Whale Watching and Other Things.

Take the Steam Ranger Cockle Train to Victor Harbour. Ride the horse drawn train across the causeway to Granite Island. See the penguins.

Quick Tips:

Go between May and October when the whales are calving. They seem to like this part of the coast (particularly now the whaling station is closed!) and there are many vantage points along the coast between Goolwa and Victor Harbour. There also seems to be a good "network" that tells people when and where the whales can be seen.

Best Way To Get Around:

You really need a car to enjoy this area, although one of the best activities was riding the Cockle Train to Victor Harbour.

Best Things Nearby:
Barrages and Mouth of the Murray.

Best Things About the Resort:
Modern well equipped units. Resort provides canoes for use on the lake opposite (Lake Alexandrina).

Resort Experience:
The resort units are reasonably modern and well furnished with a full kitchen. Although the tap water is probably drinkable, it is not very tasty and the resort provides a rain water tank for guest use. While it may not be as convenient as turning on a tap, the trip to the water tank is worth the effort. Crystal clear rain water! The resort has an indoor heated pool and has a video hire service. We always managed to find something else to do, though, and have never tested either the video players or the hire service. I assume both work well! We just prefer to get out and about!

Enjoy the wide sandy beaches that you can drive on (if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle), an excellent museum that looks at the history and ecology of the Murray River, and beautiful historic buildings in the town. The Cockle Train that runs between Goolwa and Victor Harbour is another attraction. Make time for a trip on the train to Victor Harbour, which is another town worth visiting. We have taken the family to this resort three times and each time we have found something new to do.

We usually stay during school holidays and there has always been a good activities program, including a trip to Victor Harbour at night to see the penguins.

To really appreciate this resort, you would need to have a car. It is quite some distance from Adelaide, altough we have driven to Adelaide from Goolwa for a shopping expedition.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We visiting Goolwa in the spring school holidays and heard that the whales were offshore in nearby Middleton. We grabbed the binoculars and headed for the cliff above Middleton beach. The whales were clearly visible, not more than 200-300 metres offshore. They were jumping out of the water and generally putting on a good display for the visitors. The binoculars were not needed because they were so close!

On our first visit to Goolwa, we took the resort's tour to Granite Island to see the penguins. The resort manager was the guide and he provided the only light. The next time we came, penguins had hit the big time. A building dedicated to extracting money from tourists was built and the park rangers provided the tour. Still, the penguins were just as cute and just as plentiful and the rangers were making sure that viewing did not put the penguins at risk. But I was happier when it looked less like Phillip Island's penguin parade!

We have had a couple of trips on the Cockle Train because once is not enough when you are talking steam engines, coastal dunes, and ocean views. This train has got to have one of the most scenic routes and for $23 return for adults, the price is right. We took the first train from Goolwa and returned on the last train, giving us a fair amount of time in Victor harbour. We also had a chance to try out the horse train across the bridge to Granite Island, a unique attraction, although one must be careful not to step in the "exhaust" when walking back!

If you have your own four-wheel drive vehicle, a trip along the beach to the Murray Mouth is a must. Take care though, as the amount of vehicle remaining is inversely proportional to the amount of salt water collected. Actually, with a four-wheel drive vehicle and some care, you can negotiate the beach without getting the tyres wet. At one point, the track leaves the beach and goes through the dunes towards Lake Alexandrina before rejoining the beach near the Murray Mouth. Care needs to be taken when driving onto the beach through the loose dry sand and again when leaving. Those experienced in beach driving will know how much air to let out of the tyres to aid progress. It is a good place to practice as help is not far away.

For those who want to preserve their four-wheel drive vehicle, it should be possible to rent one. The Mobil service station on the corner of the road leading to the beach entry was renting Land Rovers when we were there.

Why visit the Murray Mouth? Well, it is our largest and most significant river. The cautious and energetic can probably get there by driving to the barrages and walking across the dunes. Shoe leather is cheaper than auto panels! I tried it. Watch out for snakes!