Be beside the seaside
Taste the good life in a charming holiday town.
1 Imagine Cabot Cove (Murder She Wrote) meets Cornwall’s Port Isaac (standing in for Doc Martin’s Portwenn) and you have one of Australia’s prettiest seaside towns. Honey-coloured stone cottages and historic pubs nestle snugly around the blue waters of Guichen Bay on South Australia’s rugged Limestone Coast, where, in season, a small lobster fleet puts to sea. Too far from Adelaide (340km) or Melbourne (580km) to have fallen prey to rampant coastal development, the historic heart of this picturesque town remains intact, although wealthy pastoralists have kept holiday homes here since the 19th century and over summer the town is tremendously busy (I prefer to visit in winter when this dramatic stretch of coast is at its most atmospheric). Little cottages, handsome bank buildings, romantic inns redolent of rugged seafaring days — Robe was once one of southern Australia’s busiest ports, shipping wool direct to London — contribute to a set-in-aspic magic. A Pai Fang (ceremonial gate) stands in the shallows commemorating the thousands of Chinese men and women who came ashore in the mid 19th century to avoid a Victorian poll tax before beginning the long trek to the goldfields. Download a walking guide to the town’s more than 80 historical sites at walkingsa.org.au.
2 Surfers arrived in Robe in the freewheeling 1960s and the Robe Easter Classic, first held in 1968, remains one of the world’s longest-running surfing competitions (shifted to October this COVID year). Drop by the legendary Steve’s Place surf shop on the main street, first opened in 1966 and now run by Steve’s son Sam. Popular surf spots include the drive-on Long Beach and, for advanced surfers, the rugged Stony Rise in the Little Dip Conservation Park. Local farmer Charlie runs a popular surf school; robesurfschool.com.
3 The Mount Benson wine region is less than 10 minutes’ drive away but with two cellar doors on Robe’s high street you don’t need to leave town for a spot of wine tasting. Housed in the charming old Wilson’s Saddlery building, Karatta Wines has a large art gallery onsite; the creatures fashioned from upcycled metal by local artist JoJo Spook are particularly diverting. Try the “Cabsy” (a cabernet/syrah blend) and the delicious Tiny Star bubbles. Up the road there’s a real holiday vibe to the laid-back cellar door at Woodsoak Wines. Tables are set on the pavement, wine is served from an antique Indian bar and the samosa platters are fabulous (thanks to co-owner Sonia’s Indian heritage); karattawines.com.au ; woodsoakwines.com.au.
4 These days no self-respecting seaside town would dream of serving bad coffee and Robe has its own roastery. Award-winning Mahalia Coffee also operates a coffee door (currently being smartly renovated and extended) on Flint Street, serving an all-day menu that includes lobster sangas. Company founder and coffee meister Mahalia roasts beans daily and packs fresh. Pick up a stash for the beach house; mahaliacoffee.com.au.
5 Victoria Street, Robe’s main thoroughfare, is home to several chi-chi boutiques and homewares stores and plenty of places to eat. The Adventurous Spoon spills out of a small stone cottage into the garden where an afternoon G&T is de rigueur (try the local Sink Hole gin). Union Cafe is great for breakfast and the rather smart Drift Cafe, all mid-century cool, does a good fish taco. For dinner there’s pizza at the buzzy The Project, lobster in season (Oct-May) at Sails. Alternatively, catch up over a cold one with a prawn po’ boy at The Cally (Caledonian Inn), dating from 1858 and one of the most charming pubs in the country.
Meantime the Black Swan fairly pumps on weekends, serving cocktails and tapas in cosy surrounds with the log fire blazing in winter. Opens 4pm daily; be early if you want a table; adventurousspoon.com; driftrobe.com.au; theprojectrobe.com; sailsatrobe.com.au; caledonianinnrobe.com.au.
6 If proper sourdough is important to your sense of wellbeing, you’re in luck. Rise of Robe sells its excellent loaves (and delicious Portuguese tarts) in a teeny-weeny shop next door to Karatta Wines. Hours of operation and stock are limited, so arrive for opening or better yet phone the day before to place your order; details are taped to the door. And for a sweet treat drop by the equally petite Pastry Place, next door to the laundromat, just off the main street, to stock up on really good croissants and pastries.
7 Robe is heaven for walkers. From the town beach head east along a marked trail through coastal heath, then onto Long Beach, arcing 17km around to Boatswain Point. Or walk west and follow cliff paths past the candy-striped obelisk (built in 1852 to warn ships of treacherous rocks), the ruins of the old jail, into the dunes and onto the wild West Beach. Running south from town, Little Dip Conservation Park is cuffed by a dramatic and rugged coastline (pack sensible shoes). Enter from Nora Creina Road for great walks that take in lakes, dense melaleuca forest, towering sand dunes and empty beaches, pounded by the wild Southern Ocean. Over the years I’ve encountered sheets of sea urchin shells, shipwreck debris and rare birds. The park offers 4WD access and camping grounds; parks.sa.gov.au.
8 The Robe Town Brewery (on White Street) was re-established in 2013 using methods that would be familiar to the original town brewer, George Lord Snr, who set up shop in the 19th century. Today’s ales are made by Maris Biezaitis using locally grown barley and foraged ingredients, including pigface and muntries picked in nearby dunes and mulberries growing wild along the Coorong. The ale is made using a wood-fired brewing kettle and filtered through a bed of straw. Drop by the tasting room to enjoy a flight, with live music every other weekend; robetownbrewery.com.au.
9 The fabled terra rossa soils of the Coonawarra are just an hour away and make for the perfect day out. With more than 25 cellar doors to visit, as well as art galleries and the Mary MacKillop interpretative centre, telling the story of Australia’s first saint, there’s plenty to see. Be sure to stroll Penola’s Petticoat Lane, a quaint little enclave of historic cottages and gardens. With long vineyard views, Upstairs at Hollick is popular for lunch; hollick.com.
