As we drive past the Coorong in South Australia on our way to the south east of the state, our attention is torn between noticing the stunning white sand dunes that border this world renowned wetland, and back to the potholed road which is the Princes Highway.

With caravan in tow, the road becomes the main focus and we try to avoid the worst of the hazards, but despite the current road conditions, this is one of the best scenic drives to take in South Australia, which follows the Coorong for around 100 kilometres. Don’t let the current condition of the road put you off, surely the road can’t stay so bad for too long can it?

Continuing south you’ll pass through the town of Kingston where you’re greeted by ‘Larry’ who’ll leave you in no doubt as to what this region of SA is known for. Larry the Lobster is 17 metres tall and is one of Australia’s ‘Big Things’ that loom large around the country.

Larry signals that you’ve arrived at the Limestone Coast, a region known for amongst other things, its seafood, dramatic coastal scenery and friendly seafront towns.  Unfortunately we’re a little early for lobster season which starts in October and runs through until May each year, but there are so many other reasons to visit.

Our destination is Robe, where we stay at the Sea Vu caravan park, which is perched on a headland overlooking Guichen Bay.  Some of the caravan sites, including ours, are a little tight to get into but we managed with a bit of, to and froing.  For our effort we are congratulated by our caravan neighbour who confesses that it was almost grounds for divorce when they attempted it. You have to laugh!

Once we’re settled in, the view makes it immediately worthwhile with Hoopers Beach on one side, Town Beach on the other and Guichen Bay ahead of us. Best of all, town is just a short walk from the caravan park, made easy with a shortcut from the park that leads into the main street only around 450 metres away.

Robe has retained a lot of historic buildings and you can take a heritage walk around town to find them. Many of the buildings bear plaques that explain their original purpose and include some amusing anecdotes from the past.

Along the foreshore there’s the particularly interesting Chinese Memorial which remembers the 17,000 Chinese people who landed in Robe between the years 1857 and 1863, on their way to Victoria and the quest for gold. By landing in Robe and then walking over 400 kilometres to the goldfields, they circumvented having to pay a ten pound landing fee imposed by the Victorian Government of the time. This brought a great deal of work and money to the people of Robe where services were sold, goods exchanged, and only a one pound landing fee was charged. Three of the Chinese ships were wrecked in that time and this Pai Fang, welcome gate, was erected as a memorial to the town’s shared history with the Chinese – Australian community.

Being the end of winter, we’re not surprised that visitor numbers seemed low for a popular seaside town, but unfortunately for us it didn’t take long to realise that quite a few shops and businesses were ‘closed for August…see you in September’. Not ideal when you only have one week in town, but for those planning a visit, take note!

Despite the closures there were still places open for business, so we visited them all to show our appreciation and were happy to spend up. When you visit make sure to stop in to some of our favourite finds including Robetown Chocolate Co., Robe Fresh Seafood and Takeaway, Robe Town Brewery, Robe Store and a number of lovely homewares shops in the main street.

Also worth a look, are the Robe Hotel and The Caledonian (Cally) Inn. The latter is a beautiful old stone building, built in 1859 with a cosy English pub feel.  The front bar had a welcoming wood fire going in winter, and a really lovely dining room with décor that gives you the feel of being cocooned in a ship. The food was outstanding as were the local wines on offer.

We visited one of the nearby wineries that was open during August, and at Cape Jaffa Wines the hospitality was terrific, including the welcome from the winery cat. The winery is around 20 kilometres from Robe and when you visit you can taste from their range of wines and enjoy a charcuterie platter with wonderful views from the deck overlooking part of the vineyard, or indoors in the cosy heated cellar door.

Back in Robe you can take a terrific scenic coastal walking trail which you can take to see old gaol remnants, spectacular rugged coast and the striking red and white striped obelisk, that much of Robe uses as an emblem of the town. This is turning out to be an unfortunate choice, as the significant landmark which has stood since 1855, is sadly in danger of falling off into the sea.

Since 2009 the stability of the cliff at Cape Dombey where the obelisk sits, has been under question, for public safety reasons, and the risk of rising sea levels and erosion have only added to the concerns. Historic photos have shown how the cliff erosion over a 60 year period has gradually been eating away at the headland to the point where the obelisk is now too dangerous to go near, and is fenced off to the public.   

Over time the local authorities have deemed that protection or relocation of the structure would require substantial engineering and considerable cost, therefore this tourist drawcard for the town is doomed to the elements and will eventually fall into the sea as rubble. The obelisk is a hollow, unreinforced structure made of local limestone and cement and unfortunately just hasn’t been able to withstand the forces of time and nature.

Until its eventual demise though, you can still walk to the exclusion zone and with a bit of creative photography, capture the original obelisk in place, but for how long that’s unknown. A replica obelisk will eventually be built on a new site and the stories will live on no doubt.

For more spectacular coastal views on the outskirts of Robe you can take a drive to Little Dip Conservation Park, and drive some 4WD tracks to the rugged beaches.

The area is known for great beach fishing and even surf spots, but even these wild and remote beaches don’t exclude the area from the scourge of plastic which litter the sandy beaches. Half a sack of plastic rubbish collected and I had hardly made a dent in what lay on the beach.

Another popular beach that Robe is known for is Long Beach which is easily accessible from town and a popular drive on beach for locals and visitors in summer. The 12 kilometres of white sand beach draws people in for swimming, surfing and beach fishing, but just as our luck would have it, don’t even think about it this winter.

 We loved Robe and surrounds, but it goes to show that sometimes, in caravanning and life, you need to have a Plan B!

Enjoy,

Glenys

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