Limestone Coast

Robe is an affluent town seamlessly blending old with new: many old stone cottages have had substantial face-lifts and renovations to make them suitable for modern living without sacrificing their charm. 

The main street is full of eateries and some shops selling very high-end fashion with the mundane such as a supermarket is discretely tucked back. It has a population of around 3000 but this is considerably boosted during the summer season where it attracts visitors from Victoria and SA. The Marina is full of expensive sailing and motor vessels and there is pride taken in the history and culture of the town.

 

 

Robe has an interesting history: once one of the busiest ports on Australia's southern coastline, over a ten year period from 1856 wool valued at more than one million pounds was exported from here to London and thousands of immigrants landed on these shores including over 16,000 Chinese on their way to the Victorian goldfields. By landing here they avoided the 10 pound tax per head which was imposed on Chinese landing inn Victoria. So to avoid this they walked approximately 400k to reach the goldfields!

Flinders and Baudin were obviously busy along this southern coast around 1802 as there is a really lovely acknowledgement of them in Robe - two heads cast in bronze on a plinth in the area known as "The Royal Circus". It served as a roundabout guiding the flow of wagons as they delivered and collected supplies. It was the heart of the town's administrative life. The Customs house, police station, courthouse, government residence, telegraph station and post office were all nearby.

 Along this coastline there are numerous ship wrecks and looking at the rocky shoreline one is not surprised. Light stations and a light house were quickly erected to aid shipping. Two walking tracks along the seafront enable visitors to explore the coast and the town.

 

 Along the way you can explore the remnants of the Robe Gaol. There's not much left of it but it was important as part of the criminal justice system and it was the region's first purpose-built gaol. It was commissioned in 1859, opened in 1861 and closed in 1881 as Robe began to decline as an administrative and commercial centre. It included a substantial stone building with four holding cells, a receiving yard and a keeper's residence.

 

Once the gaol was closed it rapidly fell into disrepair and it's walls and stones were pilfered for road works and other buildings. Only in recent times has it been appreciated as a remnant of Robe's history and  stabilised and sign-posted. It's covered in scrawled names, symbols and some crude messages!

 Robe began to come alive as I drove out - shops were opened, coffee lovers were filling the indoor spaces (it was too cold to sit outside) dogs were out walking with their friends! Despite the sunshine it was cold with a very brisk wind coming directly off the ocean.

I had toyed with the idea of backtracking to Naracoote but decide against this and headed for Mt Gambier. There were many more glimpses of the sea as I drove onwards but soon the coast gave way to pastures full of cattle and some sheep. Close to Mt Gambier the road is bordered by plantations, mostly of pine but a few of eucalypts - SA Forests manage kilometre after kilometre of them, beautifully pruned and clean. 

Who would expect to see emus in pine forest? Four of them ambled quietly along the roadside!

Lakes, sinkholes and caves are the main attractions of Mt Gambier. The Blue Lake was blue! Blue Lake is Mt Gambier's water supply and is an exposure of the regional groundwater system.

 

The Umpherston Sinkhole is a truly stunning piece of gardening architecture. James Umpherston settled on land in Mt Gambier in 1880 and his land included a sink hole. He made extensive improvements to the property including a grand Victorian mansion and gardens. It was named "The Caves". James began to develop the sinkhole as a pleasant retreat from the summer heat. He had a footpath cut from it's highest point to the bottom of the hole and terraces and rock walkways were constructed and planted with ferns, shrubs and trees. At one stage the bottom of the hole was covered in water and a boat was used to show visitors around. James died in 1900 and gradually the sinkhole fell into disuse and disrepair .

Subsequent owners did little to repair the garden but in 1976 the Woods and Forest Department Social Club began restoration of the grounds and sinkhole.  Many thousands of hours of volunteer labour replaced the stairs, cleaned up the sinkhole and replanted. Truly a labour of love and determination. 

The City of Mt Gambier obtained the site in 1994 and is responsible for all maintenance and future development. Umpherston's original vision as an attractive and popular recreational area was once more a reality!

 

 Back to the coast at Port MacDonnell! This is yet another interesting and historic port which claims the title of the Rock Lobster Fishing Capital. There's a rich history of fishing and maritime activity here and of course, a ship wreck trail and lighthouse discovery story. 

The lighthouse was erected on Cape Northumberland in 1859 with one, Ben Germein as the lighthouse keeper. Ben also surveyed for a port to serve Mt Gambier and he selected the present site of Port MacDonnell.

The most famous ship wreck is that of the SS Admella who wrecked in 1859 resulting in the loss of 89 lives: one of the worst maritime disasters in Australia's history. The Admella was sailing from Adelaide to Melbourne when she struck Carpenters Reef and within 15 minutes the ship broke up leaving passengers and crew cling to wreckage a mile from shore. They clung to the wreckage and it was not until the third day, when two sailors managed to swim ashore, that people were alerted to the disaster.  

Several rescue attempts were made but mountainous seas and storms drove the rescuers back. Survivors lashed themselves to rigging, suffering lack of water and food, some were driven mad by drinking salt water and others quietly slipped away into the surf. On the eighth day a lifeboat managed to get through the surf and three people were taken ashore. Shortly after, the lifeboat Portland, rescued the remaining nineteen survivors.

Ben Germein was the hero receiving the Gold medal of the Royal Humane Society for his efforts in the rescue. Ben and his crew were instrumental in a number of rescues. In one rescue of the brig John Ormerod, Ben lost several of his fingers, crushed between his boat and the brig. 

It's no wonder that later in life Ben became somewhat confused and melancholic, often disappearing for long periods of time in his boat. He disappeared from his home in July, 1893 and nothing was heard of him again.  Sadly his decomposed body was found on 18th September. A very sad passing for a man who served so well in the shipping history of South Australia. 

 

No wonder this tragedy remains indelible in the history of this coast!

 So Port MacDonnell remembers and celebrates it's citizens and heroes, as do many of the small towns along the coast.

 In memory of the Rock Lobster fishermen.

 Calm today!

 On to Portland for the night. Had fantastic garlic prawns at the local pub! Yum!