Before heading up through Adelaide, we had an unplanned detour (but let’s be honest, our plans are fairly loose!), to the Fleurieu Peninsula. This peninsula is just below Adelaide, and the gateway to Kangaroo Island. We’d skipped past this area a few years ago during a trip to Kangaroo Island, so this time we gave the Island a pass and checked out the mainland instead.

Parking ourselves in Port Elliot, we spent a beautiful day discovering strange sea creatures, eclectic shops and galleries along the main street. We could have let days pass by sitting on the pier, and many moments saying we wish we had snorkelling gear! While the foreshore of Horseshoe Bay filled us with happiness, we did eventually drag ourselves away and strolled through neighbouring Ratalang Conservation Reserve. Not only is this reserve a wonderful place to stretch you legs, it has environmental and historical significance with plantings of Aboriginal herbal remedies and histories of the Ngarrindjeri people.

Just a splash past Port Elliot, is Victor Harbour, followed by Encounter Bay, and these too are worth a look. Victor Harbour is the bigger town of the area, with it’s horse drawn carts that take you over to the infamous Granite Island, yet Encounter Bay as well as Goolwa beach (prior to Port Elliot) should not be outshone by their well known counterpart.

So that was our expedition of east coast Fleurieu. Onto the west, and we stumbled upon Rapid Bay. Being the ‘free’ spirits that we are, we have often found free bush or beach camps to hang our boots each night (until we succumb to the need for a proper shower at a caravan park!), but after a couple of possible night spots turned out unfeasible, and with our options running dry, we arrived at Rapid Bay Campgrounds. We actually didn’t have any real luck with free camping on the Fleurieu Peninsula, but we were happy where we spent our time nonetheless. And Rapid Bay would be our top pick for the peninsula.

We initially paid for just one night, but stayed another. Parking the Tvan in primo position, we faced right out onto the beach with million dollar views, for a mere $18 a night. Just opening up the hatch of the van to sleep meant we got to look out at the sunrise each morning, and watch the brilliant stars at night. Different patterned pebbles scrambled along the beach, and the pier was perfection. At dusk it was time for squidding off the jetty, and we were told by the ranger that we could even find yabbies in the fresh water creek beside the camp too. The sight of the rugged shoreline was phenomenal whether it was clear skies or grey. Spotting dolphins off the pier at sunset was the cherry on top to our Flureiu Peninsula soiree’.