Important: The license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0 has been approved.
Please consider all contributions from this point forward to be made under that license.

Victor Harbor

From Wikitravel

Oceania : Australia : South Australia : Fleurieu Peninsula : Victor Harbor

Jump to: navigation, search

Understand
Get in
Get around
See
[+] Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
[+] Sleep
- Budget
Get out

Victor Harbor is a large coastal town 80km southeast of Adelaide in South Australia.

[edit] Understand

Spelling mistake?

No, Victor Harbor isn't a spelling mistake - or at least not one within recent memory. It is an error in the early surveying of the town that has persisted to this day

Misty, pulling the Granite Island tram

Victor Harbor is tourist oriented, and has many accommodation options, and some purpose built visitor activities. It draws a weekend crowd from Adelaide, and some visitors from further afield. It does cater for the schoolies after exams finish for the year so take this into account when selecting a time to visit.

[edit] Get in

Most people get to Victor Harbor by a 90 minute or so drive from Adelaide, but there is a coach service run by Premier Stateliner [1] from Adelaide Central Bus Station and Goolwa. Fares are $19.50/$9.50. You can switch to a airport bus at Marion Shopping Centre rather than in Adelaide City, but check the timetable as buses to Marion only go every hour or so.

The Steamranger runs the Southern Encounter [2] service on Sundays twice monthly, giving around 4 hours to explore the town. Adults $48.00. Children 5 years and over $26.00. They also run a train to Goolwa Sundays, Wednesdays and every day during the school holidays. One way fares are available on request.

[edit] Get around

The Victor Harbor town is small enough to walk around. The shopping main shopping strip, cafes, and pubs are only a short walk to the fair and the causeway to Granite Island.

Parking get get a bit tight along the water, so once you have found a parking spot, best just to leave the car there and walk the rest.

Europcar have an agency operating out of the City Motel on Ocean Street, just off the main strip. They charge one-way fees to drive to Adelaide, but they may waive them if you talk to them directly.

[edit][add listing] See

Fountain in Victor Harbor

South Australian Whale Centre, 2 Railway Terrace, [3]. $8/$4. edit

Whale watching. Southern Right Whales can be seen from the shore May until October. South Australian government runs a maintains a web page which contains the latest foreshore sighting information [4].

Urimbirra Wildlife Experience, (around 5km from Victor Harbour), ☎ +61 8 8554 6554. edit

Nearby Inman Valley is on the Inman Valey Rd, about 14km inland of Victor Harbor. The town itself has a couple of houses and a farm equipment shop, but Selwyn's Rock, more commonly known as Glacier Rock is near here. Access is by a very short walk with steps.

The Bluff

Waitpinga Hill is a lookout over the town and the water, above Encounter Bay.

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Granite Island

View back to Victor Harbor from Granite Island

Granite Island is undoubtedly the major attraction of the town. It is linked by a wooden causeway to the mainland. You can walk across the causeway in 15 minutes or so, or you can take a horse-drawn tram across. It is free to walk, but you have to pay for the tram.

Once you get to the island there is a walk that circles the island, and takes around 45 minutes. There are windflowers, rock formations, and sea cliff views to see. There is a cafe/kiosk there too.

If you get the tram, it takes you further than just across the causeway. It travels around 200m on the island, as far as the cafe and visitor's centre complex - so it actually does save you are substantial walk - although it doesn't really save you any time.