Views of Guichen Bay, Robe, South Australia
Town Beach, Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
One of the things I enjoyed while on holiday recently in Robe in the south-east of South Australia was having a chance to take plenty of photos. My main interest is photographing birds, closely followed by shots of scenery and plants with flowers. Occasionally I come across a beautiful setting for a plant with no flowers. The above shot of rushes growing in the sandhills along the Town Beach at Robe caught my eye.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
I am also intrigued by the constantly moving water at the beach. I can sit for extended periods of time just watching the waves come in to the beach. It seems very soothing just to watch this constantly changing scene.
Guichen Bay, Robe, SE South Australia
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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
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.