We spent 5 days in January travelling along the Limestone Coast from Port Macdonnell to Robe, across the Coorong to Goolwa then around the Fleurieu Peninsula to McLaren Vale on the first leg our Three Peninsulas, SA, road trip. Scroll down to see the highlights from each town. Watch the Three S.A Peninsula Video to see what to tick on all three peninsulas.
Port Macdonnell
Three things to tick in Port Macdonnell. 1. Fabulous bike/walking path from town to the lighthouse and Cape Northumberland, South Australia’s southernmost point. 2. Beautiful sunsets from the rugged beach. 3. Fingerpoint Lookout with endless views up the coast and over Camel Rock.
Mt. Gambier
Mt Gambier’s highlights revolve around the impossibly blue volcanic water holes in and around the town. So all three ticks here go to 1. Little Blue volcanic sinkhole 0km south of town where you can dive 8 metres down from the clifftops into the 47 metre deep water. 2. Blue Lake – the offical volcanic crater of Mt Gambier which glows almost iridescent blue from November to February each year. 3. The 3.6 km Blue Lake rim walk which has you gaping at the lake from every magnificent angle!
Robe
It’s hard to pick just three things to tick in the idyllic Robe but these are a must in my opinion!
- The Robe walking/cycling Trail and Loop path that winds 12kms along the coast from Long beach to the lighthouse (perfect for sunsets near Robe point) . 2. Long beach – walk, cycle, drive, swim on this amazing white sand beach and 3. The cafes and restaurants – we loved the Tapas at the quirky Black Swan.
The Coorong – 42 Mile Crossing – Goolwa
The Coorong National Park stretches 140km from Meningie to the Murray mouth near Goolwa. It’s mostly marshy salt lagoons that support a tonne of wildlife that sit behind the dunes of the Southern Ocean. There’s a few places you can pull off and camp, go 4WD on the beach or go for dune to ocean walks.
Highlights in this area include: 1. 42 Mile crossing campground and ocean beach hike – a 7 km return walk through sandunes to the ocean. Look closely at the pic below and you’ll see we saw a deer! 2. The wide open salt lakes and abundance of pelicans along the drive. 3. Goolwa an official cittislow town with some great cafes, historical walks and chilled vibes.
McLaren Vale – Willunga
This gorgeously green wine area tucked in behind the coast has some deliciously good boutique wineries and the nearby historical town of Willunga offers a good dose of gourmet treats too.
Highlights from these two places are: 1. Chalk Hill winery – their Friday nights in summer feature music, glorious sunsets and to die for Pinsas (Italian street pizzas). 2. Willunga township historical buildings and sculpture walk. 3. Driving around the wineries, sampling (responsibly)
