When I lived in Australia, I did not live in Sydney. Not even in New South Wales. Not Queensland either or Perth. I lived in a small town in South Australia called Mount Gambier and although it was some way off the traditional tourist track, there were some nice places nearby.
Robe is a case in point. It is 130 kilometres from Mount Gambier, heading west and it is a really nice little area, known for its lovely beaches. My Father built houses there in the 1970s and his absolute waterfront houses were worth around AUD$3-4000.00.
Those very same houses are now worth in excess of three million! It shows how a place can grow in a couple of decades. No-one saw this in the seventies that's for sure.
Okay, let's take a closer look....
Many of the South Australian towns have a breakwater. Robe is no exception. These are quite large man made structures and they provide protection, a quiet harbour and at the same time, a great place to sit and fish, read or just sit looking out to sea.
And of course, what self respecting seaside town would be without a jetty!
I was in an abstract mood when I took this next set. I was after textures and things that would remind me of holidays in Robe once I was living in England - this was actually our last trip to Robe before leaving Australia for good so the following are things that mean something to me.
Shells on that wonderful sand....
Not much seaweed. Quite unlike Port Mac (see previous post) where you can sometimes smell the beach before you see it!
This little dinghy waiting on the sand said a lot about the place to me. The owners live in a house which is a minute's walk from the beach. They can wander down in the morning with a coffee if they want to.
In this one, you can see the tin roof on an old house. These corrugated iron roofs are a sign of being in Australia. This is a cheap building material and whole structures are made from it. Some of them are not as well insulated as they could be and this makes the house super hot in summer and super cold in the winter.
My grandparents had a cottage like this and whilst I loved the house, it was usually the same temperature inside as outside!
A foot print in the sand. This is as timeless as the beach itself.
Here is our shell again. It is the same one because, sadly, they are not too common anymore.
All sorts of weird and wonderful things wash up on a beach...
The limestone on the South Australian beaches is wonderful and interesting. It is full of unique shapes and caverns. Sharp as a razor to walk on though. Beach shoes are a must. I would recommend the neoprene sort that divers wear. They sit nicely on the feet with none of the risks associated with wet flip flops!
Here is the boat again. Couldn't resist!
In the background are Norfolk Island pines. Robe is quite known for them. They love the climate and give beautiful shade to sit under.
The end of a perfect day. Rob and our friend and owner of the yacht, Mark sailing in the late afternoon light. I stayed well away - tend to get sea sick in the bathtub! I am the odd one out in a family full of sailors.
Robe is a wonderful boutique town with some very nice eateries, wineries, galleries and interesting shops. It is a popular place to spend New Year's Eve too but things can get a little rowdy. If you are looking for serenity, it is not the place to go that night. Other times it is the place to do yoga on the sand first thing, take the dog for a run or wander along what seems to be an endless beach.
Travel from, Mount Gambier takes around an hour and a half so it is very do-able for a day trip. It is also handy for Adelaide (takes a little longer though) but it would be better to make a weekend of it if you are coming that way. Book well ahead in tourist season- the caravan parks (excellent and very close to the sea) can book quickly from one year to the next.
(C) Debbie von Grabler-Crozier 2014
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