This trek begins in
Goolwa, more or less at the beginning of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Goolwa itself is quite a big town near the mouth of the Murray River, basically situated on a big inlet with a new bridge connection to the mainland to Hindmarsh Island.
From
Goolwa its approximately 17kms to Victor Harbour, a pretty town with quite a lot of history and a good
spot for whale watching between June and October. It’s also a good place to stock up on fuel and food before continuing on.
16kms from Victor Harbour, you come to Newland Head Conservation Park and
Waitpinga Beach and Parsons Head. Waitpinga has a good campground ($6 per site per night run by SA Parks) for tents but not so good for camper trailers/caravans. Its also a good
spot for surfing and well recognised as an excellent salmon
fishing beach. From Newland Head the road continues inland and we're heading for the turn-off to
Deep Creek Conservation Park, 26kms along a sealed road. The unsealed road continues west and a day pass for Deep Creek CP is $7.50 unless you intend to camp. Tapanappa
Hill is the first turn-off you come to followed by the turn-off to Tent & Cobblers
Hill, approx 5kms from the Tapanappa turn-off. The drive is quite a pretty one passing through a shady forest section.
Once at the turn-off to Tent and Cobblers
Hill, you head south. If you're looking for a place to camp, Trig (at Tent
Hill) camp was the best option with more shade and a couple of good walks to Deep Creek Cove and Deep Creek Waterfall and is $6 per night per site. None of the camps have access to the coast without a few kms walk and the eastern side is really the "wild" side of the peninsula. There are good
views across to
Kangaroo Island from here.
Our trek heads from the Deep Creek CP (where the unsealed road ends) out to
Cape Jervis approx 14kms away.
Cape Jervis is one of the ferry points to
Kangaroo Island and is the western most tip of the peninsula. From here you may want to extend your trek to
Kangaroo Island. Its not a cheap exercise however and costs (as at March 2001) $64 per person return and $138 return for vehicles up to 5 metres. There are day packages from
Adelaide which maybe a cheaper option if you're just going for the day.
From
Cape Jervis we head to the western side of the peninsula. It’s 11kms from
Cape Jervis to Delamere and then only another 1km to the turn-off to
Rapid Bay.
Rapid Bay is a little town with a small council
camping ground but has probably the best (definitely the longest) jetty you're likely to find on the peninsula. Back on the main road, you wind your way back out to the coast and its 25kms to Normanville. Normanville is a pleasant seaside town catering to tourists, so it has the usual shops/bakery etc and a couple of nice caravan parks situated right on the water's edge. This is a really good place for families and boats as the water is really lovely and calm and a good place to relax for a while.
From Normanville, passing a few smaller wineries on the way, the trek heads past Willunga and ends approx 40kms later at McLaren Vale. As good a
spot as any to finish a trek and enjoy some wine tasting!
Go to top Interactive Route Map

Loading
Selected Item is not in View - Zoom Out, Pan or Click to Show....
Fleurieu 
From: Goolwa
To: McLaren Vale
This trek supports moving map, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button.
Newland Head and Deep Creek Conservation Parks require day pass. If intending to enter Deep Creek CP, a once off Park Entry fee of $7.50 (car) is applicable plus
camping fees if planning to stay overnight. (Trig, Tapanarra, Cobbler
Hill - $5.00 per night, Stringybark - $15.00 per night.) Self registration stations are located at various access points and the Ranger's Headquarters. Travelling along the trek route does not require any fee payment at all.
Go to top Things to See & Do
No specific preparation required. The trek should be regarded as a “day trip” excursion, primarily on sealed (bitumen) roads. It is within easy reach from
Adelaide requiring a drive to
Goolwa of less than a couple of hours.
Route is suitable for 2WD vehicles, however in extremely wet conditions the unsealed section via Deep Creek may present problems. An alternative route on sealed roadways to
Cape Jervis is available.
Fuel Supplies & Usage
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Best Time To Visit
Mid winter may bring brisk conditions along the coastal regions. In extremely wet conditions the unsealed section into Deep Creek CP can be bypassed by staying on the sealed highway.
Closest Climatic Station
Kuitpo Forest Reserve
Distance from Trek Mid Point 21.28km N
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
26.1 | 26.0 | 23.2 | 19.6 |
16.0 | 13.0 | 12.3 | 13.5 |
16.0 | 18.2 | 21.7 | 23.5 |
| Mean Min. °C |
14.1 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 11.1 |
9.3 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
7.9 | 8.9 | 11.1 | 12.4 |
| Mean Rain mm |
21.7 | 18.7 | 32.1 | 62.0 |
86.1 | 108.5 | 100.4 | 83.0 |
71.1 | 56.9 | 41.4 | 33.2 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Go to top Camp Sites & Accommodation
If you are a visitor to the area, consider a one or two night stay at
Goolwa to explore this town and environs. Several days could be spent in and around
Victor Harbor with a leisurely walk or horse drawn trip across the causeway to
Granite Island and whale watching excursions in season.
There is a wide range of choices to choose, be it hotel/motel, Bed & Breakfast, or
camping. The
Beach Huts at
Middleton provide a unique and alternative method of
accommodation.
Camping is available in all the major tourist areas, or for a more secluded stay,
Deep Creek Conservation Park has several campground areas to choose from and great walking trails to explore the flora and fauna of the area.
The environment experienced during the trek is predominately rural dairy cattle farming, mild to hot in summer months and
cool to
cold in winter.