This small coastal town is South Australia’s best-kept secret

An unlikely tourist mecca on South Australia’s rugged Eyre Peninsula offers a unique immersion in an unrivalled aquatic environment.

What are the necessary ingredients for the perfect Aussie summer holiday? Nabbing a spot near a swimmable beach ranks pretty highly, as does ensuring the eskies are well-stocked with chilled seafood and even colder drinks. Maybe you can even throw in a few roos hopping around or a sunset over the water.

The Baird Bay Experience boat anchors while guests explore the pristine underwater environment. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The sleepy town of Baird Bay, which lies three hours north of Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, ticks all of these boxes. But it also boasts one more factor that lifts it above any competitors.

Though this small collection of holiday homes has a permanent population of just five, there are plenty more locals on the rocky islet where the sheltered bay meets the roaring Southern Ocean. And the 140 Australian sea lions are every bit as friendly as their human counterparts.

Swimming with sea lions is one of the ultimate bucket-list experiences to enjoy off the coast of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

When I reach Jones Island after a 20-minute boat ride, two females and a large bull are swimming in the shallows. A few pups splash around closer to shore, while dozens of mature sea lions laze between the low scrub and craggy limestone protrusions.

Hopping into the water, our group slowly moves towards these curious beasts, which look comically clumsy when dragging themselves over the rocks, but are superbly graceful once they hit the water.

Before long, an immature bull swims right through the middle of the group before sitting on the bottom and regarding us thoughtfully. Though we’ve been told to stay at least a metre away, he’s under no such restrictions and comes face to face with several swimmers, his whiskers almost touching their faces.

Engage with the natural world up close. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The other sea lions soon grow jealous of the attention he’s getting and several playful females join the fun. The sea lions corkscrew and pirouette around us effortlessly before leaping out of the water to show off their creamy bellies. I’m so caught up in the spectacle that I’m shocked when our guide, marine biologist Emma Wilkins, says we’ve been in the water for an hour.

But when we hop back onboard, I barely have time to finish a cup of hot chocolate before we’re back in the water, this time to watch 20 dolphins passing so closely I can make out the scratches and scars along their otherwise smooth grey backs.

Swimming with dolphins is part of the Baird Bay Experience. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

“With most wildlife experiences, you’re wearing camo or tucked away in a hide,” says Kat Bevan, one half of the husband-and-wife team that manages Baird Bay Experience. “But here, you’re in the animals’ habitat and they come right up to you. There’s nothing like it in the world!”

Baird Bay Experience manager Kat Bevan is passionate about conservation. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

We’re tucking into a post-swim lunch of herb-crusted King George whiting with beetroot and citrus salad as I learn about some of the other regional highlights. Baird Bay Experience was relaunched late last year by luxury travel specialist The Tailor, and in addition to the sea lion and dolphin swims, it has two freshly renovated onsite villas that allow it to double as Australia’s newest all-inclusive lodge.

Guests of Seaside Villas are invited to unwind in the outdoor lounge. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

The rammed-earth buildings have seven bedrooms between them and are linked by a sunken barbecue area and inviting saltwater pool that looks over the bay. Any groups that book the villas have exclusive use of the property, and there are enough activities in the surrounding region to keep guests busy for weeks. They can try private surfing lessons, set up a cricket pitch on a sandbar in the middle of the bay or visit a local oyster farmer and bring back a few dozen fresh oysters to snack on.

Manager Brendon Bevan is committed to caring for the environment. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

Kat can organise e-biking trips to Point Labatt to see herds of sea lions and New Zealand fur seals lazing on slabs of red granite. Or lead nature walks through the surrounding bush where “you go over a couple of sand dunes and then suddenly it’s all red sand and spinifex and you could be in inland Australia”.

The bay is ideal for fishing and kayaking. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

I decide on a spot of fishing out the front of the villas with Kat’s husband Brendon, who takes me out on a pedal-powered kayak. I’m convinced Brendon has somehow set things to easy mode as I reel in one salmon trout after another along with a few trevallies.

Pelicans congregate on the Eyre Peninsula. (Image: Getty/Wildkirin Photography)

Guests can bring their catch back to be scaled and filleted, which, according to Kat, “provides a bit of theatre because all the pelicans come in and you can throw bits of fish to them”. More importantly, inhouse chef Calvin Von Niebel can incorporate them into the next day’s menu.

Executive chef Calvin Von Neibel celebrates the bounty of the sea. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

Even when guests return empty-handed, the former executive chef for the Ottolenghi group has enough local contacts to turn every meal into a mini geography lesson.

Snack on freshly caught oysters. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

Freshly shucked Smoky Bay oysters arrive with mignonette and green nam jim, bluefin tuna from Sceale Bay is marinated in lime and coconut, Cook Islands style, and Port Kenny squid turns up in a salad with potatoes, zucchini flowers and gazpacho.

Add in Venus Bay prawns, blue swimmer crabs from Streaky Bay and whiting pulled out of the waters directly in front of the lodge and you have an embarrassment of riches, even in a region famed for its maritime bounty.

Streaky Bay is 50 kilometres to the north of Baird Bay. (Image: Getty/Mackenzie Sweetnam)

Dinners are accompanied by sublime views over the bay, which is turned into a shimmering golden platter by the setting sun. As the pelicans skim over the surface on their way home and mobs of western greys come out to graze, I’m hard-pressed to think of a better location for a summer getaway.

Dive into the experience. (Image: David Edgar)

“Streaky Bay is the closest town, and that’s a quintessential laid-back Aussie fishing village where all the locals are friendly – almost like Summer Bay in Home & Away,” Kat tells me.

“But even that feels a long way away. We’re in a very remote part of Australia that is off the beaten track and not really heard of. But it has awesome beaches, produce and wildlife… What more could you want?”

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Baird Bay is about three hours north of Port Lincoln, with a pickup service available for overnight guests. Chartered flights can also be organised to Streaky Bay.

Playing there

Baird Bay Experience’s sea lion and dolphin swims run from 1 September to 30 June and cost $325, including wetsuit hire and a two-course lunch.

Staying there

Eko Seaside Villa epitomises quiet luxury. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

All-inclusive stays in one of the two villas at Baird Bay Seaside Villas are $2000 per person per night, for a minimum of two guests. That rate includes safari-style touring, chef-prepared meals, beverages and transfers from Streaky Bay.