Baird Bay
Southern Outback, South Australia

Baird Bay is the shallow western arm of Anxious Bay, which Captain Flinders was unable to see even from the topmastof his sailing ship the "Investigator" in 1802. The total area of the bay covers about 9500 acres with a beautiful sweeping beach in the foreground. He saw only the mouth with its small island. The bay was named after one of the areas pioneer sheep graziers, James Baird.

Hosts Alan and Trish Payne were so enthralled by the remote, windswept and rugged beauty of the area that they decided to buy a property while visiting on holiday from Western Australia. Today with their magnificent customised 40 foot boat the "Investigator", guests, adults and children alike, are given the opportunity to experience a truly unique marine adventure, a rare and unforgettable swim with the gentle, loveable and endangered Australian sea lions and the Bays resident wild and ever mystical, bottlenose dolphins.

Joining the bottlenose dolphins you will hear their enchanting sounds, and swim within their circle of wild wonder. Across the bay in a shallow sheltered lagoon out from the nearby Island, you will come face to face with the sea lions. With the Bulls weighing up to 350 kg and in your awseome wonder, you will experience them and their young offspring, trying to mimic your awkward movements, making you feel more than humble in the water as you really appreciate the graceful agility of these friendly and very intelligent marine inhabitants.

After a refreshing swim with the ocean locals, you can steam out through the heads, weather permitting, and look in awe at the magnitude of the cliffs, the highest vertical cliffs along the Great Australian Bight. For those interested in fishing, you can expect some of the most exciting you are likely to find. Try your luck with local favourites, delicacies like Pink Snapper and King George Whiting. In season you can make a day and cruise out to one of the offshore islands to see rare wallabies, penguins and the truly playful common dolphins. On the way home, if the day is right, you can put a lure out and have a go at catching a Southern Blue Fin Tuna and with any luck, you will be dining in style that evening.

Baird Bay offers the traveller a beach destination like no other on the wild west coast of South Australia. Let Alan and Trish show you why they decided to live there for the rest of their lives after coming, in the beginning, for only a day.

Special Activities:

- Diving with Australian Sea lions and Bottlenose Dolphins.
- Fishing for local delicacies. - Day trips to remote local islands to observe Australian Sea lions, New Zealand Fur Seals, Penguins and Rare - Black Flanked Rock Wallaby (weather dependant).
- 4wd in custom designed OKA to secluded remote shell beaches, local national parks with virgin bushland, along the cliffs on the Eastern edge of the Great Australian Bight. The opportunity to observe Kangaroos, Euro's, Emus, local prolific birdlife and the rare and recently re-established, Bettong.
- Opportunity to visit local aquaculture industries. Taste some of the produce such as Oysters, which are famous to the region.