Stormboy country, coastal views and seal shenanigans – Goolwa and Victor Harbor, Fleurieu Peninsula SA

Days 11-13

After our cultural morning at the d’Arenberg Cube, we continued down the Fleurieu Peninsula to the small riverside town of Goolwa, settling in for a few nights at Crabtree Farm. This was a terrific camping spot on the former dairy property of Viki and Michael — rustic, quirky and wonderfully quiet, with plenty of grass, shade and clean amenities, including a very cool outdoor shower. Viki was also a wealth of information, particularly helpful as we started thinking ahead to Kangaroo Island. Highly recommended.

That afternoon was devoted to life admin — coffee, laundry — and some award‑winning donuts from the local bakery. We also had a wander around historic Goolwa, Australia’s first inland port and the place where the Murray River meets the sea. Having recently camped on the Murray itself, and seen where it meets the Darling, it felt fitting to see where its long journey finally ends before flowing out to the ocean.

Goolwa and the surrounding Coorong wetlands are also the inspiration for Colin Thiele’s Stormboy, and both the 1976 and 2019 film adaptations were shot nearby. Judging by the number of pelicans we saw, Mr Percival may well have some relatives still hanging about.

One day was spent visiting Victor Harbor. We skipped the horse‑drawn tramway and instead walked across to Granite Island (Nulcoowarra), doing the Kaiki circuit walk. The ocean views were spectacular, with enormous granite boulders splashed with orange lichen. Naturally, we took the obligatory cheesy photo in the Victor Harbor frame.

Being by the sea sparked a craving for fish and chips, and we were happy to discover what Google claimed were the best in the area. They absolutely hit the spot - especially eaten with ocean views.

Some of the historic buildings in Victor Harbor were lovely. 

While Stephen relaxed back at Izzy, I climbed The Bluff (Longkuwar) and was rewarded with sweeping 360‑degree views over the coast, Granite Island and Victor Harbor. A great day all round.

We revisited Goolwa another day, this time crossing to Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) for a better view of the Murray Mouth. Some may remember the national controversy surrounding the construction of the bridge to the island, with the Ngarrindjeri people opposing it due to “Secret Women’s Business”. The project was halted under the Keating government before being approved by the Howard government, and the bridge eventually opened in 2001. Its history is complex, but there’s no denying it’s a striking structure.

At the river mouth we spotted a sand dredger — part of the Murray Mouth Sand Pumping Project, essential for keeping the mouth open and maintaining a healthy Coorong ecosystem. We were also puzzled by strange seagrass balls scattered along the shore. A quick Google revealed they’re natural fibrous formations that help trap marine debris — and are even used as chew toys for small pets. Odd, but impressive.

And then there were the seals! Near the Goolwa Barrages - built to regulate river flow and reduce salinity - we were delighted to see seven long‑nosed fur seals swimming, playing and sunning themselves on the wooden structures. We could have watched them for hours. Seal photo spam to follow. Sorry not sorry. (Watch the video in full screen).

From there, we made our way to Cape Jervis for our evening ferry to Kangaroo Island, taking the long way via the spectacular Waitpinga and Parsons Beaches - a fitting farewell (for now) to the Fleurieu Peninsula with its wild coastline, big skies and endless ocean.