Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
FLEURIEU
PENINSULA
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
SLEEPING
&EATING
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
GOOLWA
Port ̈Elliot ̈Bike ̈& ̈Leisure ̈Hire ̈BICYCLEHIRE
(%0448 370 007; www �portelliotbikeleisurehire�
myob �net; 85-87Hill St; per day $40) Pick up a
mountain bike and hit the Encounter Bike-
way (p748), running through Port Elliot to
Goolwa (15km east) and Victor Harbor (7km
west).4 ̈Sleeping ̈& ̈Eating
oPort ̈Elliot ̈Beach ̈House ̈YHA ̈HOSTEL$
(%08-85541885; www �yha �com �au; 13 The Strand;
dm/d/ffrom $28/90/125;ai) Built in 1910
(the old Arcadia Hotel), this sandstone
beauty has sweeping views across the Port
Elliot coastline. If you can drag your eyes
away from the view, you’ll find polished
floorboards and contemporary colours
splashed around. It’s a classy fit-out, and the
only backpackers on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Surf lessons are almost mandatory, and the
Flying Fish Cafe is 200m away.Port ̈Elliot ̈Holiday ̈Park ̈ CARAVANPARK$
(%08-8554 2134; www �portelliotholidaypark�com �
au; Port Elliot Rd; powered sites/cabins/units/
cottages from $33/90/115/150;aiW) In an
unbeatable position behind the Horseshoe
Bay dunes (it can be a touch windy), this
5-hectare park, with lush grass and healthy-
looking trees has all the requisite facilities,
including a shiny camp kitchen and all-
weather barbecue area. Prices plummet in
winter.Royal ̈Family ̈Hotel ̈ PUB $
(%08-8554 2219; www �royalfamilyhotel�com �au;
32 North Tce; s/d $50/65) It’s doubtful that
Prince Chuck has ever stayed here, but if he
did he’d find surprisingly decent pub rooms
with clean shared bathrooms, a TV lounge
and balcony over the main street. Down-
stairs the bistro serves counter meals fit for
a king (mains $16 to $30, serving noon to
2pm and 6pm to 8pm).Flying ̈Fish ̈Cafe ̈MODERNAUSTRALIAN$$
(%08-8554 3504; www �flyingfishcafe�com �au; 1
The Foreshore; takeaways $10-15, mains $20-40;
h9-11amSat &Sun, noon-3pmdaily, 6-9pmFri &
Sat) Sit down for lunch and you’ll find your-
self here all day − the views of Horseshoe
Bay are sublime. Otherwise grab some qual-
ity takeaway of Coopers-battered flathead
and chips and head back to the sand. At
night things get a little classier, with à-la-
carte mains that focus on independent SA
producers.Cockles ̈on ̈North ̈CAFE,MODERNAUSTRALIAN$
(%08-8554 3187; www �cocklescafe�com �au; 4/33
North Tce; mains $10-19;h7�30am-4pm;W) A
bright, breezy, open-sided foodie haunt with
a huge deck overlooking the main strip. Ex-
pect good coffee, all-day breakfasts, snazzy
desserts and mains such as felafels, corn frit-
ters with avocado and smoked salmon, and
king-prawn pasta.88 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Away
Premier Stateliner(www�premierstateliner�
com �au)hasdailybusservicesbetweenAd-
elaideandPortElliot($22,twohours,oneto
threedaily),viaVictorHarborandcontinuingto
Goolwa�Goolwa
POP 6500
Much more low-key and elegant than kissing-
cousin Victor Harbor, Goolwa is an unas-
suming town where the rejuvenated Murray
River empties into the sea. Beyond the dunes
is a fantastic beach with ranks of breakers
rolling in from the ocean, same as it ever
was... The South ̈Australian ̈Wooden ̈Boat ̈
Festival (www �woodenboatfestival�com �au) at-
tracts boating enthusiasts here in February
in odd-numbered years.BUILDING ̈BRIDGES ̈(NOT...)First proposed in 1988, construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge at Goolwa was
opposed by Ngarrindjeri women who had concerns about the spiritual and cultural sig-
nificance of the site. A series of court battles ensued, pitting Aboriginal beliefs against
development, culminating in a royal commission (1995) that ruled that the claims
of Aboriginal ‘secret women’s business’ were fabricated. Further court appeals were
launched, and in August 2001 the Federal Court overturned the royal commission, find-
ing the Ngarrindjeri claims to be legitimate. Unfortunately, this vindication came five
months after the bridge was officially opened. The decade-long furore was a step back-
wards for reconciliation; the bridge remains a source of contention.