In February 2024 we went exploring a region we haven’t spent much time in before. With wine in our sights what better place to do this than along the Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast in South Australia. This region is famous for its reds but equally famous for its Chardonnay.

Lake Indawarra, Tintinara

Location: Kings Road, Tintinara, SA 5266

Duration: 1 night

Distance: 172km from our home or 190km South East of Adelaide

Cost: FREE

Our first stop after leaving home when heading east is always Tintinara. The Lake Indawarra campground is a perfect place to relax on the first day and a good distance from home for us.

Tintinara is located in the Murray and Mallee region of what is known as the South East of South Australia. It is situated on the Dukes Highway and the Adelaide to Melbourne railway line. The area was first settled by Europeans in the 1840’s.

Initially Lake Indawarra was created as a rubble pit for the railway construction. In 1905 it was then developed into a railway reservoir. It has since then been developed over the years to what we see today and a popular place for picnics, camping, swimming and canoeing.

This time while we were there the Information Centre was open. You can go into the original control centre of the railway and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable staff. I even purchased some homemade pickles and condiments for our journey and I must say, they were delicious. This is also where you obtain your discs so you can play disc golf.

Outside the Information Centre is a roadside stop that is set up well for when towing and needing a large turning circle to get access to potable water and the dump point.

Facilities.

• Toilets
• Dump Point
• Potable Water Tap
• BBQ
• Shade Shelter with Picnic Tables
• Disc Golf
• Walking Trails
• Swimming
• Canoeing

Mount Monster Conservation Park

Location: 12km south of Keith on the western side of the Riddoch Highway

Duration: 1 night

Distance: 51km from Tintinara or 236.78km from Adelaide

Cost: FREE

While looking for the next place to stay we noticed on the map Mount Monster! This definitely had us intrigued and was worthy of a visit. Mount Monster Conservation Park is 12km south of Keith and access from the Riddoch Highway. There is free camping here and no facilities provided.

the park sits on a area of 93 hectares and was dedicated as a Conservation Park in 1976 as a gift from three surrounding Landowners. During the Gold Rush era, Mount Monster was an important navigation aid.

The park is noted for its predominant geological feature, an unusual granite outcrop. There are walking trails to the summit where you can see all the granite outcrops and in the distance the farming land. We were fortunate to be there on a cool day. This is not a place to be on a hot day and would be better visited during spring when the wild flowers and orchids are flowering, it was very dry while we were there. It is a diverse parcel of land and the flora and fauna would be amazing in the cooler times of the year. We could see evidence of echidnas by the holes they leave. We did see some kangaroos and a black wallaby. Both the roads into the park are both fine albeit stony and a little bit slippery.

Facilities:

• None

Padthaway Caravan Park

Location: Beeamma-Parsons Road, Padthaway, South Australia

Duration: 2 nights

Distance: 55km from Mount Monster and 253km south east of Adelaide

Cost: $20/night Un-Powered Site

This is a nice little caravan park adjacent to the Heritage Golf Course and most importantly within walking distance to a winery. They have nice friendly owners and it is a well kept caravan park. We of course chose a un-powered site which has good grass coverage but the slope was deceptive, it made for an interesting time trying to get level.

Padthaway is located in South Australia’s Limestone Coast region and was first settled in 1847. The Limestone Coast does produce some of the best wines in South Australia and to my excitement white wines are regular winners of major awards. Padthaway is also the name of a wine region surrounding the town, the oldest vineyard was established in 1964. The Limestone Coast includes regions such as Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Robe and my favourite red wine Wrattonbully. Much of the Limestone Coast is low lying and was inundated by sea. The plains are lined by rows of low Sandhills parallel to the coast, created at times when the coastline was at that level. It is these limestone deposits that make this wine region unique.

Farmers Leap Winery

Farmers Leap is about a 5km drive from the caravan park. We enjoyed a wine tasting and platter for lunch. An extremely friendly place and we throughly enjoyed their wines, food and hospitality. Their Rose` was particularly delicious.

Padthaway Estate Winery (Landaire Wines)

Fortunately for us this winery is right next door to the caravan park, down hill from the caravan park, with a long walk back up the hill once finished. Very friendly staff and we throughly enjoyed our day there and I was pleased to find a delicious Chardonnay.

Padthaway Heritage Golf Club

This country style golf course is worthy of a visit. The course closes from the end of September and is not maintained until autumn. Outside of these times, it is utilised by sheep as grazing land, as we were there in February it was full of sheep.

We took a walk around the grounds to enable us to watch the sunset. The course features 9 white quartz sand scrapes and alternate front/back nine tee mounds. The course adjoins the Padthaway Conservation Park and fortunately is adjacent to the Padthaway Caravan Park. It is surrounded by natural Bushland and gorgeous tall gum trees.

Cockatoo Lake Recreation Area

Location: Grubbed Road Keppoch, South Australia

Duration: 3 nights

Distance: 19km from Padthaway Caravan Park or 306km South East of Adelaide

Cost: FREE

Cockatoo Lake Recreation Area is 30km north of Naracoorte. The lake is seasonal and is dependant on rainfall. Luckily for us there was plenty of water to relax and camp by. Albeit shallow it was perfect on a hot day for a swim. In saying that it is deep enough for a JetSki or water skiing. There are flat green areas to park up onto. There were a few short walking tracks but it would be a great place to leave the caravan and go off exploring the region.

All types of water activities can be enjoyed on this lovely lake, there is even a boat ramp. Although it is a free camp, donations are greatly appreciated. The sunsets here are just magical.

Facilities:

• Flushing Toilets
• Non-potable Water
• Limited Shade
• Rubbish Bins
• Mobile Phone Coverage
• Pet Friendly – Must be on a leash

Bool Lagoon Game Reserve and Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park

Location: Bool Lagoon Access Rd, South Australia

Duration: 1 night

Distance: 56km from Cockatoo Lake or 360km south east of Adelaide

Cost: $18/night must book online

Bool Lagoon is one of the largest and most diverse freshwater lagoon systems in Southern Australia and a great place to visit if you love hiking, camping and bird life. So we were very happy, the only problem we had is that the lagoons were unfortunately dry so the birdlife was not so plentiful. The lagoons are seasonal and dependant on rainfall..

The camping area is located between the main basin of Bool Lagoon and Hacks Lagoon. There is limited shade, some picnic tables and a BBQ. The camping areas had been kept mowed but oh boy it was so incredibly dry there. We enjoyed a few walks along the boardwalks and luckily they do keep the grass cut down where there are no boardwalks.

We really enjoyed the sunsets and just the serenity there, even if there wasn’t any water. We will definitely come back on a wetter year to see it in its full glory.

Facilities:

• Flushing Toilets
• Non-Drinking Water
• BBQ
• Picnic Table

Beachport Caravan Park

Location: 23 Beach Rd, Beachport SA 5280

Duration: 2 nights

Distance: 102km from Hacks Lagoon or 380km south east of Adelaide

Cost: $43/night powered sea view semi grassed site. Site 6

We have come to Beachport to catch up with our friend Jo and to attend the Beachport Crayfish Festival. Beachport Caravan Park is located on the beachfront overlooking Rivoli Bay, which is sheltered and where the local fishing boats are moored. You are also only a few minutes walk away from town. The caravan park was centrally located and easy to get to places on foot.

The Beachport Crayfish Festival was a lovely day with great weather. The event had an awesome atmosphere wth food and drink vendors, live music and markets. We even enjoyed a dance on the grass with the last band of the day. It was a shame they had run out of crayfish by the time we got to the front of the que. All was not lost as we did manage to get some crayfish at dinner time after they sourced more.

Beachport is a friendly town with beautiful sandy beaches and a great place to spend time exploring the region. There are also National Parks close by to explore.

Frank Potts Reserve

Location: Wellington Road, Langhorne Creek

Duration: 1 night

Distance: 308km from Beachport or 65km south east from Adelaide

Cost: $5/night (donation)

Frank Potts Reserve is located next to the Bremer river and in an ideal spot if you are travelling through or here to visit the region. Although you can visit some wineries by foot, the majority you will need to drive to.

This is the only approved camping spot whilst staying in the Alexandrina Council area. The Council look after this low cost camping site and they have a honesty box. There is a limit of 72 hours for camping and the Council keeps the area clean and tidy. There is plenty of space but does fill up quickly and there are lots of trees to negotiate when setting up. Campfires are not permitted.

We did partake in a visit to our favourite winery, Bremerton!

Facilities:

• Composting Toilet
• Picnic Tables
• Rubbish Bins
• Shade

Big 4 Breeze Holiday Park – Port Elliot

Location: Port Elliot Road, Port Elliott, South Australia

Duration: 3 nights

Distance: 54km from Frank Potts Reserve or 82km south of Adelaide

Cost: $49/night – Powered Site

We have a family reunion in Port Elliot and were eagerly waiting to see our lovely friend Pauline from the UK and catch up with the family. The Big4 Breeze Holiday Park is located in arguably one of South Australia’s best beaches, the protected Horseshoe Bay. The park is also located only minutes from bustling cafes and restaurants, golf course, fishing and surfing locations. It caters for everyone.

There are nice walking tracks adjacent to the caravan park, Basham Beach Conservation Park it has great formed tracks and some rock hopping all while taking in the wonderful views.

Horseshoe Bay was proclaimed a port in 1851, and the settlement above the bay was named Port Elliot in 1852. The port was established to provide a safe seaport for the Murray River trade which terminated in Goolwa as the Murray mouth was deemed too treacherous and unpredictable for safe navigation. The ocean is certainly pretty wild along this section and over the centuries there have been many shipwrecks.

Walking around Granite Island has always been a favourite, especially if you grew up in South Australia. Although there are no permanent residents on the island, it does have buildings and shelters, including a cafe. If you are lucky enough you may see the small colony of little penguins, commonly known as fairy penguins. A causeway was built to take people across by foot or during certain times you can catch a replica horse-drawn tram. In the 1830’s there was a shore-based whaling station in operation on Granite Island.

The barrages at the Murray Mouth are always great for a visit and the seals always keep you entertained with their antics or lack of. This is where the Murray River meets the Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth’s location does change depending on greater river flow or not enough river flow and rough seas. These two bodies of water erode the sand dunes to create a new channel leaving the old to silt. There are constant dredging operations going on to keep the mouth open. The mouth of the Murray River is around 10km south east of Goolwa and about 75km south-east of Adelaide. The Coorong also starts here, this is where you will discover a spectacular natural ancient landscape of unspoilt and coastal wilderness. There are sections along the coastline that have been allowed to take your 4WD onto. We took a walk over the sand dunes to Goolwa beach and of course everyone had to have a go at finding the Goolwa Pipi.