It’s time again to grab your cockle net and head down to Goolwa Beach for cockle season.

The season opened on the 1st of November and runs through to the 31^st of May each year and whether you call them cockles, pipis or even better by the Ngarrindjeri term Kuti, or collect these little molluscs for bait or food, it’s a whole lot of fun and saves you heaps of money.

You can drive onto Goolwa Beach, just pay attention to tide times, the new speed limit of 40km/h, let your tyres down to stop churning up the sand, but please only attempt it in a 4WD.

New car parking areas have been created on Beach Road at the drive on entrance to Goolwa Beach so there are more spaces to pull up and deflate or reinflate after exiting the beach without holding up traffic flow.

Even easier for those without a 4WD or not sure of the drive, you can park at various spots along the Goolwa Beach to Middleton coast where sand paths lead over the dunes to the beach. Stick to the paths so that the dunes aren’t disturbed, and keep an eye out for snakes.  It’s not unusual to see an occasional brown snake lazing in the sun, but they get out of the way pretty quickly when they hear you coming. For that reason it’s good to keep dogs on lead as well.

You don’t need any special equipment to go cockling, but a cockle net is handy for sweeping through the shallow water and collecting the cockles as they are dislodged from the sand. You can pick one up from any good fishing tackle shop for around the $40 mark. Make sure you have a cockle measure as well so you’re not taking any that are too small. You can buy a cockle measure from tackle stores too for less than $5. Other than that a bucket or container to put the cockles in and you’re set.

The regulations for collecting cockles at Goolwa Beach are:

• the minimum legal length must be 3.5 cm measured across the widest part of the shell
• the personal daily bag limit is 300
• the daily vehicle limit when 3 or more people are taking cockles is 900
• there is also a possession limit of 1200

For all the latest regulations, which can vary depending on where you are collecting cockles, visit the SA Government Primary industries website.

So far the season is looking very healthy with some good size cockles easily found without much effort, and with bait cockle prices around the $17.50 per kilo mark, it pays to have a go yourself.

Enjoy

Glenys