Dramatic coastal views meet quirky outdoor art on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula
Best known as a delightful seaside town with splendid local arts, crafts, gourmet food, and superb fishing, Elliston, on the west coast of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, is also renowned for having some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the whole country.
These days however, along this dramatic section of coastline, the magnificent but fragile and eroded cliffs, which have been eaten away by years of pounding by the Southern Ocean, hold even more fascination and intrigue.
A drive along the clifftops now reveals a collection of strange, clever, and thought-provoking sculptures – a head-turning sight indeed!
It may not be in the best condition, but the ‘I Feel Like I’m 15’ sculpture is a must-see
Initiated a number of years ago by the Elliston District Council, the sculpture competition that started this whole thing has since drawn praise (and probably some criticism), and no doubt a good deal of curiosity from those who have seen this unique display.
For some years now, Elliston has promoted its scenic clifftop coastal drive around Cape Finniss and Salmon Point as the Great Ocean Tourist Drive – a 12km circuit trail leading off the Flinders Highway, just two kilometres north of town. In the past, travelling along this winding tourist trail, on the edge of the spectacular clifftops, was for visitors to simply take in the dramatic scenery that Mother Nature has carved out of the Great Australian Bight coastline. It was more a trail for keen photographers who would have their cameras working overtime trying to capture one dramatic clifftop view after the next. Nowadays there is much more to see and sculptures (created mostly by local artists) are spread out at various intervals along this coastal stretch, calling out for visitors to stop, have a closer look, read the plaques (on those that have them) or simply ponder the meaning of the artistry or the message it is trying to relay. Sometimes that message is quite clear, with others it is somewhat deeper and hidden, perhaps cynical, clever or comical. It’s all here high on the Elliston clifftops, and in their own curious way the sculptures seem to complement what nature has already created over thousands of years.
Sorrow depicts the mythical goddess Mara
However, in such an exposed coastal location, a number of the original sculptures have been blown away or destroyed, but it seems in their place others have grown. They really must be seen to be believed and appreciated, but to give readers an idea of what to expect, some of the creations to be found are:
- Another Time – features the skeleton of an ancient ocean dinosaur on a lattice of Casuarina saplings. Below sits a series of letters written back in the 1870s from Aboriginal women to white women who had moved away. This sculpture depicts thoughts on time and history, and the way society represents and records our past.
- Headland – these four stone heads of various sizes conjures up images of other ancient sculptures seen right across the world. So often the true story is lost in time and visitors at this site are left to ponder their background and meaning.
- Thongz and I Feel Like I’m 15 Again – At another location along the trail is a pair of thongs and an old guy with a surfboard who apparently feels like he’s 15 again as he rides a kid’s bike to the beach with a huge smile on his face. Obviously he’s reliving his childhood!
- Also along the track is a sculpture of a redback spider on a toilet seat and a surfer attempting to escape the jaws of a great white shark – it’s all very creative stuff.
- One of the most impressive and dramatic of all the sculptures is a large white thermalite face depicting Mara, a mythical goddess. She has been placed on the trail to help heal sorrows of the past from when Aboriginal people were killed in this area in the 1840s during the time of early European settlement. It is simply entitled Sorrow.
Look up and you’ll spot the sculpture of the great white shark trying to catch a surfer
After taking in Elliston’s Great Ocean Tourist Drive, clearly any other scenic trail you’re likely to follow around the country will be very tame indeed! When you arrive back in town, check out the three-sided figure standing in the park, and while at the visitor information centre (left) there is a fabulous 500sqm mural depicting the town’s agricultural and maritime history. Another attraction is the Elliston Jetty, a 424m long jetty built in 1900. It’s heritage-listed due to its steel pylons, which were screwed into the seabed by a horse-drawn winch. It’s a great spot for fishing, with squid, herring, garfish, and trevally all regularly caught from off the jetty. If you’ve found all this activity has worked up an appetite, check out the Elliston Bakery – you won’t be disappointed!
The Thongz sculpture sits right on the cliff face
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Getting There
Elliston is located on Waterloo Bay, 236km south-east of Ceduna via the Flinders Highway. The town was named after Ellen Liston, the governess of a local pioneering family, in 1878. The area was first pioneered in the 1840s, and Elliston was an important local port from which early settlers transported their wool and wheat to market. Sailing ships and later steam-powered vessels risked Elliston’s narrow reef-lined entrance, although many early vessels came to grief in this dangerous area as they entered Waterloo Bay.
Mostly gravel, but in good condition, Elliston’s Great Ocean Tourist Drive is suitable for all vehicles and includes a number of lookouts and pull-ins along the trail. A section of the track also heads south from town, and has equally impressive coastal views, although there are no sculptures along this route.
More Info
Visit: www.elliston.com.au
