Waitpinga Beach, south coast of South Australia

Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP

After spending some time in Victor Harbor (see previous two posts) we drove on to Waitpinga Beach for a picnic morning tea. Waitpinga Beach is part of the Newland Head Conservation Park a few kilometres west of Victor Harbor in South Australia.

Popular Beach

It had been a long time since our last visit. This beach has been popular with anglers and surfers for many years. The beach is long and the coastline is spectacular. It also holds special memories of a very special visit we had there back in the 1980s. Ah, memories.

Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Beautiful Beach:

The beach here is excellent for picnics and for spending time lazing on the beautiful sand. The sand is also great for children but the water is not really safe for swimming. While many do go swimming here the strong waves and the current make it unsuitable for children and those who are not excellent swimmers.

Hazards:

There is a further hazard. Several shark attacks in recent years have seen surfers lose their lives. While many South Australian beaches are relatively safe, there is always the ever present threat of shark attack. South Australian waters still hold the reputation as some of the most dangerous for shark attacks anywhere in the world.

Despite that, it is still far more dangerous to cross a road or to drive a car. Shark attack deaths account for only fifteen deaths in South Australia over the last 40 years. Just this week five people died in just one accident on a road not far north of this beach.