The main town on the peninsula, and 84 km south of Adelaide, Victor Harbor looks out onto Encounter Bay, where Flinders and Baudin had their historic meeting in 1802. There’s a memorial to the ‘encounter’ up on the steep headland known as The Bluff at the southern end of the bay, about 4 km south of the Victor Harbor post office.
Victor Harbor was founded as a sealing and whaling centre. The first whaling station was established here at Rosetta Harbor, below The Bluff, in 1837 and another followed soon after on Granite Island. Operations ceased in 1864 due to a dramatic decline in whale numbers.
Things to See & Do:
St Augustine’s Church of England
Historic buildings include St Augustine’s Church of England (1869), the Telegraph Station (1869) and the Fountain Inn (1838). Now a National Trust museum, the Old Custom House & Station Master’s Residence (1866) is part of the Encounter Coast Discovery Centre on Flinders Parade opposite the causeway. The centre has interesting displays on local history.
Granite Island
Victor Harbor is protected from the angry Southern Ocean by Granite Island, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. You can ride out there on a double-decker tram pulled by Clydesdale draught horses. It’s an easy climb to the top of the hill, where there are good views across the bay.
Granite Island is a rookery for little penguins. The Penguin Interpretive Centre on the island has excellent audio-visual displays. It also operates one-hour guided walks every evening to watch the penguins come home from fishing.
To know more about other tourist attractions in Adelaide Region and more travel tips like this, do not hesitate to call Random and Wild Hiking today!