Explore Elliston - Clifftop Drives, Coastal Sculptures and Wild Eyre Peninsula Beaches

Explore Elliston - Clifftop Drives, Coastal Sculptures and Wild Eyre Peninsula Beaches

Perched beside Waterloo Bay on the western side of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, Elliston is a small coastal town surrounded by some of the region’s most dramatic scenery.

Towering limestone cliffs, windswept beaches, fascinating sculptures and excellent fishing spots make Elliston a rewarding place to slow down and explore. It may be a quiet country town, but there is plenty to discover along its rugged coastline. Elliston is approximately 640 kilometres west of Adelaide and 169 kilometres northwest of Port Lincoln, making it an ideal stop on an Eyre Peninsula road trip.

During our visit, we wandered through the town centre, explored the foreshore and historic jetty, followed the spectacular Anxious Bay Clifftop Drive and visited the famous Colton Bakehouse. We also ventured beyond town to experience the wild beauty of Locks Well Beach.

Discovering the Heart of Elliston

Elliston is surrounded by some of the most spectacular coastline on the Eyre Peninsula, but its character is shaped by more than the sea. The town is also an important centre for the surrounding cereal-growing, mixed-farming and fishing communities. The compact town centre has everything travellers need for a comfortable stay, including a small supermarket, country bakery, traditional hotel, post office, roadhouse and two caravan parks.

One of the first landmarks to catch our attention was the Elliston Community Hall. Covering the building is an enormous mural depicting everyday life in the district.

Originally painted in 1992 and repainted in 2014, the mural brings together Elliston’s maritime and agricultural heritage, along with scenes celebrating local sport and community life. Its size alone is impressive, but it is the detail and local storytelling that make it worth stopping to admire.

A Walk Along Elliston’s Foreshore

From the town centre, we made our way down to Elliston’s foreshore and Main Beach.

Stretching for approximately one kilometre along Waterloo Bay, the beach is a popular place for swimming, walking and fishing. There is plenty of parking, as well as a boat ramp for anyone hoping to spend a day out on the water. The foreshore is also a pleasant place to stop for lunch, with public toilets, picnic tables and barbecue facilities. A walking trail follows the waterfront, with several interesting sculptures positioned along the way. It is an easy and relaxing area to explore, with lovely views across the bay and plenty of space to enjoy the peaceful coastal atmosphere.

Walking the Historic Elliston Jetty

Extending 424 metres into Waterloo Bay, the historic Elliston Jetty has been part of the town’s story since 1900. The jetty is now heritage-listed, partly because of its unusual steel pylons. During construction, these pylons were literally screwed into the seabed using horse-powered machinery—an extraordinary achievement for the time. Today, the jetty is a favourite spot for local anglers and visitors hoping to catch squid, garfish, King George whiting or Tommy ruff. Even if you are not fishing, the long walk to the end offers beautiful views back towards the town and across Waterloo Bay.

Art Meets the Ocean on the Clifftop Drive

After exploring Elliston, we travelled approximately two kilometres north along the Flinders Highway to the beginning of the Anxious Bay Clifftop Drive. This spectacular coastal route follows a well-maintained unsealed road and combines breathtaking scenery with a remarkable open-air sculpture trail. Along the way, we stopped to admire artworks inspired by the ocean, Elliston’s history and the surrounding landscape. Many of the pieces were created during previous Sculptures on the Cliff events, and their exposed clifftop setting makes them even more striking.

Each stop revealed another sweeping coastal view. Towering limestone cliffs dropped dramatically into the ocean below, while waves crashed against the shoreline and the rugged coastline seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. The Anxious Bay Clifftop Drive was one of the highlights of our time in Elliston. Allow plenty of time to stop at the sculptures, take photographs and enjoy the wild beauty of this remarkable coastline.

Fresh Bread and Sticky Buns at Colton Bakehouse

The following morning, we drove approximately 18 kilometres north of Elliston along the Flinders Highway to visit the Colton Bakehouse. Hidden away in the tiny settlement of Colton, this wonderfully unique bakery is best known for its handcrafted white and multigrain bread and delicious sticky fruit buns.

The bread is traditionally baked in a wood-fired Scotch oven, giving the bakehouse plenty of old-fashioned country charm. There are no staff behind a counter—instead, you choose what you would like and place your payment in the honesty box. We selected a loaf of multigrain bread and, of course, some of the famous sticky buns. There is something particularly memorable about collecting freshly baked bread from a tiny unmanned bakery beside the highway. The bakehouse generally opens at around 8.30 am, but operating days and times can vary. It also closes for a winter break, so it is worth checking the Colton Bakehouse Facebook page before making the trip. Remember to bring cash for the honesty box.

Experiencing the Wild Beauty of Locks Well Beach

After returning to Elliston, we travelled approximately 16 kilometres south to Locks Well Beach. This isolated and rugged beach is reputed to be one of South Australia’s most reliable locations for catching Australian salmon. Even if you are not planning to fish, the dramatic scenery makes it well worth visiting. We parked in the spacious upper car park, which is suitable for larger vehicles, including motorhomes and caravans. Those travelling by car can continue to the lower car park beside the lookout.

Facilities include public toilets, rubbish bins, and a covered picnic area, making this a convenient place to stop and enjoy the scenery. From the car park, wooden stairs lead down to a suspended circular viewing platform. Standing above the rugged coastline, we had magnificent views across the towering cliffs, along the beach and over the powerful Southern Ocean. For those wanting to reach the sand, a wooden staircase descends 283 steps to the beach below. It is a spectacular walk, although the climb back up is certain to get the heart pumping. Locks Well is known for large waves, strong currents and rough surf, so swimming is not recommended. This is a place to admire the raw power of the ocean, enjoy the view and perhaps try your luck fishing from the shore.

Why put Elliston on Your Eyre Peninsula Itinerary?

Elliston may be small, but its combination of natural beauty, local history and creative character makes it one of the Eyre Peninsula’s most memorable coastal stops. We loved wandering along the peaceful foreshore, discovering the story behind the historic jetty and following the clifftop sculpture trail above the ocean. Our visit to the Colton Bakehouse added a touch of country charm, while the immense cliffs and crashing waves at Locks Well showed us the wild side of South Australia’s coastline. Whether you come for the fishing, the scenery, the artwork or simply the chance to explore somewhere new, Elliston is a destination that rewards those who take the time to look a little closer.

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