Port MacDonnell

Port MacDonnell is the southernmost town in South Australia and calls itself Australia's southern rock-lobster capital, home to the state's largest lobster fishing fleet. It is also known for its rugged volcanic coastline, the Cape Northumberland lighthouse, and easy access to the clear freshwater springs and channels around Ewens and Piccaninnie Ponds.

Port MacDonnell is roughly a five-hour drive from Adelaide, sitting near the bottom of the Limestone Coast region. It is much closer to Mount Gambier, the area's main regional hub, at about a 30-minute drive to the north.

Visitors fish and walk along the Port MacDonnell Foreshore and jetty, explore maritime history at the Port MacDonnell and District Maritime Museum, and tour the poet's cottage at Dingley Dell Conservation Park. Nearby you can snorkel the clear channels of Ewens and Piccaninnie Ponds, walk the wetland boardwalk at Germein Reserve, or fish the Glenelg River at Donovans Landing.

Spring and summer, from about October through May, are the most popular months, offering warmer weather for swimming, snorkelling and coastal walks. This period also overlaps with the southern rock-lobster season, which runs from October to the end of May.

Yes. Ewens Ponds Conservation Park has three deep freshwater sinkholes linked by shallow channels with exceptional underwater visibility, well suited to snorkelling. Nearby Piccaninnie Ponds, a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance, is a noted snorkelling and cave-diving destination. Both sites require permits, and access can be seasonal with conditions applying.