On the tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia is port Lincoln, a 40-minute plane ride from Adelaide, famous pristine waters, magnificent scenery and an abundance of the freshest seafood.
Below is a two-day itinerary in which incentive and post-conference groups can enjoy.
Day 1 – Coffin Bay
Upon landing in Adelaide, the group is whisked off in 4WD vehicles by the welcoming committee from Southern Blue Tours and Goin’ Off Safaris to the magnificent Coffin Bay.
Following a morning tea overlooking Coffin Bay, it's all aboard a GT Charters boat for a trip across a clear blue sea alongside breathtaking landscapes.
Arrive at the oyster leases group where groups get a chance to indulge in the freshest oysters – famous Coffin Bay oysters straight from the sea, then shucked and eaten there and then while hearing about the history of oyster farming in the region.
Oysters are shucked fresh off the sea
Time to go fishing and it won’t be long before the group reels in their own catch of the day – a couple of famous King George Whiting included in the haul.
Next, with freshly caught lunch in tow, the boat sped back to land where the group were escorted by a 4WD fleet to one of the sheltered private beaches. A long table was set up by the welcome fire, which was positioned to take in the breathtaking ocean view.
Fishing on waters off Port Lincoln
The group imbibed on champagne while large crayfish were being prepared alongside the freshly collected oysters and fish, the luncheon was unforgettable with the general consensus from guests being that seafood had never tasted so good!
A 4WD trip back into Port Lincoln across a private adventure playground of massive white coastal dunes set hearts pacing and had cameras clicking madly.
Day two – Southern Ocean adventure
The group rose early for a sunrise boat trip aboard Adventure Lady across the stunning Boston Bay. The first stop of the day was a visit to Adventuree Bay Charters’ dedicated tuna farm. After a brief orientation and time in the underwater viewing tunnel, it was time to don the wet suit and jump in among the tuna. The 30-40 kilo fish darting around in pursuit of the tasty pilchards were mesmerising to watch.
Swimming with tuna
With adrenalin still pumping, it was off to the next stop – Hopkins Island – a short journey was made even more memorable thanks to a pod of dolphins gliding alongside the boat.
Hopkins Island is a playground for the endangered Australian Sea Lions. The gentle “puppies of the sea” jumped into the water and came to visit both those who chose to snorkel and those wanting to simply observe from the boat. It was incredible to see them imitate human movement; somersaulting, blowing bubbles and twisting through the water.
Next stop was Neptune Bay to check out the Great White Sharks.
At “Shark Bay”, Adventure Lady dropped her anchor and cage before setting about to attract the underwater predator with the sound vibrations of AC/DC. Words cannot quite describe the rush and thrill of sighting a magnificent Great White Shark up close – it is undeniably a once in a lifetime experience.
Up close with a Great White
Lunch was served onboard as the boat headed forThistle Island.
A visit to a private lookout on the island across an untouched coastline of pristine waters, long white sandy beaches, magnificent ochre cliffs and native bushland can only be described as breathtakingly spectacular. A surprise visit by two light planes to whisk the group skyward enabling a view of the setting from above was an added bonus and cemented opinions that a visit to this part of the world should be a must on anyone’s wish list.
By the time the group returned to the comfort and luxury of the Port Lincoln Hotel for some leisure time, everyone was feeling exalted, refreshed and in total awe of what they’d witnessed in the past couple of days.
The Port Lincoln Hotel’s seafood tasting platter dinner was the perfect way to end the visit and the evening was filled with conversation and laughter as lasting memories were created in everyone’s minds.
For information on the Incentives Adelaide programme, visit http://www.adelaideconvention.com.au
Gigi Onag
