The Coorong SA

3 May 2021 Day 5

Travelled:265km from Kingston SE, The Coorong National Park to Langhorne Creek, South Australia

Stay: Frank Potts Reserve $5pn (-35.299333, 139.042865)

We began the day with coffee and a walk where we read up on some more of the towns history and meet Larry the Lobster.

Not far up along the road north we turned off the B1 to The Granites, deriving it’s name from the rock formations on the beach. It is also possible to stay here overnight in the carpark. From here begins 140km northwards is the Coorong. An area of lagoons that incorporates the Mouth if the great Murray River system.

Our next stop was Chinaman’s Well where we learnt about how the Chinese immigrants disembarked from their ships for free in SA during the 1850’s Victorian Gold Rush. They would then walk along the Coorong to the gold fields. As the location offered a reliable supply of water, they supplied travellers with fresh water and vegetables. 

We travelled along the Loop Road and went for a walk Nukan Kungun trail.

The lagoons in the Coorong region were used to harvest 200-400 tons a year of salt to improve the pastures in the South East that suffered from mineral deficiencies until it was incorporated into the National Park. 

As we once again joined the main road we came across the Replica Oil Rig where we read about oil exploration in SA.

From here we make our way to Raukkan which is the home of the Ngarrindjeri people. David Unaipon, a writer and inventor, was a notable resident from here, who along with the church, is featured on the $50 note. Please Note: town is closed due to Covid. Here’s somebody else’s photo…

We had a look at staying at the Narrung Ferry camp area but declined to there being at least 3 campers with generators at the ready.. so on the ferry we went crossing the narrow passage between Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert. As we cross we can see the Point Malcolm Lighthouse which is Australia’s only inland lighthouse and at 7m, also its smallest. It operated between 1878 to 1931 and is now privately owned.

We drove onto Wellington were we crossed the Murray River near where it flows into Lake Alexandrina.

We stopped for the night in Langhourne Creek in the heart of wine country, enjoying a roast for dinner.