Cactus Beach.

Cactus Beach is a rugged and remote location situated 21km south of Penong in South Australia. Known for serving up one of the best breaks in the country, it is an obvious hot spot for surfers. In fact, I think we were the only people there without boards! 

 The truth is we hadn’t even planned on stopping at Cactus Beach, we were drawn to the area by the renowned Lake MacDonnell and it’s pink and blue waters. As it turned out the water was not the vibrant colours you see on everyones Instagram posts but that didn’t matter as we decided to keep on driving and stumbled upon the gem that is Cactus Beach. A magical place where the desert meets the sea, we were blown away by the unspoilt natural environment.

The surrounding land is private property, but the owners have created a beautiful camping site that blends into the environment with ease. Ronnie the caretaker is a friendly character who takes great pride in managing the campsite, which he has run for the past 22 years. He puts a smile on everyones face as he drives around the campsites with his 2 best mates in tow on the roof of his car. The site has great toilets, bore water showers and even firewood that is supplied nightly. Pets are even permitted at the campsite if they’re on a lead. With all that comes the cost of $15pp per night, but I tell you what this place is so worth it.

Whether you’re a surfer or not we highly recommend stopping here if you are travelling along the Great Australian Bight. There truly is something special about this place, I’m not sure whether it’s the salty air or the sound of the crashing waves but you instantly feel an overwhelming sense of freedom as soon as you step out of the car.

Whatever it is, it makes it hard to leave. 

We will be back Cactus Beach, and next time we’ll be bringing some boards!