The Bluff Resort Apartments Victor Harbor review | SA’s Great Travel Planner

While there’s a big TV and a good music system, the best option is to lie on one of the two large leather lounges with a book or sit out on the huge deck and take in the view.

It’s fair to say the news that I had made it to the top of The Bluff at Victor Harbor drew little excitement from my family. My wife declared it old hat, since she’d been forced to climb it every time her family had visited when they were kids.

My daughter rolled her eyes and recalled she’d done it years ago on a school camp where wild weather and tales of drop bears had been much more memorable. My son beat everyone by announcing he’d rappelled down the cliff and it was no big deal.

The Bluff’s real name is Rosetta Head, and it’s just 97m high. It’s not a difficult walk, but the marble-like stones underfoot can be slippery and if you take the northern trail you won’t want to take a tumble because the first stop will be the rocks at the bottom.

But it was a lot of fun – good exercise, fabulous views all around, and educational. Who knew there had been a copper mine on the hill at one time?

As well, it turns out it was an excellent location to spot whales in the early 1800s when there was a whaling station in the bay below. And on top is a plaque, installed in 1902, commemorating the meeting – in what is now Encounter Bay – of Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin a century before. Best of all, for me it offers new enticement to visit Victor Harbor, a place I’d only previously known for its horse-drawn tourist tram to Granite Island, which is all very fine … once or twice.

The emphasis is on luxury at The Bluff Resort Apartments.

This time we made a weekend of the trip, starting off with lunch at The Flying Fish café overlooking a crisp and clear Horseshoe Bay, followed by a stroll around the knick-knack shops and a very decent bookshop or two in Port Elliot.

By midafternoon it was time to head to our accommodation, The Bluff Resort Apartments, in a part of Victor I had never been.

The low-slung buildings are part of a small enclave, which includes some private homes, above the Whaler’s Inn at Encounter Bay. They have sensational uninterrupted views of the water. And because they face north, they are protected by the headland from the prevailing southerlies, and so on the day we stay, offer a vast but almost silent view of the wide blue sea and sky. We can see the big swell rolling on to smash itself against the big granite boulders of Wright Island, but can hear next to nothing.

The infinity pool at The Bluff Resort Apartments.

There’s no through traffic, as the buildings are reached by a private road, and so we park outside the door of what turns out to be a spacious, light, three-bedroom, two-floor apartment.

Upstairs, where we enter, are a full-size kitchen, a bathroom, and a living and dining area opening out onto a huge deck with views all around. Downstairs are three bedrooms, and a big modern bathroom with a two-person spa and a separate entry from a garden.

The main bedroom has a very comfy kingsize bed which promises, and delivers, an uninterrupted slumber. But upstairs is the place to spend your time, and while there’s a big flat-screen TV and Foxtel, and a good music system, the best option is to lie on one of the two large leather lounges with a good book or sit out on the huge deck and just take in the view.

If there’s a gang of you, the kitchen is plenty big enough to cook and both the dining and outdoor tables are large enough for a big family. If cooking’s not your thing, the Whalers Inn with its fine water views, is just below – whether it’s for a coffee, a drink, or a meal.

And if you over indulge, take a lap or two in the infinity pool if it’s warm enough; or set off for The Bluff. The walk will burn some kilojoules, make you feel virtuous, and provide a very special South Australian view.

Reviews are unannounced and paid for by SAWeekend.

This review was first published in April 2016 and had details updated in March 2021.

• 123 Franklin Parade, Victor Harbor
• 8552 1200
• Bluffresort.com.au

• LOCATION Victor Harbor is 80km south of Adelaide.
• ACCOMMODATION 1, 2, or 3 bedroom apartments, plus studios and Motel suites are no view rooms.
• FACILITIES Full kitchen, spa bath, infinity solar heated outdoor swimming pool,
• leather sofas, LCD TVs, DVD player, free internet, reverse-cycle airconditioning, guest barbecue and laundry facilities, free wifi and Foxtel in all rooms. Note, each unit is individually furnished.
• PRICE From $159-$385 a night.