South Australia's tastiest new tavern

THE Howling Dog Tavern is one of many new wining and dining options giving South Australia's Yorke Peninsula a lift, says Brad Crouch.

Cape Spencer / Tourism SA

A HOWLING dog is making its presence felt on the Lower Yorke Peninsula.

The "Dog" is the newest addition at Corny Point, at the bottom end of the peninsula, and residents have immediately taken it to heart.

The Howling Dog Tavern opened just before Christmas as the latest watering hole in the area.

For many years the worthy Warooka Hotel laid claim to being the last pub on the peninsula, and technically still is. But now there are suddenly more wining and dining options for those heading further south. Not pubs, but four taverns, each with its own identity.

The character-laden Rhino's Tavern at Stenhouse Bay is a religious stop-off for many heading to fish, surf and camp at Innes National Park. It's named after a nearby headland that looks like a rhino's head.

Nearby Marion Bay Tavern has for several years' served the growing local and visitor population in a town where shacks are being replaced by mansions.

Then last year, Tavern on Turton, with sensational views over Point Turton and Hardwicke Bay, brought a new atmosphere to the boom holiday town just down the road from Warooka.

The tavern is fairly upmarket, with a kids' room, pool table, aquarium, a dining room overlooking the bay through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and large veranda. Very nice, and they have specials, with locally-caught king george whiting priced at $29.50.

Welcome the rolling thunder of the waves

Further down the peninsula the Howling Dog is a little more basic, serving a smaller community – a beautifully broad veranda leads to a bar area with wide-screen TV, opening straight to the dining area. Local fisherman "Muzza" sells fresh-caught fish to the tavern (and nearby caravan park) so bring your appetite.

The Howling Dog name is part of SA history – the great navigator Matthew Flinders recorded the noise of howling dogs in his journal as he passed the region – he also named the spot Corny Point, in reference to corn on the foot-shaped peninsula.

A sculpture is a sign of how the community has accepted the tavern – when he heard the name, local artist Anthony Bamford volunteered to make a sculpture and has fashioned an extraordinary "howling dog" figure out of old farm machinery.

The interesting name has already been put to good use. It is claimed a local wag rang the council dog catcher to complain about a howling dog in the area and managed to get him to the area twice before he twigged to the gag.

The "Dog," run by Dave Healey, is near the very good Corny Point Caravan Park, run by Charlie and Jenelle Tooze, which is just down a gravel road from a quiet Spencer Gulf back beach where fishing boats bob and ancient tractors haul vessels.

A short drive further brings you to the glorious surf beaches, usually deserted. It's easy to see where the quiet bay beaches turn to rolling surf.

Go past the local shop (better still, call in for one of Hannah's hamburgers) and you'll find the Corny Point lighthouse standing as a warning beacon as the coastline makes a sharp turn to welcome the rolling thunder of the waves.

Be wary of rips. But if you are waterwise there are some great spots to catch a wave or some salmon, or just explore rock pools.

It's a place of dirt roads and sunning lizards, of dolphins and kangaroos, of giving the single-finger G'day wave to oncoming drivers. And of a howling dog.

Taken from the Sunday Mail