‘I haven’t thought about it at all’: Voters still fishing for answers in tourist hotspots
School holidays have drawn a crowd in the state’s South-East, but the people we spoke to were drawing a blank when it came to how they would cast their Voice vote.
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It’s lunchtime at Robe Seafood and Sharayah Williams can’t talk for long. She’s busy behind the deep fryer, putting on orders for a growing crowd of hungry customers.
We’re on day six of The Advertiser's Voicewagen tour and we’ve travelled to the seaside tourist hotspot to gauge how locals will vote in Saturday’s Voice to Parliament referendum.
Luckily, Sharayah, 28, can sum up her position in a matter of seconds.
“I’m working, I’ve got four kids … I haven’t thought about it at all,” she tells us.
At the till is Emily Raines, freshly 18, who moved to Robe six months ago from the Riverland. It’s taken her that long to get used to the colder weather.
Asked how she thinks she’ll vote, she says she’s not sure either.
“To be honest, I’ll tick whatever box mum tells me to,” she says.
After last night making the trek down the Coorong, Nelson the 1973 Kombi van is parked out the front of the Victoria St shop. It’s a hive of activity.
A group of tradies is sitting waiting for their orders, including Josh Perry, 40, who tells us he’s spoken with Aboriginal friends and decided to vote no.
Also waiting is Rosalie Erkelenz, 51. She’s in town from Adelaide and tells us she’ll vote yes.
“It’s about time,” she says.
Rosalie is not the only visitor we have encountered on our travels today. Robe’s population of 1500 swells by 15,000 during the summer and, while that’s still a couple of months off, the current school holidays have pulled a crowd.
At Mahalia Coffee this morning we met yes voter Anna Scott, 39, and no voters Felicity and Samuel, both 47. All three were down from Adelaide.
Our next stop was the Robe Obelisk, where we got chatting with Kombi enthusiasts Peer and Gai Cathcart – another Adelaide couple. They’re undecided.
“I agree with the principle of it but not so much the execution,” Gai says.
Before we leave, there’s one last place we decide to pop in to. It’s a small shopfront at the end of the Victoria St, home to specialty bread store Rise of Robe. Maybe it was fate.
Behind the counter is Ernst Jury, 75. He’s lived here since 2017 and, when asked about the referendum, he says he’s leaning towards no.
“I really don’t believe that it’s going to improve the lives of Aboriginal people,” he says.
Ernst generously sends us on our way with a box of fresh croissants and tarts and tells us to drive safely to Mount Gambier, the next destination on our tour.
We’re not 30 minutes into our drive when the lure of the pastry becomes too much, so we pull off to the side of the road for a break and treat ourselves to one last delicious taste of Robe.
Nelson’s got a shorter drive today – just the 130 scenic kilometres across to South Australia’s second largest city.
We reach Mount Gambier in the afternoon and our first stop is the iconic Blue Lake. Partly to see who we can find, partly because we’re just keen to check it out.
Taking in the views are Ian and Irene Hardie, aged 71 and 68, and their dog Alfie. At 14 years old, he looks good for his age and he’s a great travelling companion.
The three are from Sydney but caravanning around the country for five weeks. Ian and Irene have already voted – both no.
“I think the politicians need to listen to the elders and what they're saying,” Ian tells us.
A bit up the road, we run into Bev Gould, 79, and her granddaughter Ella, 8, outside Badenoch’s Ice Cream Cafe in the suburb of Moorak.
Ella, who has gone for a bubblegum cone, is down from Adelaide for the school holidays to spend time with her Mount Gambier-based grandparents.
Bev’s not backward in coming forward. She’s voted no and thinks most people in the area will too.
“Why do we need it?” she asks.
“We have Indigenous people in the parliament already.”
Downtown, just after 5pm, most people we chat to have just knocked off work and don’t have nearly as strong opinions about Saturday’s referendum.
In fact, a couple say they didn’t even know it was on.
Grace Cutting, 27, says she’ll make a decision on the day, while Kym Hammond, 44, is also undecided. He’s got lots on his plate at the moment.
“It’s a busy time of the year for people,” he says.
Lachie, 21, and Eryn, 22, and Shae, 23, stop for a chat on their way to the shops.
Lachie and Eryn are undecided but Shae says she plans to vote yes.
“I’ve got Indigenous friends who support it,” she says.
“Plus, just the fact that Pauline Hanson is voting no.”
Caroline Balshaw, 63, from Mount Gambier pulls up in a park next to Nelson. She will vote no.
“You just don’t know what would happen if it got through,” she tells us.
Jenny Simon, 38, who works at the hospital, is voting yes.
Asked why, she says “I feel it’s the right thing to do”.
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