Guichen Bay, Robe, South Australia
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
Despite the weather being cold with a bitter wind, I really enjoyed walking around the town of Robe and along the beach of Guichen Bay when we visited there last week. In winter the light is quite different, being softer than the usually harsh and glaring light of mid-summer. The cloud patterns and colours add a further dimension to the views.
Town Beach, Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
I was fascinated by the effects of light – it was late afternoon – on the clouds, sand, water, and rocks. The constantly moving water and the patterns it creates means endless subjects for a camera. The beauty of visiting Robe in the South East region of South Australia is that the beach is no more than five minutes easy walk from most places in the town, certainly from the caravan parks and the cottage where we stayed. Another benefit in winter at least, is that the beaches are virtually deserted. I think I passed no more than five people on the beach the entire time I was there.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
Guichen Bay, Robe, South Australia
Street tree in Robe, South Australia
On the second day of our holiday in Robe, south-eastern South Australia, I went for a long walk along the foreshore. The seaside town of Robe was established in the 1840s so there are many well established gardens and street trees in the town. One such eucalyptus tree was in full flower. The local honeyeater bird species were thoroughly enjoying the nectar from these beautiful flowers.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
A short distance on I came to the scene shown in the photo above. I was standing right next to one of the three caravan parks in the town. Robe was built on the beautiful Guichen Bay, named by French explorer Nicholas Baudin in 1802 in honour of Admiral de Guichen.
In the photo above Hoopers Beach is in the immediate foreground and Long Beach in the distance. Long Beach stretches for about ten kilometres around the bay. In summer, it is one of the few beaches in Australia where vehicle access is allowed. It is also a very safe swimming and surfing beach but being mid-winter we neglected to take our swimming bathers with us.
About four years ago my wife and I enjoyed a very relaxing holiday staying in the caravan park at this point. From the cabin we hired in the park we had a very similar view to the one shown in the photo above. Needless to say, we really enjoyed the view.
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
After lunch at the Flying Fish Cafe we spent some time taking in the magnificent views over Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot. This delightful bay is just a short distance from Victor Harbor and only an hour south from Adelaide and a similar time from our home in Murray Bridge.
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Lunch at Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
After visiting Waitpinga Beach and having morning tea at the picnic ground in the Newland Head Conservation Park, we drove back through Victor Harbor. This was the start of our return journey home. We stopped for a lunch break at Port Elliot. This little beachside town has become very popular with tourists and day visitors from Adelaide.
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
Horseshoe Bay is a very safe swimming beach which makes it very popular with families. The wide sandy beach is ideal for beach activities for children. We had lunch in the appropriately named Flying Fish Cafe. We just had to have their famous fish and chips for lunch. This was absolutely delicious though a little expensive I thought. The magnificent scenery overlooking the bay certainly added to our enjoyment.
Click on the photos to enlarge the image.
Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, South Australia
More views of Waitpinga Beach, South Australia
Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP
Waitpinga Beach near Victor Harbor in South Australia is just over an hour’s drive south of our state capital city, Adelaide. Waitpinga is a long wide sandy beach facing south. On most days there is a fairly decent surf rolling in from the Southern Ocean. This makes this a popular beach with surfers.
Anglers enjoy this beach as well. I’ve never fished there so I don’t know what they would be catching there. After searching for a while I found a very old book on my bookshelf about where to go fishing in South Australia. The fact that I had to search for it means that it hasn’t been used all that often over the years. It lists salmon, mulloway, bream, mullet, flathead and snapper as the main species caught along the beach.
Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP
The beach is also excellent for children to play on, for going for long walks and for just sitting there and watching the waves come rolling in. In the first photo above, I was facing west. Slightly to the left and just out of the photo one can just make out the coast of Kangaroo Island, one of South Australia’s top tourist destinations. Ferries take people and vehicles to and from the island several times a day. The island is only just over an hour’s drive and an hour’s ferry trip from my home but I have never been there. That is something we must rectify very soon.
The second photo is taken looking east towards Newland Head which gives its name to the nearby Conservation Park. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Related Articles:
- Victor Harbor – archival list of articles I’ve written about this lovely town.