If you are fortunate enough to sit in a widow seat on the ocean-side of a plane flying between Adelaide and Melbourne, then you’ll see a long narrow stretch of sand dunes called the Younghusband Peninsula. This beautiful region is located between two areas of water – the Southern Ocean, and the Lake Alexandrina and Coorong Lagoon; an unspoilt area, well worth exploring.
In February I headed out of Adelaide, eastwards along the freeway, to Wellington on the Murray River, south of Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend. I stayed at a caravan park in Wellington and while in the area I discovered a local artist’s studio with an amazing display of landscapes and nature scenes, with local fairy-wrens displayed on circular saw and cross cut saw blades (one of her many talents).
The Murray River ferry took me across the River where a large new marina is being developed, and then on to Lake Albert and the town of Meningie. A few years ago the water here was quite low and the jetties were high and dry, but now the water is lapping against the banks and there are reeds, water birds and everything is looking green and lush.
Following the Lake around for about 40 kilometres, I came to Narrung where Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina meet, referred to by many as The Narrows.
Nearby is a freedom camping area; this had always been one of my favourite areas to stop and see the Lakes and take photos, so I decided to stop and experience my first night of freedom camping! When I arrived there were already about half a dozen caravans sitting there and by tea time they had doubled. It wasn’t the fact that it cost nothing that made the area so popular, it was just the freedom of the place and everybody was so relaxed – one lady showed me a beautiful wedding dress she was crocheting for her future daughter-in-law.
An old dunny, Milang
The following morning I walked down to the ferry, went across The Narrows and walked up to Point Malcolm Lighthouse. The Lighthouse was built in 1878 and operated until 1931, it is about eight metres high and located on a rocky headland. This is the only fresh water lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere and the area was originally used by isolated farmers to get supplies in and out. There are a couple of ruined buildings in the location, ideal for photographs, and wonderful views across to Lake Albert.
After returning to my site, I drove back into Meningie and out onto the Princes Highway. It was raining and the scenery was spectacular with little sandy bays, rocky outcrops and the dunes across the lagoon. I then travelled on through Policeman’s Point to Salt Creek and stayed at the caravan park behind the roadhouse. I had always felt that there was more to this area than I’d seen previously and, thankfully, I had time to explore this visit. The Ngrugie Ngoppun Trail, meaning ‘good walk’, from opposite the replica oil rig, goes alongside Salt Creek with wonderful views across to the Younghusband Peninsula and the Coorong Lagoon.
Clayton Bay, Lake Alexandrina
The well signposted track heads through native bush with lots of evidence of kangaroos and rabbits; the creek was full of waterbirds when I was there, including black swans, Australian shelducks, coots, grey teals and hoary headed grebes. Just before the Creek runs into the Coorong Lagoon there is a concrete bridge which I crossed over and then made my way up the other bank through the scrub. We could hear lots of birds in the pink gum and coastal mallee that southern scrub robins and silvereye enjoy living in. There were wonderful views across a salt pan with the Creek just visible through to the Younghusband Peninsula and beyond.
I continued on to the end of the Coorong Lagoon and stayed at Kingston S.E. (the Big Lobster welcoming visitors to the town) where I saw dolphins cruising the bay in the evenings. The caravan park there is quite near the relocated Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, with the beach just across the road. A few days later, when I returned along the Princes Highway westwards, the weather was sunny and bright and there were good views across the Coorong Lagoon (not grand and majestic like the Great Ocean Road in Victoria but still beautiful). In one place there was a property number by the road with a little sandy track leading down to the water and around a rocky headland; once I’d driven around the road bend I saw a quaint little old shack with an outside dunny!
Replica oil rig, Salt Creek
As I’d enjoyed my first night of freedom camping, I decided in Meningie to return to Narrung again for another go. I was surprised, as I drove around the bend, to see a ‘sea’ of white roofs in front of me. It wasn’t until I was set up and chatting with the people next door that I found out I’d landed in amongst the monthly gathering of the CMCA Mount Lofty Bushies Chapter and was given a warm welcome! Most of them came over to inspect my campervan and I was invited into many larger motorhomes - my first experience of a CMCA gathering and a good one at that. I enjoyed two more nights at Narrung before heading back into Meningie and then across on the ferry at Wellington to Milang on the other side of Lake Alexandrina. Milang has a large conservation wetland area and snipe sanctuary for the Japanese snipe, which visit from March to September. Clinton Bay is located further along the Lake and is in a wonderful setting - I’ll be returning there. I finished off my short trip with a night at Port Elliott on the Fleurieu Peninsula and then back home to Adelaide.
Point Malcolm Lighthouse, Lake Alexandrina
