Pedro's Crayfish Tour: Ron tries his hand at Crayfishing (or lobster)on the Eyre Peninsula in the West Coast region of South Australia

On a quiet day it's a boaties' paradise but the very name Anxious Bay provides a hint of what to expect on the Wild West Coast. Just around the corner from Elliston on Eyre Peninsula - some 650 kilometres from Adelaide - is where the local cray boat, the Kabralee, anchors when she's not out hammering through the swells between Venus Bay and Sheringa. Recently her skipper Peter Martin - or Pedro to the locals - took us out to some of his favourite spots.

We motored past Blackfellas surf break at the foot of Cape Finnis. It's an unforgiving wave as many surfers can attest and it's also very close to where Pedro drops a cray pot every so often.

Pedro reckons crayfishing's a bit like a poker - you never know what cards you'll be dealt. Out here where the drop offs below the waterline are as deep as the cliffs above - a fisherman never knows what he'll find.

Peter "Pedro" Martin: "I saw a Giant Squid in the big seas out here once. It was probably about 10 feet long - I thought it was a jetty pole!"

Pedro's been fishing these waters for about thirty years and has never tired of the surprises thrown up by this dramatic coastline. Most of us will never experience this thrill of riding out the rolling swell on board a cray boat like the Kabralee, but head to Elliston and you can keep tabs on Pedro's catch.

Inside Pedro's processing plant the water is aerated and kept at an even 12 degrees, much like the waters around the Elliston cliffs.

The crayfish or Southern Rock Lobsters might be tasty but they are not very pretty to look at! In fact, they look like something from a science fiction movie and the price is a little out of this world as well. Pedro showed us one that would fetch up to $120. Most are bound for the markets of Hong Kong, Japan, China and the US.

These chameleons of the deep can grow as old as 80, but regardless of their age there's no disguising their value on the dinner tables overseas. Now - as part of the 'clean breed' program, the crays are tagged and tracked throughout the entire catch and sale process from cray pot to dinner plate.

For a tour of the Elliston processing plant just call Pedro on 8687 9069. The processing plant is in Seventh Street. The Northern Zone Rock Lobster season runs from November 1st to May 31st. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Pedro's Crayfish Tour
7th Street
Elliston
Eyre Peninsula
Look for Pedro's Crayfish Tour Sign

Northern Zone Rock Lobster Season Nov 1 - May 31

Published 26th October 2008