Robe, South Australia, Australia
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Victor Harbor to Robe.We crossed the Murray at Wellington on the car ferry. Then we saw the big lobster and the old Cape Jaffa lighthose, that had been moved to its location, at Kingston. Robe is a pretty seaside town in SA. In 1847 it was declared a port and wool began to arrive within months for export. This is where the Chinese landed back in 1857 to avoid the $20 government poll tax. Once here the Chinese would walk 550kms to the Victorian Goldfields. The rock lobster (crayfish) industry is what keeps Robe alive today along with tourism. Just incase you are wondering rock lobster season is October to May, so we missed out. Apart from having a look around the old buildings in town and a few coastal walks we went of to the Limestone Caves at
Naracoorte. These are relative new caves, only 25 million years old compared with say Buchan caves which are 400 million years old. The Wonambi Fossil Cave is really good, they have bought some of the prehistoric animals alive. It is rather amazing to see these creatures that would have been roaming around thousands if not millions of years ago. It is interesting to note that the sea was so much further inland that it is today, proof being in the seashell fossils and fragments of shells in the walls that you can see today.
