I definitely could have spent more time at Port Elliot but with less than a week before a planned rendezvous back around the Robe area with friends, Christine and Greg, I wanted to get in a few days on the western coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula. I'd heard that Rapid Bay Campground some 14km north of Cape Jarvis was a top spot. With no real facilities there I stocked up on food, water and fuel and made sure I had an empty dunny. The drive across on Range Road through rolling hills and valleys was really enjoyable, and as picturesque as the rest of the Fleurieu. In less than an hour I arrived at the campground and scored myself a top spot backing onto the beach. I was pretty lucky as it was surprisingly busy for a working Monday.
It was warm afternoon and I couldn't wait to don togs and hit the beach. The bay, which is set between two bluffs with quite a long jetty at the southwestern end, is very pretty with safe, protected water. While walking on the beach a pod of seals appeared not far from shore and put on quite a show. I didn't have my phone to get a photo though....bugger!
Tuesday morning I awoke to cloud and wind, so decided to do a recce to the north. I headed up Main South Road dropping in to Second Valley first up. Like Rapid Bay it's a tiny little place with a few houses and a jetty. And a lovely beach - as expected.
Next stop, Wirrina Cove. That's a bit of a strange place. As you drive in there is signage that points you to the New Terry Hotel and Golf Resort, but it felt semi abandoned, as did most of the pretty flash houses and the marina a couple of kilometres further along the road. It was certainly not very busy and not particularly appealing. Maybe it's got a different aura when busy....
A memorial to the HMAS Hobart which was sunk in 2002 some 4km off Rapid Bay as a dive site is not far up the coast road. The ship's anchor is perched atop a hill overlooking the site.
Normanville is a small beachside town a few k's further north. It's quite a pretty spot with a licensed cafe on the water by the jetty. The sand along that particular stretch of coastline is like talcum powder - incredibly soft, fine and white - unlike the Rapid Bay beach which is grey and stony.
Wednesday was even cooler, windy and showery. A few breaks, however, did provide an opportunity to explore the northern end of the bay in front of the van, which, at low tide allows you to walk and wade around the rocks to a series of gorgeous little coves.
At the other end of the beach is the old dilapidated jetty that was constructed between 1938 and 1942 to ship limestone that was quarried in an open cut mine just above the jetty. BHP built and operated the works, including the adjacent township, until 1981 when it was sold to Adelaide Brighton Cement. The huge old jetty is no longer accessible but can be viewed from the new one alongside it.
Wednesday afternoon, in drizzle and fog, I made the 15 minute trip south to Cape Jervis. It's located on the southwestern tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula about 90km from Adelaide. The crappy weather didn't make for great sightseeing but my arrival was timed perfectly as the ferry to Kangaroo Island had just docked. There was quite a bit of activity as army personnel working on the fire recovery on KI unloaded and lots of cars and trucks drove aboard. I would love to have gone over for a few days but at nearly $500 return for me and the van it was beyond my budget.
Thursday morning at Rapid Bay the weather was perfect.....warm, sunny and still. I considered staying another night but that would leave me with over 300km to drive Friday to meet up with Christine and Greg, much of it on windy, hilly roads which would be pretty slow in parts, so I decided to get going. After packing up the van l spent an hour or so on the beach walking James and enjoying the sunshine before hitting the road at 11.
RAPID BAY CAMPGROUND costs $9 per person per night. An onsite ranger comes around late each afternoon and collects the cash. It's a great place, though because it's very family friendly and just an hour from Adelaide it gets very busy. You can't book so need to turn up early. The bay it sits on is stunning, and the camp area expansive, flat and largely grassy with some shade. It has toilets, bins, playground and electric barbecues. I would definitely return but NOT during peak holiday periods. I rate it 4.5
Meeting up with Christine and Greg at Cockatoo Lake was actually backtracking, heading southeast towards the Victorian border, but I was really keen to explore the coastline between Robe and the Coorong. I'd heard it was beautiful. I took my time traveling minor roads to wend my way to Wellington, the lowest ferry crossing on the Murray river. It's only a couple of kilometres upstream of where the Murray runs into Lake Alexandrina.
When I drove onto the ferry a big truck came on behind me. It was a very tight fit!
I had a few options for an overnighter before the Murray but I was enjoying the drive and the music so kept going, ending up at Tintinara. A Roller friend had stayed there a few weeks prior camped beside Lake Indewarra pretty much right in town and she loved it. Another van was in when I arrived and it wasn't long before my social butterfly associate James formed a connection for us ("James, go and say hello"). Coral and Brian were on their way back from Yarrawonga, of all places, and Coral was the sister of golfing friend of mine....small world! After plenty of conversation, wine and dinner under the shelter that we had both our vans butted up to, James and I went for a stroll into town. And guess where we ended up? Yep....The pub, where James launched into action yet again allowing us to chat with locals. Nice work partner!
LAKE INDEWARRA scores a 3 from me. It's an overnighter, not a destination. The tiny lake is beside the railway line that runs beside the Dukes Highway. It's a short walk to the Tintinara shops and pub. There are electric barbecues and bins - no toilets at the lake itself. It's quite pretty and interestingly sits on a "Discgolf Park" which is a course on which a game is played according to golf rules but with a kind of frisbee thing. Weird!
It was an easy run the next morning down to Cockatoo Lake although costly with a strong headwind punching my fuel consumption up to 19lt/100km (normally approx. 14.5). Greg and Christine were already setting up on the edge of the lake. It was lovely to see them and their boy Chilli. I pulled up alongside. Later in the afternoon Greg went for a walk around the lake and on his return announced that we hadn't picked the best spot. Well, we all agreed second best was not good enough, so pulled up stakes and relocated to the other side. It was much prettier! Before dinner Greg waded out into the shallow lake to set a couple of pots. A feed of yabbies would be a real treat.
The plan was to stay two nights, but with a chilly, howling gale through the night and into the next morning we all felt we might as well keep moving. Greg pulled in the nets before we left. We did have yabbies - yay! One was a big bugger too! The down side was the count - only 4 - not enough for a feed, so they lived to see another day.
COCKATOO LAKE gets a 4. It could well be a spot to stay for several days, especially when the lake is fuller than it is currently. It's several km from the Riddoch Way in the Padthaway Wine Region, so would be perfect for those doing winery tours. You can fish and use the lake recreationally, and have fires in the cooler weather. There are lots of spots dotted around the lake, or a small, main camp area that has toilets. I liked it.
We decided to head across to the coast, despite the wind and overcast skies. Given we were going via Naracoorte, a visit to the Naracoorte Caves seemed a great option - and it was. Our one hour guided tour ($27.50 each) was bloody good value and very interesting. Like the Jenolan Caves that l had done early in my travels, there were multiple tours to take through different caves. Because we arrived in the afternoon and hadn't pre booked, the only tour available was the Victoria Fossils Cave which included an educational presentation by the guide in an underground amphitheatre. We all enjoyed it.
It was close to 4pm by the time we got on the road again, bound for Kingston SE RV Park. It was a popular 48 hour beachside stopover, costing only $10 for two nights. We were hoping there'd be space for us given our late arrival. And yes..there was.
