On a bright sunny morning, my husband and I were cruising down the highway a little away from Adelaide city when we caught sight of a little furry creature dragging its body and crossing the road. A koala. It stopped and sat in the middle of the tarmac, refusing to move. We stopped and watched it for a few moments, before continuing our journey.
It was our first road trip across Australia; we had planned to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne, a distance of about 1,000 km, over three full days. Our agenda was to stop at little coastal towns along the Limestone Coast, take in the salts of the sea, and then continue down the Great Ocean Road.
The husband was at the wheel and I was poring over the maps, playing the navigator, along with the GPS. I had heard so much about the Great Ocean Road in Victoria that I was waiting for some spectacular views along the 250-km stretch of the coastal route. But what really took my breath away was the Limestone Coast that spanned along South Australia, joining the Victorian border. It was not just the quaint sea-side towns that lured me, but the variety of destinations along the region — from wetlands, vineyards, national parks to caves that begged me to stop.
Rough appearance
The Limestone Coast is believed to have been submerged under the Southern Ocean for over 25 million years. The sea eventually retreated a million years ago, leaving behind landscapes formed out of limestone deposits, craggy cliffs, crater lakes and caves filled with ancient fossils.
The map threw up so many places out of the blue that I was tempted to visit them all.
Our journey started at Adelaide. And I was barely out of Adelaide city when a pair of emus interrupted my journey as they posed for me. I continued only to be greeted by a sea of white. Never-ending strips of shallow salty lagoons greeted me almost an hour after we had left Adelaide.
Then I was at Coorong, where these lagoons stretch for more than 100 km and are separated from the ocean by sand dunes. It is a personal favourite. An avid birder like me could not resist when the largest pelican species in the world, the Australian pelican, decided to show itself in these wetlands. The Coorong National Park is believed to host more than 100 species of birds, but I was content just spotting the pelicans.
I moved on as my first port of halt was a little seashore town called Robe. But my next encounter was a 17 metre giant lobster called Larry, painted in red, greeting me at Kingston SE. But the beaches beckoned.
Robe was absolutely charming as I landed there in time for sunset. There was a handful of people walking around the beach, and I decided to head beyond the main town, towards the cliffs, to see the coastline drenched in the rays of the evening sun. Standing there alone, I could see the waters form into large pools, surrounded by the jagged outcrop.
The only reminder of Robe’s tryst with fame as a thriving 19th century port is the Cape Dombey Obelisk, perched silently atop a craggy outcrop overlooking the sea. Standing at 40 feet high, it used to help lost ships in the sea to navigate. I stood there imagining ships finding their way to the shore as the Limestone Coast was known to be rather treacherous.
There was much to do in Robe — cycling, fishing, birding, surfing, water sports and excursions into national parks near the town. As the day dawned, I joined the locals lazing on the beach. They liked to boast about its quaint history, but what I found interesting was a small memorial dedicated to 17,000 Chinese who came here during the Gold Rush of the 19th century. They apparently stayed in Robe and walked all the way, 400 km every day, to the Victorian mines, to avoid the tax levied by the state.
Cave exploration
I then decided to take a detour from the coastline towards Naracoorte to see the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Australia, where giant marsupials greeted me. A visit to the Naracoorte Caves took me into a world of fossils and bones, into a continent where massive marsupials lived in the region some 2,00,000 years ago. I walked around the Wonambi Fossil Centre that brought alive the extinct wildlife of Australia. I saw 20 life-size species of kangaroos from the era. However, only four survive today.
I saw a group of tourists sitting in the Bat Observation Centre, where they got a virtual peek inside the Bat Cave, now the home of Southern Bent winged species of bats. The other caves with the fossils — the Alexandra Cave, the Victoria Cave and the Blanche Cave — needed a guided tour. Finally I visited the Wet Cave, dark and mysterious with stalactite deposits, before continuing my journey.
Driving towards Penola from Naracoorte Caves, I was suddenly surrounded by a fabric of green on either side of the road with sign boards everywhere. Twenty-five cellar doors, spread among 20 km of lush greenery, beckoned me to taste their wines.
This was the Coonawarra Wine Region, where the first vintage was produced in the 19th century and the first winery was purchased by the Wynns Coonawarra Estate.
The limestone deposits along the coastline had enriched the soil in the region called terra rossa, which is a natural blend of limestone and clay mixed with the earth. On a visit to Rymills, where two bronze stallions welcomed me, I was allowed inside the cellars and learnt a bit more about Coonawarra’s specialities. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Shiraz were highly recommended and I had no idea how many glasses I sipped.
Beckoning blues
I then reached my last port of halt in South Australia before crossing into Victoria. Mount Gambier is a city located on the slopes of an extinct volcano. Crater lakes lure the tourists here, and I headed to one of them — The Blue Lake. It looked like a painting — a huge trough filled with still water glimmering in jet blue. I was told that one can see it in cobalt blue only between December and March. None really knows why it changes colour. Some believe it is due to changes in temperature.
The Valley Lake was pale in comparison with water in many shades lighter. I was fascinated by the names of the other two crater lakes — Mutton and Browne — only to be told that they had dried up.
It was well past noon when I left Mount Gambier. The roads opened up to several quaint towns, but I had left the boundaries of South Australia and had entered the state of Victoria. Another adventure awaited me, but that is a different story.
Fact file
Limestone Coast is located in the state of South Australia. The pristine 400 km coastline
comprises beaches and quaint seaside towns. Do begin your road trip in Adelaide to cover the entire coastline.
You can stay at Robe or Mount Gambier, and visit more than 20 destinations along the route, including vineyards and caves.
The road trip can take 3-5 days, depending on the time available.
Cars can be hired from Adelaide or Melbourne.
If you are driving on your own, do carry your driving licence, besides an international driving licence.