An easy 90 minute drive from Adelaide on the east coast of Yorke Peninsula, Ardrossan sits on top of imposing red cliffs providing excellent views of Gulf St Vincent. Wander down the jetty at sunrise to see the cliffs’ amazing display of colour in the morning light.
If you love Blue Swimmer Crabs, then this is the place to be; drop a net from the jetty or rake the shallows to the north or south of the town and you won’t be disappointed. The jetty is a hive of activity with fishers casting lines for Tommies, Mullet, Garfish, Blue Crabs and Squid…just to name a few. There is a small, protected boat harbour with pontoon boarding and all tides access, providing good facilities for any visiting angler.
A main agricultural centre for surrounding districts, Ardrossan is a well serviced town offering good shopping and facilities with a Foodland supermarket (open seven days), hardware stores, clothing and general shopping. Ardrossan also has two hotels, takeaway food, a bakery and cafes. Services are available with a hospital, bank and ATM, police station, post office and petrol outlets.
Ardrossan offers several accommodation options with two caravan parks, hotel/motel rooms and self-contained holiday rentals.
Attractions:
Discover the town’s history at the Ardrossan Museum, located in the former factory of CH Smith, developer of the Stump Jump Plough. This plough has legendary status in South Australia’s history.
A man-made lookout just south of the town provides spectacular views over Gulf St Vincent.
The wreck of the Zanoni lies 10 nautical miles south east of Ardrossan. A diving permit is required to dive the Zanoni shipwreck
Ardrossan is a rich wheat and barley growing district with bulk grain handling facilities and a deep sea port allowing easy exportation of produce. Arrium has a dolomite operation just south of the town and Cheetham Salt, harvests salt north of Ardrossan.
Full of maritime and farming history, Ardrossan was proclaimed in 1873 and named after Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Scotland. The jetty (that still exists today), was built in 1876 and proclaimed a port in 1878.