Wauraltee Beach camping is located on Wauraltee Beach, as the name suggests. It is a popular and beautiful beach. There are two options for camping in the area. One is located back from the beach, and the other is along the long beach. The local council runs the former and attracts a fee. The beach is crown land and camping is free. Beach camping is the most popular for people staying in the area.
Activities in the area are enjoying the beach, swimming in the protected waters and fishing. Launching a boat is possible along the entire beach.
Wauraltee Beach is located 10km south of Port Victoria (16km by road) on the west coast of the Yorke Peninsula. The beach can be accessed by sealed road until the turn off onto Wauraltee Beach Road. From the intersection, it is a 4km dirt road. When we used the road, it was corrugated in places. With care, the road is passable by 2WD vehicles.
If you wish to use the free beach camping, you must be self-contained. An explicit request is that the dunes must not be used as a toilet. To preserve the delicate environment, access to the dunes outside of the paid campsite is not permitted.
Wauraltee Beach Camping Quick Facts
| Campground Name | Wauraltree Beach Camping |
|---|---|
| Nearest Town | Port Victoria |
| GPS | 34°34'2.50"S 137°30'4.78"E |
| Access Road | Unsealed |
| Number of sites | Not designated |
| Toilets | Yes* |
| Water | No |
| Dump point | No |
| Power | No |
| Pets | Yes |
| Fires permitted | Only from Apr to Nov (or between the low and high tide heights) |
| Telstra coverage | Weak |
| Optus coverage | Weak |
| Cost | Free or $20 per night (depending on where you camp - see text) |
| Booking | York Peninsula camping permit For paid campground only |
Campground Layout and Features
As indicated, there are two camping areas at Wauraltee Beach: paid council camping back from the beach and free camping on the beach. Each has its own features, so we will deal with them separately.
Wauraltee Beach Bush Campground
As with all of the Yorke Peninsula bush camps, this is a paid campground. Before camping at the ground, a permit must be purchased to cover your stay’s length. At the time of writing, a single night is $20. There is a reduced fee if you stay longer at this (or other bush camps on consecutive nights). For example, for a one-week stay, the permit costs $100.
The Wauraltee Bush Campground is situated in the dunes on either side of the beach access road. There are sites just back from the beach and others further back near, and beyond, a provided toilet. There are no designated sites, and a particular site can not be booked. When you arrive, you select an appropriate location and set up.
If you are unsure where you would like to stay you may consider not making a booking until you have taken a look. There is phone coverage in the area for both Telstra and Optus (although Optus is a little unreliable). If you decide to stay in the paid camping purchase a permit once you have selected a site. Be warned that during busy times the council may stop issuing permits.
Other than the toilet no other facilities are provided. There is no water or dump point. The nearest dump point is located at Point Victoria Oval Camping Site. Water is available at the same site.
To purchase your permit, head to Yorke Peninsula Bush Camping Permit.
Wauraltee Beach Free Camping
The most popular camping option is on the beach. The beach is beautiful, and there is nothing better than waking in the morning to the sound and smell of the ocean.
Wauraltee Beach free camping is possible in both directions of the access road. To the south, the camping is limited to about 2km along the beach, where some rocks make access more difficult. At low tide the rocks can be by-passed. To the north, the beach continues for a longer distance. However, the beach narrows a little after about 2km from the access track.
A 4WD vehicle is recommended to access the beach camping. That said, we saw many 2WD vehicles driving along the beach.
The sand is very firm between the low and high water levels. It is reasonably firm above the high tide level but becomes a little softer higher up. While there, we saw a few people who required pulling to get them out of the sand. These tended to be while moving large vans. Don’t go too high up the beach if you have a large van. If you have a heavy van, letting some air out of your tyres is a good idea. We have a small van and kept our tyres at highway pressure.
There are no facilities for camping on the beach. As mentioned earlier, you cannot use the dunes as your toilet. You are also requested not to use the toilet in the paid camping section.
Wauraltee Beach Camping Location
The map below is centred on the paid camping site. Free beach camping is located on both sides of the beach access track. Zoom out to get a general location.
What to Watch Out For at Wauraltee Beach
As with any beach in this part of the world, wind can be an issue.
Don’t come here during the summer holidays if you want a quiet time. We were here over New Year, and it was very busy. There was a continuous stream of cars up and down the beach, as well as motorbikes and jet skis. If you want a quiet time, come in the cooler months.
Final Words
Wauraltee Beach is a popular family destination. The water is safe for swimming and the place is beautiful. Outside of the busy times, it is a great place to relax by the beach and spend time with your family.
Closeby Campgrounds
Located not far from Wauraltee Beach is good campsite at Port Victoria.
If heading further south Warooka may be an option.
For those heading to the Yourke Peninsula’s east coast you may like to consider Port Julia.