Travel Advice and Emergency Contacts
Before travelling to Yorke Peninsula, please familiarise yourself with our travel advice which will help you on your journey.
The below list includes emergency contact numbers, bushfire information, SA Police contact details, health information, roadside assistance, local hospitals, weather, road & traffic conditions and much more to help you while you travel around Yorke Peninsula.
Emergency Contacts
- Emergency – Police, Fire or Ambulance
Stay focused, stay relevant, stay on the line
Is someone seriously injured or in need of urgent medical help?
Is your life or property being threatened?
Have you just witnessed a serious accident or crime?
If you answered YES call Triple Zero (000). Triple Zero calls are free.
Triple Zero, phone 000
- State Emergency Service (SES)
In the event of extreme weather and nature disasters South Australia also has a volunteer run State Emergency Service. SES assists in an emergency with fallen trees, flooding & storm damage.
SES current incidents & warnings
Phone 132 500 for flood and storm emergencies
Emergency broadcasting
ABC broadcasts official warnings from emergency agencies at regular intervals on ABC Radio, ABC News 24 and via Twitter @abcemergency.
For local ABC Radio frequencies, phone 13 99 94 or go to abc.net.au/emergency.
ABC Adelaide is broadcast on 891AM, digital radio abc.net.au/radio, ABC Adelaide streaming live and is also available via the ABC Radio Mobile app.
SA Police
Phone Coverage
Whilst most of Yorke Peninsula has good mobile phone coverage, some service providers do have black spots, so plan ahead, check mobile coverage maps and tell someone where you are going.
The Emergency+ app is a free app developed by Australia’s emergency services and their Government and industry partners.
The app uses GPS functionality built into smart phones to help a Triple Zero (000) caller provide critical location details required to mobilise emergency services
Payphones & Wi-Fi Hotspot
Telstra payphones can be found in a range of locations on Yorke Peninsula. Find your nearest Telstra Payphone for making calls, or Telstra Air Wi-Fi Hotspot by entering your location in the Payphone Finder.
Driving & Traffic Conditions
Vehicle Breakdown Assistance
In the case of a breakdown, do not leave your vehicle.
- Vehicle Breakdown & Road Service Phone: 13 11 11
Traffic Conditions & Roadworks
Country Driving
Prepare for your visit to Yorke Peninsula by reading the South Australian Government's Country Driving Tips, which will help you to plan your driving route, travel time and rest stops.
It's also important to prepare your car for a roadtrip including making sure you have a first aid kit, torch (with batteries), fire extinguisher, tool kit and other items as part of your essential driving kit.
When driving on Yorke Peninsula, please be mindful of agricultural machinery and farming operations, with large equipment or stock often being moved between paddocks. Please ensure you follow the directions of any lead vehicles with flashing lights or warning signage being displayed so that you are aware of any driving hazards.
Keep on track
For the safety of your vehicle and protection of the landscape, please keep to designated tracks. Driving off-track can disrupt wildlife and damage cultural sites.
Take care driving at night
Kangaroos and wombats regularly wander onto Yorke Peninsula roads! Prevent wildlife fatalities (and damage to your car) by paying extra attention to your surroundings when driving at night. Animals are particularly active at dusk and dawn.
Fuel
There are petrol stations in most towns as you travel around Yorke Peninsula, but some do close in the early evening or at 5.00pm, or may have limited operating hours on weekends.
Whilst there are some petrol stations across the region that offer 24-hour fuel (card payment) these are not located in every town, so please plan your journey ahead of time so that you don't run out of fuel.
Health & Medical Information
Hospitals
- Always call Triple Zero 000 in an emergency
- Yorke Peninsula Health & Hospital Network
Balaklava Soldiers’ Memorial District Hospital
Phone (08) 8862 1400
16 War Memorial Drive, Balaklava
Balaklava Soldiers’ Memorial District Hospital provides acute services including in-hospital care by local GPs to outpatients and aged care beds.
- Central Yorke Peninsula Hospital (Maitland)
Phone (08) 8832 0100
65 Robert Street, Maitland
Central Yorke Peninsula Hospital (Maitland) provides acute services ranging from in-hospital care to outpatients and aged care.
- Port Broughton District Hospital and Health Service
Phone (08) 8635 2200
Bay Street, Port Broughton
Port Broughton District Hospital and Health Service provides acute services ranging from in-hospital care to aged care beds.
- Southern Yorke Peninsula Health Service (Yorketown)
Phone (08) 8852 1200
19 Waterloo Bay Road, Yorketown
Southern Yorke Peninsula Health Service (Yorketown) provides inpatient care in general medicine and palliative care.
- Wallaroo Hospital and Health Service
Phone (08) 8823 0200
Wallaroo Hospital and Health Services is a 21 bed complex and is co-located with a 7 bed private hospital
Ernest Terrace, Wallaroo
Health Direct
- Health Direct is a government-funded service, providing quality, approved health information and advice
- 24-hour health advice, phone 1800 022 222
Outdoor Activities
Fire Bans & Fire Danger
If you make a fire during fire ban season, you risk incurring a (large) fine and could be putting the entire region at risk of a wildfire. If it is safe to have a fire, bring your own firewood.
During Fire Danger Season, generally from November to April, there are strict conditions for lighting any fires, including campfires. On Total Fire Ban days, all fires are banned. Avoid severe penalties by checking cfs.sa.gov.au before lighting any fires.
Visit cfs.sa.gov.au and subscribe to bushfire warnings and other important information and check the CFS Facebook page to stay informed.
Monitor the daily weather forecast and Fire Danger Ratings, know your Bushfire Safer Place, and listen for warning messages and updates on your local AM radio station.
Further bushfire safety information is available by contacting the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361 (TTY 13 36 77) or visiting cfs.sa.gov.au
Weather
Wildlife rescue
Camping
Camp only in designated areas
When camping in the Yorke Peninsula bush camping areas, please ensure you camp in the designated locations. Failure to do so can result in soil compaction, vegetation damage, fauna disturbance, soil erosion and dune instability. Please respect all signs and directions.
Be mindful of waste disposal
Use designated dump points for RV and caravan waste and take your rubbish to the nearest town facilities for disposal. When possible, plan your toilet stops by checking the distance to the next amenities. If toilets are unavailable, dig a deep hole and bury all waste including toilet paper. Some campgrounds will require you to be full self-contained: this means toilet with cassette and grey water tank.
Beaches
Yorke Peninsula beaches are not patrolled, so it’s important for visitors to be extra diligent. Here are 3 simple guidelines to stay safe:
- Know your limits! The ocean can be unpredictable. If in doubt, don’t go in.
- Beware of rip currents! Learn how to identify a rip current and what to do if you’re caught in a rip.
- e sensible! Alcohol and drugs not only impair your judgement, but significantly slow your reflexes – a potentially deadly combination when it comes to the surf.
- For more info visit BeachSafe
Boating
Before you take out your watercraft…
- Check the weather. Check the tides. Check the water conditions.
- Visit Marine Safety SA
- Look over your craft, ensure there are lifejackets for each person and ensure you have a phone and/or radio. Click here for more information.
- Let someone know where you’re planning to go and when you plan to be back.
Fishing
Before you go rock fishing…
- Observe first, fish later. Check for waves, swell period and slippery rocks.
- Seek advice from locals and regular fishers. Watch out for larger waves in the swell cycle, and watch for changing weather and tides.
- Let someone know where you’re planning to go. Wear a lifejacket and appropriate footwear.
This travel advice is provided for travellers to Yorke Peninsula through a collaborative project with Red Cross and the Warooka Resilience Group.
