lookout, Pondalowie Bay Road. A roadside lookout along Pondalowie Bay Road, that gives views of Cape Spencer and the road ahead, similar to that pictured to the right. (updated Jun 2023)

Wreck at Ethel Beach

• 2 Ethel Wreck, Ethel Beach Rd. As implied by the name, Ethel Beach is home to Ethel Wreck, named after the ship Ethel which wrecked on the beach. The Ethel became an unfortunate victim of the storm in 1904 while it was en route to Port Adelaide from South Africa, causing it to end up on this beach. The 711-tonne iron ship has since remained on this beach for over a hundred years since. (updated Jun 2023)
• 3 Royston Head, Browns Beach Road. A more northerly lookout but one that's more secluded. Access to the lookout is via a 2.4-kilometre hike (one-way) from Browns Beach Road. There is parking near the start of the trail, but it is limited. (updated Jun 2023)
• 4 Stenhouse Bay Jetty (250 metres south of lookout carpark). A jetty where the water beneath you is both turquoise and dark blue – it's a good place if you want to take a photo for the 'gram (or even if you want to take a photo of the landscape from the bay). (updated Jun 2023)

Lighthouses

There are two lighthouses in Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park. Both of which are automated, but the reason why both are popular with tourists is for the views they provide.

• 5 Cape Spencer Lighthouse, Cape Spencer Rd. While the cape is known for its lighthouse, the primary reason for the cape's popularity is its well-positioned lighthouse which provides picturesque photo opportunities (such as that seen in the banner). Like most other lighthouses, Cape Spencer Lighthouse was built for navigation aid purposes and was fully automated in 1975. (updated Jun 2023)
• 6 West Cape Lighthouse, West Cape Rd. The park's other lighthouse which may not be impressive, both in the sense of looks and significance, but what the lighthouse does have is a nearby 360° lookout of the ocean and classic Yorke Peninsula coastal scenery. (updated Jun 2023)

Do

Short walks

• Inneston Historic Walk (coloured   on map) – a 1-km walk within the historic town of Inneston passing through various now-abandoned buildings. Some of them may be visitable, but make sure you don't accidentally intrude into a building that has now been renovated into a lodge.
• Pondalowie Boardwalk (coloured   on map) – a 1.2-km (return) walk that takes roughly about 40 minutes to complete. The boardwalk passes through high and ecologically pristine sand dunes before terminating at a long viewing platform near the beach (which is accessible via three sets of stairs from the platform). (except beach)
• Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk (coloured   on map) – the closest walk to the visitor centre, 2 km return and takes 40 minutes. It passes both Stenhouse Bay Lookout and the Stenhouse Bay Jetty.
• West Cape Headland Hike (coloured   on map) – this hike gives you views of Pondalowie Bay, Wedge and the Althorpe Islands. It's a 30-minute and 1-kilometer loop and does not require high fitness levels.

Longer trails

• Gym Beach Hike (coloured   on map) – this is the longest trail in the park and is a good 5.5-km bushwalk one way. It takes about 2 hours to complete one way, and is the only piece of infrastructure anywhere in the park that connects Gym Beach with the rest of the park (the only other way to access Gym Beach is via a separate road from Marion Bay). The trail passes through very high sand dunes – if you're into birdwatching, then make sure to bring a camera along.
• Royston Head Hike (coloured   on map) – a 4-km return hike linking the cliffs of Royston Head with the carpark. The trail contains many informative signs along the way about the local plantlife along the way.
• Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster Trail Hike (coloured   on map) – this trail is 7 km (one way) from the visitor centre to the remains of Inneston. It is relatively easy, but also very uninteresting compared to the others. You don't need to hike this trail to get to the ruins as there is parking right next to the town itself.

Buy, eat and drink

Unfortunately none in this park. You will need to go to Marion Bay or bring your own supplies.

Sleep

Accommodation is plenty in Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park – an unusual number for a park of its size. You are only permitted to stay at a designated venue (i.e. a lodging venue or a campground).

Lodging

Most lodges are concentrated around the old settlement of Inneston. You will most likely have to stay for a minimum period of two nights (the booking system will not allow you to book for one night), so if you are thinking of staying for just one night, consider camping or finding a motel in Marion Bay.

• 1 Engineers Lodge, Pondalowie Inneston Rd (in Inneston), ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. A 3-bedroom self-catered lodge designed to accommodate up to 10 guests with good views of Inneston Lake from the verandah. Includes showers, toilets, solar lighting and gas appliances. $183 per night; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 2 Gatehouse Lodge, Pondalowie Inneston Road (in Inneston), ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. A smaller 2-bedroom lodge with limited facilities but contains an electric fridge (useful during summer). You will, however, need to bring your own pillows, blankets, sheets and towels. $149 per night; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 3 Mallee Lodge (in Inneston), ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. A smaller 2-bedroom lodge with one queen bed and two single beds. Limited facilities available (including cutlery, showers, etc.) but you need to bring your own pillows, blankets, sheets and towels. $181 per night; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 4 Managers Lodge, Pondalowie Inneston Rd (in Inneston), ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. Another self-contained 3-bedroom lodge that can accommodate 10 guests. All cutlery and the like are supplied, but you will need to bring your own pillows, blankets, sheets and towels. $183 per night; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 5 Norfolk Lodge, Pondalowie Inneston Rd, ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. A 2-bedroom lodge with a capacity to host 4 guests. Contains limited but basic facilities and you will need to bring your own pillows, blankets, sheets and towels. $178 per night; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 6 Post Office Lodge, Pondalowie Inneston Rd, ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. A one-bedroom lodge with only the capacity to host two guests. All facilities are provided, including linen and bedding. $122; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)
• 7 Shepherds Hut Heritage Accommodation, Browns Beach Road, ☏ +61 8 8854 3200. Apart from being the only lodging site not in Inneston, this old stone building only has the capacity to accommodate 4 guests. There is also no electricity and you will need to walk to the nearby campground for toilets. $66.50; min 2 nights. (updated Jun 2023)

Camping

Camping at Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park is similar to any other South Australian national park, except not a single campground has a shower. It's a great way to better connect with the coastal wilderness of the park, but also to save some cash if you're travelling on a budget.

Not all campgrounds are wheelchair-acessible – campgrounds that are wheelchair accessible are marked with a icon.

• 8 Cable Bay Beach Campground. Unpowered campground with nine campsites and is accessible by both 2WDs and 4WDs. $24.50 campsites can accommodate 5 guests while $35.50 campsites can accommodate 8 guests. $24.50/$35.50 per night (price varies, depending on campsite). (updated Jun 2023)
• 9 Casuarina Campground, Browns Beach Road. Contains 10 unpowered campsites. Maximum 5 guests per campsite. $24.50 per night. (updated Jun 2023)
• 10 Gym Beach Campground, Gym Beach Rd. The park's most secluded campground, containing six campsites. Depending on which campsite you select, they can either accommodate 5 or 14 guests. All sites are unpowered and the campground is not accessible by road to the rest of the park (see Get in), hence making it the most secluded campground. $24.50/$35.50 per night (price varies, depending on campsite). (updated Jun 2023)
• 11 Pondalowie Bay Campground, Pondalowie Bay Rd. One of the larger campgrounds with 26 unpowered campsites, all of which can accommodate 5 guests each. It's also very close to Pondalowie Bay Lookout (≈900 m west; should take about 12 mins one way), which is a great place to take sunset photos. $24.50 per night. (updated Jun 2023)
• 12 Shell Beach Campground. Contains 8 unpowered campsites each capable of accommodating 5 guests. It is also near Shepherds Hut, so don't mind if anyone not from your campground uses your bathroom. $24.50 per night. (updated Jun 2023)
• 13 Stenhouse Bay Campground (near visitor centre). The closest campground to the visitor centre and is one of the larger campgrounds with 27 unpowered campsites. Most campsites can accommodate up to 5 persons, but the $35.50 campsites can accommodate up to 8. $24.50/$35.50 per night (price varies, depending on campsite). (updated Jun 2023)

Go next

Your only way out is via Marion Bay. From Marion Bay, use the Yorke Hwy (B86) out northeast towards other parts of the Yorke Peninsula.

Routes via Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park

END ←

SW B86 NE

→ Marion Bay → Pine Point