Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia
No Comments »4th March, 2010; Category: Beaches, Birds, Caravanning, Holidays, South Australia, Victor Harbor
Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Probably the best known feature of Victor Harbor is Granite Island, shown in the photos on this post. Victor Harbor, on the south coast of South Australia, is about an hour’s drive south of the state capital, Adelaide. It is a favourite day trip from the capital as well as being a popular destination for interstate visitors.
These photos were taken while we had a weekend there last year. we stayed in one of the excellent caravan parks, ours being right on the foreshore of Encounter Bay (see yesterday’s post for more photos).
Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Granite Island is joined to the mainland by a causeway. It takes less than two hours to walk out to the island, around the walking track that circumnavigates it and to return to the town. You can linger longer of course for there is a fine restaurant near the jetty as well as some excellent fishing spots.
Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia
A highlight of a visit is to see the Little Penguins which feed out to sea and return to the island to nest and feed their young.
Little Penguins, Adelaide Zoo
Further reading:
Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Early last year we had a few days in the coastal resort town of Victor Harbor. This delightful town is a popular day trip from Adelaide or a holiday destination for both interstate and local tourists. We stayed in one of several excellent caravan parks. This one was right on the foreshore of Encounter Bay. On the Sunday afternoon I took a gentle stroll along the beach to get a few photos of this beautiful spot.
Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Further reading and more photos:
Tintinara in the SE of South Australia
Playground, Tintinara, SE South Australia
I took this photo of the playground in the picnic area in the main street on a recent visit to Tintinara because of the piece of equipment in the foreground. It’s in the shape of a kangaroo, though I can’t recall if you get “red” kangaroos in the Tintinara region. (I just checked my field guide to Australian mammals – Red Kangaroos are found much further north.)
Old steam train water bowser, Tintinara
Next to the playground is this old water bowser (or water tower), a relic of a by-gone era when the steam trains would stop here to replenish their water tankers. In the background you can see the railway line which is the main line between Adelaide and Melbourne. The Overlander passenger train came through as I had my morning cuppa. It rarely stops in Tintinara these days, whereas in a the steam age there would have been several passenger services daily. Now the line is used mainly for heavy interstate freight traffic, mixed with one daily express passenger train daily.
Galah at Tintinara, SE South Australia
While I was in Tintinara I managed to get a few good photos of some of the local bird life. More photos can be seen here and here.
Tintinara, upper SE of South Australia
Farming display, Tintinara, SE South Australia
On my recent quick visit to Tintinara in the upper south east of South Australia I had morning tea in the picnic grounds next to the Information Centre and Craft gallery. On the lawns in front of the centre there is an interesting display of metal cutouts of a farmer, his ever alert sheep dogs and a small flock of merino sheep (see photos). This is a fitting tribute to the farming heritage of this area where both sheep and wheat are the strengths of the agricultural pursuits of this region.
Farming display, Tintinara, SE South Australia
The water table is not too far below the surface and windmills like that shown in the photo above are a feature on many farms. Most farms in the region rely on this aquifer, part of the Great Artesian Basin that covers a large part of Australia.
A brief visit to Tintinara, SE South Australia
Grain silos at Tintinara, SE South Australia
Last week I was asked to do a quick trip to Tintinara in the upper south east of South Australia. I had to deliver an urgent parcel for the courier company I do some deliveries for on a casual basis. It was a warm day but the clear skies and gentle breeze made it quite pleasant.
After delivering the parcel (on time what’s more) I had a good look around this lovely small town. Usually we just drive straight through on our way to Melbourne or other places in the south east. I had never taken the time to explore the town.
Information Centre and Art Gallery, Tintinara
The tourist information centre (shown above) calls this town “The Heart of the Parks”. Tintinara is centrally located for visiting a range of national and conservation parks in all directions, including the massive Ngarkat National Park to the east of town. Most of these parks have huge stands of mallee vegetation. The most interesting bird that is endemic to the mallee environment is the Malleefowl. Below I’ve inserted a photo of a simulated Malleefowl nesting mound. This display, complete with two metal cut-out models of the bird, is located in front of the Information Centre in the main street of the town. I’ve written more about the Malleefowl and its unique nesting habits on Trevor’s Birding blog here.
Simulated Malleefowl nest, Tintinara, SE South Australia
Further reading: