Best Time to Visit the Eyre Peninsula

The Eyre Peninsula is one of the highlights of South Australia and promises to be an unforgettable adventure no matter when you visit. Although the weather is mild throughout the year, the best time to visit depends on what you'd like to do, see and experience. Do you want to see whales off Point Labatt? Perhaps you'd love to spend your days soaking up the sun on the gorgeous beaches in Coffin Bay National Park. Or maybe you'd like to see the incredible colours of Lake Macdonnell which you can only see at certain times of the year when there's plenty of water in the lake. We’ve put together this guide on what to expect in each season to help you plan your Eyre Peninsula trip.

Eyre Peninsula weather

The Eyre Peninsula has a Mediterranean climate with mild and dry weather throughout the year. June is the wettest month, but it’s still relatively dry compared to more southern parts of South Australia. Average summer highs range between 24-32°C along the coast and 17-30°C in the west, but it’s not uncommon for highs to climb into the mid to late 30s. The temperature drops in the winter with averages of 12-18°C along the coast and 7-18°C in the west. Wind speed and the number of cloudy days are also above average.

Average temperatures in the Eyre Peninsula

MONTH	AVERAGE HIGH (°C)	AVERAGE LOW (°C)
January	24	18
February	23	18
March	22	18
April	20	16
May	18	15
June	16	13
July	15	12
August	16	12
September	16	12
October	19	13
November	20	15
December	22	17

When is the best time to visit the Eyre Peninsula?

If we're talking about the weather, summer (December-February) is an excellent time of year to plan a trip with clearer skies, plenty of sunshine and minimal rainfall. However, this also means it's one of the busiest and more expensive times to visit. The peak season is January through February when locals and tourists flock to the coast to enjoy the warm weather, bright blue waters and an abundance of seasonal seafood, so you might find that flights and accommodation around this time are on the pricier side. The sweet spot for good weather and smaller crowds is during the shoulder months at the end of spring (November) or autumn (March).

However, visiting in the winter has its perks, too. Not only is it much quieter, but winter weather in the Eyre Peninsula is mild enough to enjoy brisk walks along the coast or hikes in the Gawler Ranges. The wettest month is June, but the rain does wonders for the bushland and turns the vegetation lush and green.

Winter is also one of the best times to see wildlife. It's a great time to see kangaroos, wallabies and other native animals enjoying the vegetation by creeks and rivers thanks to the rain, and it’s also a fantastic time to see southern right whales off the Head of Bight as they migrate from Antarctica to birth and nurse their young. You might also get to see gorgeous sea lion pups playing on the rocks or learning how to swim at Point Labatt – birthing season alternates between mid-summer and mid-winter every year.

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