Moonlight Bay

Moonlight Bay is a free, unpowered camping area on Hammonds Road at Whites River on the Eyre Peninsula, about twenty minutes south of Tumby Bay. The camp sits between two sandy beaches with direct water access, and dogs are welcome at no cost. There are no cabins and no facilities of any kind, so this is fully self-sufficient camping for travellers with a tent, caravan or camper trailer.

Dogs at Moonlight Bay

Dogs stay free, and with no camp management on site there is no paperwork. The obligations are yours: keep the dog under control at all times and on a lead on the beach, because washed-up pufferfish are a genuine hazard on this stretch of coast and dogs that mouth them get sick. There is no water here for you or the dog, no toilets and no bins, so carry everything in and pack every scrap out, waste bags included.

Pitches range from the beach itself to the hill overlooking the bay, and sites on the sand go first, so arrive early in peak season. The camp is exposed to the prevailing south westerlies, so pick your pitch with the wind in mind rather than the view alone.

Getting there and parking

Turn off the Lincoln Highway between Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay onto Hammonds Road and follow it to the coast. The last stretch is gravel but generally manageable in a 2WD, though conditions vary after rain and bigger rigs should check the road before committing.

Max: walk the tideline before you let the dog off, dead pufferfish look like toys and a sickness in a camp with no water and no vet nearby is a long day.

Close by with the dogs

For a facilities day, Port Lincoln is under an hour away: the off-leash run at Port Lincoln Dog Park, coffee and pastries at Eyre Roasted, and the dog-friendly sites at Port Lincoln Tourist Park as a fallback if the free camp is full or the wind turns.

Worth knowing

This is raw coastal camping with a genuinely good dog setup: no fees, no crowds midweek and beaches at the tent door, provided you bring everything, watch the tideline and leave it cleaner than you found it.