Cruising the coast
Beachport on the Limestone Coast.
If there was a nearby region home to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, a world-renowned wetland, and world-class wines and beaches, you might be keen to visit.
Words: John Pedler
Well, pack the car and hit the road, because the Limestone Coast offers all this, plus volcanoes. On this road trip, we head down the coast to Mount Gambier and return via Naracoorte, checking out plenty of attractions along the way.
The first leg out of Adelaide follows the South Eastern Freeway and Princes Highway to Tailem Bend, a popular refreshment and leg-stretching spot. If you’re looking for somewhere to devour a pie and quaff a coffee, head to Tailem Bend Playground, across the road from the bakery on Railway Terrace. With it’s expansive lawned area, tables and shelters, and a bonus steam locomotive, it’s an ideal place for a break.
Birds, beaches and lobsters
Just 2km from Tailem Bend, turn right to follow the Princes Highway past the lakeside town of Meningie, and on to the Coorong. The Coorong is a 140km-long lagoon separated from the Southern Ocean by a strip of sand dunes. The diversity of local birds and seasonal fly-ins from distant lands has seen this stretch of water recognised by the environmental body Ramsar as a Wetland of International Importance. If you’re keen on kayaking in pristine waterways, four-wheel-driving across dunes to an ocean beach, or observing the lifestyle of Eurasian coots, you might choose to linger here.
The next town is Kingston SE, where you’ll be welcomed by Larry, a 17m-tall, remarkably lifelike steel and fibreglass lobster. Larry has been startling unsuspecting visitors since 1979. Another local landmark is Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, which was originally perched on Margaret Brock Reef, 8km offshore. With living quarters for two families, it operated from 1872 until it was gifted to the National Trust of South Australia in 1973 and moved to Kingston’s foreshore. The lighthouse now houses a museum, which can be explored on a guided tour.
From Kingston SE, the Princes Highway heads inland, bypassing the charming coastal towns of Robe and Beachport. If you do choose this more direct route away from the coast, be prepared for astonished friends and family when they discover you didn’t go to Robe and Beachport.
Best to take the Southern Ports Highway and avoid the shame. Just south of Kingston SE you’ll pass through the Mount Benson wine district, where you can pick up a few cool-climate varieties for the cellar.
Robe is steeped in maritime history, and it’s also well-known for its cafes, breweries, fashion boutiques and the 42 flavours at Robe Ice Cream shop. A wander around town will leave you well fed, knowledgeable in local history, and a few dollars lighter. Sheltered from Southern Ocean surf, the 17km-long, aptly named, Long Beach is a Limestone Coast treasure. If the short stroll from your beachside accommodation seems too far, jump in the SUV and drive directly on the beach for a day of sun and surf. For rugged coastal views, take a stroll from the clifftop red and white striped obelisk to the lighthouse. Four-wheel drivers equipped for sand driving can discover a world of secret beaches and coastal features in Little Dip Conservation Park, south of Robe.
Laid back Beachport is popular for fishing, surfing and stunning ocean views. Bowman Scenic Drive leads to several lookouts and beaches. If you arrive in town during lobster season, head to the Lobster Pot fish market at the base of the jetty to source these tasty little Larrys at their freshest.
Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul, Mount Gambier.
Little Blue Lake, Mount Gambier.
Volcanoes, sinkholes and fish and chips
After Beachport, the highway heads to Millicent, and then on through farmland and pine forests to the ‘capital’ of the Limestone Coast, Mount Gambier.
Turn up in the warmer months to be dazzled by the intense colour of Blue Lake/Warwar, which occupies one of the region’s several volcanic craters. The reason for the lake’s colour change from dull grey in winter to Photoshop-blue in summer isn’t fully understood, but the boffins speak of temperature change and calcium carbonate micro-crystals.
On a geological time scale, the fiery mayhem that wreaked havoc on the countryside occurred only a moment ago, and is even recorded in the stories of the local Boandik people. Just south of town, take the steep walk to the rim of Mount Schank and peer into the scorched maw of the volcano’s cinder cone. In all other directions, tranquil rural scenes stretch off to the horizon. While you’re down this way, drive the extra 20km to the rugged coastline of SA’s most southerly point, Cape Northumberland. Celebrate this motoring milestone with a seafood feast at Salt Café & Bar or a fish ‘n’ chips picnic beside the beach at nearby Port MacDonnell.
Back in Mount Gambier, descend the stairs to the bottom of the fairytale-esque Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul. Wander lawned terraces decorated with assorted leafy shrubs, lush green ferns, and hundreds of hydrangeas that burst into colour each summer. Curtains of ivy hanging from the sinkhole’s walls complete this magical scene.
Caves, fossils and big reds
For the return trip to Adelaide, head north on the Riddoch Highway through the pine plantations to Penola. Pretty as a picture, this historic town was once home to Mary MacKillop, who cofounded Australian Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1866, and became Australia’s first saint in 2010. The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre is dedicated to her work. For a flush of rural charm, stroll around the corner to Petticoat Lane, where quaint 19th century cottages line the street.
The Coonawarra district, just north of Penola, is famed among wine enthusiasts for its terra rossa – red soil in Italian – which produces some of the finest cab-savs in the country. With more than 25 cellar doors and a range of reds and whites to choose from, a pre-visit research and planning session is essential – perhaps over a glass of wine and a cheese board.
The next major stop is Naracoorte. Naracoorte Caves National Park is the only UNESCO World Heritage-listed site in South Australia. Thanks to the many animals that fell through pitfalls into the cave system over the past half a million years, palaeontologists have an invaluable fossil record of long-extinct megafauna, like marsupial lions and sthenurine kangaroos. As well as old bones, the caves are adorned with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. Non-claustrophobic travellers can don protective gear and join an adventure caving tour.
Coonawarra Experiences.
The last leg
The northern end of the Riddoch Highway meets the Dukes Highway at Keith, where Adelaide bound travellers will head west. On the run home, be sure to stop at Tintinara’s Heart of the Parks visitor centre. As well as providing local touring information, the centre stocks a range of locally-made sauces, jams, biscuits, and nifty arts and crafts.
Having gathered a car load of goodies from around the Limestone Coast, you can enjoy a nosh up at home while planning your next SA regional holiday. Eyre Peninsula looks good.
IMAGES: Getty; SATC/As We Wander, Adam Bruzzone, Mike Haines, Carly Kruger; Tourism Australia.
