Silver Gulls, Victor Harbor

The Victor Harbor area is an excellent place to observe birds.

The beaches and islands and rocky outcrops along the coast afford good views of many species.

The river corridors leading through the town have a completely different set of birds while the hinterland areas of farming, scrublands and open woodlands reveal yet a different set of species.

Here I have featured photos of just three common species.

For more information about birds, and the birds of Victor Harbor in particular, go to my Birding Blog here. The posts include photos of many more species.

Further reading:

• Birds of Granite Island, Victor Harbor
• Birds of Encounter Bay
• More Birding at Victor Harbor
  

Sooty Oystercatcher, Victor Harbor

Australian Magpies, Victor Harbor

The Bluff, Victor Harbor

Along with Granite Island just off the coast, The Bluff is the most prominent natural feature of the Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay area.

At the base of the this hill there is a narrow dirt road leading to a fishing jetty.

This jetty is very popular with locals and visitors alike, and is one spot where fishing can be plentiful.

Fishing jetty at the base of The Bluff, Victor Harbor

Fishing jetty at the base of The Bluff, Victor Harbor

Ocean view near Victor Harbor

There are many spectacular views of beaches and the ocean in and around Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia.

My friend Rod took us on a tour of some of the highlights on a recent visit to the popular seaside town.

These photos were taken on the south side of the prominent hill know as The Bluff.

Ocean view near Victor Harbor

Ocean view near Victor Harbor

Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Encounter Bay at Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia is one of the most picturesque spots in our state. We love visiting for day trips as it is just a little over an hour from home.

We also enjoy taking our caravan there and staying for a weekend or a few days. On our most recent trip in March of this year, my friend and fellow writer Rod and his wife took us on a tour of the highlights. He drove us around in his 1928 Model A Ford which, in itself, was a highlight. The tour included a picnic cuppa on The Bluff, from where I took these photos.

Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Picnic on The Bluff at Victor Harbor, South Australia

On our recent short holiday in Victor Harbor we went to visit my friend and fellow writer Rod. On the Sunday afternoon he took us for a tour of Victor Harbor in his wonderful 1928 A Model Ford. We ended up at the picnic area half way up The Bluff, a prominent granite hill to the south west of the town. Here we had a wonderful picnic with magnificent views of the town and Encounter Bay.

Picnic on The Bluff at Victor Harbor, South Australia

Picnic on The Bluff at Victor Harbor, South Australia

NO – the white hair is NOT my hair. It was attached to the wonderfully appropriate hat Rod gave me to wear for the afternoon.

Rod's 1928 A Model Ford

On our short holiday in Victor Harbor in March we were invited to visit my friend and fellow writer Rod and his good wife. Rod had promised me a tour of Victor Harbor in style – in his 1928 A Model Ford no less.

He dressed us up in a fancy hat – kept strategically at the front door for such occasions – and we were off, complete with picnic basket and thermos and the makings for afternoon tea.

It was a hoot waving royally to strangers as we chugged along in style.

I’ll post more photos in coming days.

Rod's 1928 A Model Ford

Rod's 1928 A Model Ford

Rod's 1928 A Model Ford

Our caravan spot at Victor Harbor March 2010

Back in March this year we had a long weekend in Victor Harbor. This is an annual pilgrimage for us a a number of friends. Our wives go to attend a convention while the men do the cooking, cleaning and generally sitting around solving the world’s problems.

It’s a really relaxing weekend for all concerned.

Above is a photo of our caravan site, situated under some shady trees which were in flower and full of very noisy lorikeets. Our caravan is the one on the right – this one with the towels drying on the front. We were sitting around with friends discussing what friends discuss.

Below is a photo of Encounter Bay taken the next day.

Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia

The Bluff, Victor Harbor, South Australia

The Bluff is a prominent feature of the seascape at Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia. It is on the edge of the seaside town of Victor Harbor which is about an hour’s drive from the state capital, Adelaide.

The Bluff is a rocky outcrop of granite jutting into the skyline to the south west of the town. There are several walking trails to the top but these can be demanding to the unfit person. There is a road to the top and excellent views can be seen from the lookout, including of Victor Harbor, Encounter Bay, Granite Island and the Southern Ocean stretching to Antarctica.

At the base of the steep hillside there is a small parking area and a spot where there is excellent fishing from a jetty. In the photo above you can just make out several cars and the jetty on the lower right hand side of the photo (click on the photo to enlarge the image).

The Bluff, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Further reading with more photos:

• Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor
• The Bluff, Victor Harbor
• Horse drawn tram, Victor Harbor
  

Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Probably the best known feature of Victor Harbor is Granite Island, shown in the photos on this post. Victor Harbor, on the south coast of South Australia, is about an hour’s drive south of the state capital, Adelaide. It is a favourite day trip from the capital as well as being a popular destination for interstate visitors.

These photos were taken while we had a weekend there last year. we stayed in one of the excellent caravan parks, ours being right on the foreshore of Encounter Bay (see yesterday’s post for more photos).

Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Granite Island is joined to the mainland by a causeway. It takes less than two hours to walk out to the island, around the walking track that circumnavigates it and to return to the town. You can linger longer of course for there is a fine restaurant near the jetty as well as some excellent fishing spots.

Granite Island, Victor Harbor, South Australia

A highlight of a visit is to see the Little Penguins which feed out to sea and return to the island to nest and feed their young.

Little Penguins, Adelaide Zoo

Further reading:

• Horseshoe Bay
• The Cockle Train
• The birds of Granite Island
• The Breakwater, Granite Island
  

Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia

The historic Port Goolwa played a very significant role in the early development of South Australia. When many areas along the River Murray were being settled by farmers there were few ways to get supplies to them. It was just as difficult to get their wool and wheat to the markets.

Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia

Port Goolwa was established in the very early years of settlement. Paddlesteamers took supplies up the River Murray to towns and farmers along the river. They then brought back loads of wheat and wool to Goolwa. Although the mouth of the river was just a few kilometres downstream from Goolwa it was generally unsafe for navigation. Their cargo was unloaded at Port Goolwa and transferred by train to Port Elliot where sea going ships carried the goods to other ports in Australia or to the growing European market. Economically this was vital to the growth of the new colony of South Australia. In the 1850s Victoria was in the grip of gold rush fever and South Australia was able to forge ahead supplying the other rapidly growing colonies.

Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia

Australia’s first steel railway line was built here from Port Goolwa to Port Elliot a few kilometres to the west. Today this historic line still has steam trains running regularly, but now the cargo is tourists from all over the world. The so-called Cockle Train takes its name from the abundance of the shell-fish cockles found along the beaches near here.

Schedule of services:

The Cockle Train now runs from Goolwa to Port Elliot and on to Victor Harbor. The trains run three times each way every day during Easter, long weekends and during most school holidays. It also operates every Sunday throughout the year.

Link:

• Steamranger Heritage Railway – more details on prices, schedules and bookings, as well as other historic trains in South Australia.