Goolwa to Cape Jervis
Drive from Goolwa to Cape Jervis to see top surf spots, buzzing coastal villages, sheltered fishing bays and more.
Renowned for its surf beach, and as one of South Australia's best vantage spots to watch the southern right whales, Middleton is only a 10 minute drive from Goolwa, along the Victor Harbor Road. Middleton Point is popular with surfers and the elevated car park makes a superb viewing platform for whale-watching betwen April and October.
A further five minutes away, the village of Port Elliot is perched on a hill overlooking Horseshoe Bay. The Strand is Port Elliot's main street and old stone cottages house bric-a-brac shops, galleries and cafés. Port Elliot is also home to one for the Fleurieu Peninsula's best bakeries. Long queues often form at lunchtime and in summer extend out along the footpath.
Horseshoe Bay is a sheltered bay ideal for swimming, fishing off the jetty or dining in the Flying Fish Cafe right on the beachfront. The clifftop lookout at Freeman Nob at the end of The Strand provide stunning panoramic views of the entire Encounter Bay coast. Leading from the lookout is a 15 minute clifftop walk, which passes secluded Green Bay with its tiny, rocky beach. At the end of the pathway watch the waves crash over the rocks, as body boarders ride the powerful swell at Knight's Beach.
Heading towards the seaside holiday town of Victor Harbor, you'll pass Boomer, Chiton Rocks and Dump beaches, all with powerful surf and fringed with grassy dunes. Victor Harbor is home to a permanent population of 12,500 but this triples during summer with holidaymakers.
A horse-drawn tram along the causeway links the mainland to Granite Island, home to a colony of tiny little penguins, which make their way back to their island burrows each night at dusk. The Bluff, at the western end of Encounter Bay, provides sweeping views back to Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Seal Rock, Wright Island and Petrel Cove.
Brush up on your knowledge of whales and other creatures of the deep at the SA Whale Centre or take the kids to Greenhills Adventure Park for waterslides, archery, flying foxes, paddle boats on the lake and more.
Heading out of Victor on the Waitpinga Road, you'll find the twin surf beaches of Waitpinga and Parsons. A strong undertow makes these beaches only suitable for experienced surfers.
Nearby Deep Creek Conservation Park offers rugged walks over grassy clifftops and through scrubb to hidden waterfalls. Follow the signs to Cape Jervis, which is the starting point of the world-famous Heysen Trail, a holy grail for walkers.
Cape Jervis is also the departure point for the SeaLink ferry service to Kangaroo Island. Booking are recommended and essential for summer travel.
Maps
Download a Fleurieu Peninsula map for an overview of the region. You'll also find interactive Google maps of the Fleurieu Peninsula on its home page on SouthAustralia.com.
