Victor Harbor

Introducing Victor Harbor

South Australia’s Blackpool, this holiday-maker town has a long foreshore adorned with towering pines and kitsch attractions, such as laughing clowns, a shooting gallery and bouncy castle. It’s designed for kids and ice-creams. Be warned though, it has a bogan element and can all get a bit nasty after dark, especially around the many hotels.

Victor Harbor is protected from the angry Southern Ocean by lichen-covered, boulder-strewn Granite Island, connected to the mainland by a causeway.

Victor Harbor visitor centre (8552 5738; www.tourismvictorharbor.com.au; 9am-5pm; ) is at the mainland end of the Granite Island causeway.

Between June and September, you may be lucky enough to see a southern right whale swimming near the causeway. Victor Harbor is on the migratory path of these splendid animals. Head to the Bluff for a good lookout point.

You can ride over the causeway to Granite Island on the 1894 double-decker horse-drawn tram (adult/child/family one way $5/3/13; every 20min 10am-4pm). The island has the ‘Kaiki Walk’ (1.5km circuit, 40 minutes) and is a rookery for penguins. Granite Island Nature Park (8552 7555; www.graniteisland.com.au) runs guided penguin tours (adult/child $12.50/7.50) to witness the penguins haul out of the water then along the north shore between the causeway and jetty after sunset.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009