Discover Robe: beaches, water sports and history

Robe offers plenty of reasons to spend time outdoors while also immersing yourself in the town’s history. Long Beach, for example, is defined by around 12 kilometres of white sand; water sports, wildlife watching and mountain-bike trails offer other distinct holiday experiences. Historic sites such as the Obelisk at Cape Dombey and the Old Gaol reveal other sides of Robe. When planning your stay, you can consider whether you’d prefer to focus on beach days, activities on the water or cultural discoveries.

Beaches and water activities

At Long Beach, visitors can drive onto the sand. The beach is considered a safe family beach for swimming and surfing, making it suitable for travellers who would like to include these activities in their stay. Town Beach has a pontoon that you can swim out to. Hoopers Beach is suited to swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Each option offers a different focus: sometimes swimming takes centre stage, while at other times it’s about exploring the water by kayak or snorkelling.

Other places are also associated with water sports. The Drain L lakes offer non-motorised activities such as kayaking, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding. Lake Fellmongery, also known as Ski Lake, is used for water skiing. Karatta Beach is considered a starting point for sailing. If you’re interested in holiday accommodation in Robe, you can take this range of options into account when choosing a focus for your holiday, without limiting yourself to just one kind of beach or water experience.

Nature and activity on land

The Outlet is a good place to explore and watch waterbirds. Species found there include pelicans, ibises and herons. Travellers who enjoy birdwatching will find a different experience here from the beaches and water-sports locations. The Beacon Hill Lookout Tower offers panoramic views of Robe, providing a different perspective on the town.

For getting around on two wheels, Robe has the Beacon Hill mountain-bike trails. They were built and are maintained by the Robe Mountain Bike Association. This adds another way to make your trip active alongside the water-based activities. The trails, lookout tower and waterbird watching appeal to different interests, and each can be a reason in its own right to get to know Robe better.

History and memorial sites

The Obelisk at Cape Dombey is recognised as state heritage and listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. It was built in 1855 as a navigational marker and to house rocket-powered rescue equipment. The Customs House was restored and reopened as a museum in 1971, operated by volunteers from the National Trust. The two sites convey different aspects of Robe’s history: the Obelisk is associated with shipping and rescue equipment, while the Customs House is linked to its later use as a museum.

The Old Gaol was built around 15 years after Robe was founded in 1860. It was intended to house prisoners who had previously been sent to Adelaide for trial. Our Lady Star of the Sea Chapel was built in 1858 and was one of the first three Catholic churches in South Australia. The Chinese Memorial commemorates the 17,000 Chinese people who came ashore at Robe between 1857 and 1863 on their way to Victoria’s goldfields. These sites represent a range of historical themes, from prisons and religion to migration and the routes taken to reach the goldfields.

For the broader travel overview: District Council of Robe.