South Australia has a lot of things for visitors or tourists to do. The problem is most of it is a couple of hundred kilometres away. Sure the city of Adelaide has plenty to do around this time of year as the festival season is upon us and the city comes alive. Yet, South Australia offers much, much more. With a few days to spare we pack some gear into the trusty car and just decide to drive and see where the road takes us. We drive out of the city and make our way onto the Yorke Peninsula and head right down to the foot of the peninsula to Marion Bay. Once there we try out the Marion Bay Tavern.
Marion Bay is a popular stopover for fisherman and surfers. This is due to some of the beaches providing great surfing conditions and long jetties stretching out into the Great Australian Bight.
As South Australian’s we have been to the Yorke Peninsula before, usually just rushing to the place we need to go. But this time we know, time isn’t an issue and take our time visiting some of the small towns along the way.
We have a quick lunch at a local tuck shop in Ardrossan, and stop for coffee and hot donuts in Port Vincent before arriving at our final destination of Marion Bay.
As we haven’t booked anywhere to stay we locate the Marion Bay Caravan Park and pay for a non powered site for AUD$25. Now I must admit I’m not the best camper around, preferring 5-star camping in big fancy hotels. My wife is the camper in our family, so in the name of being a good sport we quickly erect our two man tent before heading into the town for a meal.
The Marion Bay caravan park is a large spacious family park with playground equipment and an impressive kangaroo jumper (jumping pillow) for the children.
Marion Bay’s caravan park has a range of accommodation options with powered and non powered camping sites available. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a tent or caravan, because the park also has a variety of cabins available.
After my impressive display of erecting the tent (see above) and subsequent victory lap, we took a walk around the township to watch the sunset, take a stroll along the foreshore and find a place to have dinner.
Making our way past the popular fishing jetty we find the Marion Bay Tavern and head in for a meal. Uniquely, it has a pizza shop at the front for takeaway pizzas with a more casual dining area and front bar if you prefer to dine in.
The tavern has a good sized menu with a variety of dishes available from their popular pizzas to your more traditional pub fare. The wine menu was also impressive with an excellent selection of South Australian and New Zealand wines.
We decided to have a serving of their crusty bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Marion Bay’s local dukkah. The warm crusty bread was fresh and the Marion Bay dukkah was spicy and full of flavour. Unfortunately we ran out of bread and olive oil both before the dukkah was finished.
Since we were in a fishing town we once again opted for a Seafood Basket. I mean unless you are allergic to shellfish, how can you resist fresh local seafood. The seafood was nicely cooked, but the scallops were tiny.
Finally our last food selection was a roasted field mushroom stuffed with baby spinach, caramelised onion and sweet potato. This was served with a dressed rocket and citrus salad. The dish was a perfectly constructed success, full of flavour and wonderfully cooked.
For a country pub, the Marion Bay Tavern is a great place to have a meal. The friendly staff and local atmosphere is inviting, I could see myself spending the evening there and watching a band and getting to know the locals better.
Once dinner was over we took a leisurely stroll along the foreshore to the bluff (Penguin Point) to catch the spectacular sunset.
After watching the sun fade away, we headed back to the caravan park to settle in for an early night, ready for our early morning trip into the Innes National Park. Visit Josie Wanders for our experience in Innes National Park.
Additional Information Marion Bay Caravan Park
17 Willyama Drive, Marion Bay SA 5575
Ph: (08) 8854 4094
Website: www.marionbaycp.com.au
For other accommodation options on the Yorke Peninsula click here.
Additional Information Marion Bay Tavern
5 Stenhouse Bay Road, Marion Bay SA 5575
Ph: (08) 8854 4141
Website: www.marionbaytavern.com.au
Main Meal Price Range AUD$18.00 – $36.00
Marion Bay Tavern rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)
Decor =8
Atmosphere =8
Service =8
Price =8
Food =8
Overall = 8
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Isn’t that the essence of a good evening? A good meal, some good drinks to go with it, fabulous view and pleasant company. Camping is one way to save money, otherwise the money runs out before the time to enjoy it.
I imagine that a good fresh seafood dinner washed down with something white and local would be about as close to perfection as you could get. You South Australians are spoilt for both, you know!
Thanks Pete, I can’t agree with you more. Adelaide is surrounded by beautiful beaches, and incredible wineries. I am slowly coming around to camping, due to the fresh air and wildlife, but am always on the lookout for a good place to eat.
Have been going to Marion Bay since I was a teenager (am 63 now). Recently set up a permanent caravan at the caravan park. Should have done it years ago. Fishing is fantastic. I often catch King George Whiting up to half a metre long in my tinny only a couple of hundred metres from shore. Plenty of big tommies and Squid off the jetty. The annual mullet run should now just be starting. Some lovely coastal scenery to view in the Innes national park. The tavern is great. Pity you didn’t have time to go and have a look at Studio Surf. A small art gallery where you can also get coffee and cake. Some truly magnificent beaches and you don’t have to share them with thousands of other people as you do in places like Queensland. Truly one of South Australia’s best kept secrets. Psssst, don’t tell everyone. Cheers Dave 🙂
Thank you Dave, it seems like you are living the good life. We will make sure when we return to Marion Bay we will check out the Studio Surf. Your secrets safe with us!