Pondalowie Surf Break

More information about Pondalowie Surf Break.

Known as Pondi, Pondalowie Surf Break is the most popular beach in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. The carpark sits several hundred metres back from the water, but the walk down through the low sand dunes along a beautifully constructed boardwalk is a highlight in itself. A long viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk gives spectators a grandstand view of the break and on competition weekends, it earns every bit of that purpose.

The beach stretches over a kilometre from the Pondi fishing village to the northern point, with small islands scattered across the view over the surf. The fishing village is still an active working operation. Feel free to have a look from a distance but give the shacks and boats their space.

Is Pondalowie good for swimming? Swimming is fine for confident swimmers in the surf. The closer you move toward the fishing village end of the bay, the calmer and more sheltered the water becomes, making it a better option for those less comfortable in open surf. This is an unpatrolled beach inside a national park. Always be aware of rips and conditions.

Can you camp at Pondalowie? Yes. Pondalowie has two campgrounds, a caravan and trailer site with 26 sites and a bush campground also with 26 sites. A national park entry permit is required.

Are surf competitions held at Pondalowie? Yes. The Yorkes Classic is South Australia's most prestigious and iconic surfing event, originally started in 1983 by local surfers. It is held over the October long weekend around the Stenhouse Bay area and surfers compete for the coveted Keith Sugars Memorial Trophy, presented in memory of well respected competitor Keith Sugars, who was lost during a tragic drowning at Richards in Pondalowie Bay during the inaugural event in 1983.

History about Pondalowie Surf Break.

The name Pondalowie comes from the Narungga word Barndalawi, meaning "stony waterhole." Narungga maps record a freshwater source close to the bay, pointing to its significance as a reliable water source for the Narungga people long before European settlement.

Pondalowie Bay sits within what is now Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, a landscape shaped by the Narungga people for tens of thousands of years and later by the gypsum mining industry of the early 1900s. The national park takes its name from William Robert Innes, who founded the Australian Gypsum and Whiting Company and began mining operations in the area. At its peak the nearby township of Inneston was home to around 500 people, running its own school, post office, bakery and general store. Mining ceased in 1930 when the Great Depression made it uneconomical, and in 1970 the land was sold to the South Australian government to create Innes National Park. The ghost town of Inneston remains standing today, just a short drive from Pondi, and is worth exploring.

In 2020 the park was renamed Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park to mark its 50th anniversary and to recognise the co-management agreement with the Narungga people, its traditional owners. Dhilba Guuranda means "Southern Narungga Region, Yorke Peninsula."