Fishing
The Fleurieu Peninsula has some great fishing spots. Beach fishing at most of the beaches can be rewarding, and the Onkaparinga Estuary at Port Noarlunga is good for river fishing. For jetty fishing try Rapid Bay and Port Noarlunga. Cape Jervis and Wirrina have good boat launching facilities. Deep sea fishing charters run from Cape Jervis. See: www.fish.sa.com/charters
Golf
There are some wonderful golf courses on the Fleurieu Peninsula; Check them out at www.golfguideaustralia.com
Walking
There are several beautiful and very different conservation parks within an easy drive. The closest is Aldinga Scrub, a small remnant of the native vegetation of this area. You can find it on the corner of Fraser and Dover Street, at Aldinga Beach and a lovely walk in spring is the Coral Lichen Walk.
More adventurous walks are the Onkaparinga River National Parks, Kuipto Forest and Kyeema Conservation Park and (a little further away) Deep Creek Conservation Park. Check these out at the following websites:
www.southaustraliantrails.com
www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks
www.forestry.sa.gov.au/rec.stm
The Beaches
Our favourite is Port Willunga itself. A five minute walk and you are on the beach – we think it is one of the best in the world! Swim, surf if the surf’s up, snorkel at the Star of Greece wreck site, or simply walk down the beach to Blanche Point. The cliffs in the area between Ochre Point and Snapper Point is on the National Heritage Register because of their geological interest. Look for the fossils in the rock formations.
Aldinga Beach and Sellicks Beach are more exposed to both wind and waves. You can drive on both beach, so take your gear down in the car and park on the beach Maslin’s Beach, just north of Pt Willunga, is also a beautiful beach. The southern end of the beach is SA’s only legal nudist beach. It can be reached from a carpark on the cliff top above Blanche Point.
Port Noarlunga – a 15 minute drive back towards the city – has good surfing and swimming. Fishing at the mouth of the Onkaparinga River can be rewarding, and if you are a diver, look into diving at the reef here (see our section under Diving)
Bike Riding
Bikes and information on where to ride, and organized bike tours, are available for hire at:
Oxygen Cycles (08 83237345)
www.oxygencycles.blogspot.com
Onya Bike Tours and Hire
(08 8323 7689)
www.southaustralia.com/fleurieu
www.southaustraliantrails.com
Diving
Locally, The Aldinga Aquatic Reserve – spectacular drop off on edge of the reef between Pt Willunga and Aldinga Beach – is a good dive, and the Star of Greece wreck at Port Willunga is part of South Australia’s Underwater Heritage Trail. There are other great diving sites elsewhere on the Fleurieu Peninsula, both north and south of Pt Willunga, at Port Noarlunga, Rapid Bay, Hallett Cove and Second Valley. Check them on the following websites:
www.thediveshack.com.au
They have some excellent maps of all the dive sites in the area
www.southerndiving.com.au
Both these companies are within ½ hours drive of Captains Cottage
Cinemas
The Wallis Cinema Complex at Noarlunga Centre, (15 minutes drive) and the Events Megaplex at Marion Shopping Centre in the southern suburbs of Adelaide are the closest cinemas. There is also a cinema – the Victa Cinema – at Victor Harbour which is one hours drive south of Pt Willunga.
Flying
If you are interested in flying and planes, Aldinga has a small airfield which offers some great flying opportunities – see:
www.adelaidebiplanes.com.au
Aldinga Airfield is also a good place to go to have a cup of coffee at the café and watch the planes
Wine
The Southern Vales is a great place for both food and wine. There are 117 wineries and you could spend weeks exploring them all. Wine tours are available and a good place to check them out is at:
www.mclarenvale.com
Food
There are some fantastic places to eat and to find fresh, high quality food in this region. Wander through the whole Fleurieu Peninsula and you will be delighted at the farm shops, the local markets and the quality of the many cafes and restaurants.
The Willunga Farmers Market,
Main Street,
Willunga
Not to be missed! Take the picnic basket and fill it up!
The Salopian Inn
Cnr Main Road & Chalk Hill Road,
McLaren Vale. SA
(08) 83238769
Victory Hotel
Main South Road
Sellicks Beach SA 5174
(08) 8556 3083
The Star of Greece,
Esplanade,
Port Willunga
(08) 8557 7420
Saltbush Bistro
164-164 Esplanade,
Aldinga Beach
(08)85565546
Day Trips
Victor Harbour: Great for whale watching during the winter, and surfing along the south coast at any time of the year. Visit Granite Island and Greenhills Adventure Park , Urimbinna Wildlife Park, or the shops, cafes, and galleries in the town.
Goolwa: A great place to meet the River Murray. Museums, galleries, markets, cafes and a great stepping off place for a visit to the Coorong. Ride the Cockle Train to Victor Harbour. Stop off at the Tooperang Trout Farm and catch your tea!
Southern Fleurieu Peninsula: Golf courses at Wirrina Cove and Lady Bay, fishing and diving at Rapid Bay, interesting towns, farm shops, pick you own fruit farms cafes and art galleries – there is something for everyone.
Or stay at home and take it easy:
During the winter, sit by the fire and watch the sea whip up a storm, or watch a video from our library, listen to a CD or read a book or magazine from our extensive library.
In summer, keep cool in the airconditioned comfort of the living areas while you watch the world go by, or relax on the large front verandah and watch the sun go down, or have a barbecue on the back deck.