Walking around Robe, South Australia
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
The seaside town of Robe in the south-east region of South Australia is an ideal area for walking. The town itself is quite compact and so ideal for the walker or cyclist. It is beginning to spread around Guichen Bay, but the beautiful, historic sections are all within a few minutes walk of the main street.
Accommodation:
Most of the visitor accommodation is within the town centre or very near to the main street. There are three caravan parks, each with good quality sites and many cabins at reasonable prices. There is also a wide range of other self-catered accommodation, from Bed and Breakfasts through to cottages and up to luxury apartments at the high end of the market. Several hotels and youth camps also provide accommodation.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
Walks:
Walking around the town is the best way to see the beautiful historic buildings that abound in the town. The Tourist Information Centre (in the public library building) has several excellent pamphlets to help you find your way around town. Several of these are designed for drivers, but walkers and cyclists could also use these guides.
Or you could be just like me last week when had a short holiday in Robe. I took a simple map of the town area – provided in the cottage we hired – and just followed my own whims around the town and environs.
I had three aims with my walks:
- Exercise – I went for walks for the good of my health.
- Birding – I wanted to see what birds were around (for my blog called Trevor’s Birding)
- Photographic subjects – mainly to show off here on this blog and on my photo gallery here.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
Related Articles:
- Birding around Guichen Bay, Robe, South Australia
- Salt House, Robe, South Australia
- Guichen Bay, Robe, 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.
The Salt House, Robe, South Australia
The Salt House, Robe, South Australia
During our five day stay last week in Robe in the south-east of South Australia we stayed in a cottage called the Salt House. While Robe is a very historic town with many of the original buildings still in use after over 150 years (this is old in Australian terms), this building has no particular historic value that I am aware of. Certainly there were no plaques or other signs to indicate its vintage or any historic significance.
This small cottage was quite adequate for our needs for the five day stay. It had a well appointed kitchen, a spacious bathroom and three bedrooms. The lounge room was on the small side, but this was an advantage for us. Each evening we would all gather in the small room hovering over the little heater that struggled to keep us warm. This is the only gripe we had about the house.
During our trip down to Robe the weather was bitterly cold with wild wind and frequent showers. The following four days were still cool but much nicer with long sunny periods. The sun didn’t penetrate the house however, so each evening was a challenge to keep warm. I’d imagine that this cottage would be perfect in warmer weather, and that is when most visitors come to seaside towns like Robe.
The Salt House had two major plus factors. It was only a two minute walk to the main street of the town. This meant we were able to walk almost everywhere – the beach, shops, supermarket, newsagent, art galleries and restaurants. The shopping area is quite small, typical of so many small Australian country towns.
The Salt House, Robe, South Australia
Another big plus for the house was the back yard. Fully enclosed with a good fence and mostly under pavers and lawn, it is ideal for young children (or pets, which are allowed). This area would be very relaxing in the warmer months. Unfortunately we got very little use out of this wonderful back yard.
I’ll write more about our holiday in coming days, so stay tuned.