Welcome To Our Excursions Page! Here you will find detailed information on our upcoming excursions. If you require more information about a particular excursion please email the trip co-ordinator whose details are provided.
Coordinators: Dianne Radomski for Coorong boat trip. Mark Dale for Sunday drive tour
NOTE: For all maps and diagrams relating to this trip please refer to the October '18 and March '19 FGCSA Bulletins.
Meet at Main Wharf Goolwa before 9.45am: 6 hour cruise
Departure: 10am sharp.
We have a private charter catering for a maximum number of 50 passengers travelling, with a toilet on board..
Includes: Lunch, 2 guided walks and afternoon tea.
The cruise will be taking us to the Goolwa Barrage, lock and then, entering the Murray Mouth which is situated in the Coorong National Park.
STOP 1 Going on a guided walk, which will be taking us across the peninsula to the Southern Ocean. (approx. 1.5 kms easy walking)
LUNCH will be served on board the boat, while viewing the white sand dunes and plentiful bird life. During the journey, our captain will give us an informative description of the scenery and also, history of the region, before reaching Cattle Point.
STOP 2 Guided walk through the sand dunes of the Younghusband Peninsula to the Great Southern Ocean. Along the way, we’ll be visiting the significant Aboriginal midden site and also, see what role the cockle industry had played in altering the nature of the landscape. (shorter, but has two short steep soft sand dune climbs).
AFTERNOON TEA will be served as we cruise back to the Goolwa Wharf.
Cost of the Coorong Cruise is $99
Following the cruise, everyone can make their own way to their pre-booked accommodation of choice in Goolwa.
There is a group booking for dinner at the Goolwa Hotel, in the Mozambique Room at 6:00 pm.
This day is very much an adjunct to the main Saturday excursion. It is divided into three parts, any or all you may wish to attend.
For the two morning sessions there is a brochure by the Geological Society of Australia titled “Victor Harbor Geological Trail” that can be downloaded as a 5 page .pdf File. Go to the link below:
Victor Harbor Geological Trail link-click here
( There is also a very worthwhile 8 page brochure on the Coorong that can also be downloaded from this site.)
1. For the early risers : 8:00a.m. at Port Elliot for a cliff walk over granite from Knights Beach to Freeman Lookout.
Assemble at the car park near Freeman Lookout. We will then drive to Merrilli Place overlooking Knights Beach, leaving one or two vehicles behind to ferry drivers back to their cars.
2. At 10:00 a.m . meet at the car park on the Bluff that overlooks Granite Island. We will walk down the path and join the road that goes to the jetty. For those with mobility problems, you can drive to the jetty where there is limited parking. at the jetty. At the end of the road at the jetty we will see the contact between the Kanmantoo and the granite at the Bluff. Next we will return to the cars and drive over the saddle to the other side of the Bluff (Rosetta Head) and park at Petrel Cove. We will not descend to Petrel Cove but walk on along the cliff to a small rocky bay with many interesting metamorphic features in the Kanmantoo that was close to the boundary with granite. (See FGCA Bulletin Vol 46. No7 p.8. Aug 2017.)
LUNCH at any of the many and varied hostelries in Victor Harbor
3. 2:30 p.m. Assemble at the largely deserted parking area at the rear of Aldi Supermarket. Coming from Adelaide on the Victor Harbor Road, Aldi is the first supermarket, indeed the first commercial building you will pass on entering Victor Harbor.
We will head towards Adelaide. Beyond the big roundabout we will turn left into Hindmarsh Tiers Rd. to climb into the Hills. Halfway up the climb we will pull in to see the Eucalypt forest growing on the undererlying the Kanmantoo rocks of Mt Billy Conservation Park. At the top we will stop to see the comparison of the scrubby vegetation on the Permian tillite.
In the unlikely, but not impossible occurrence of enough rain to make it worth visiting Hindmarsh Falls, we will proceed there, otherwise we will turn right into Pambula Road before the Falls turn off and rejoin the Victor Harbor- Adelaide Road.
For those still willing, we can turn off at Mt Jagged Winery and examine an outcrop that has features of a roche moutonee. (See FGCA Bulletin Vol 46. No1 pp.11&12. Feb 2017.)
Afterwards you can sample the Mt Jagged Wines and enjoy the view or you can back track a short way for a Devonshire tea at the Alexandra Cheese Company before resuming your trip back to Adelaide.
The trip is in four stages. You don’t have to do all four stages although most members I expect will. Most importantly this is a self- drive trip and starts at the first location and finishes at the last location in the Flinders Ranges. How and when you travel to and from the Flinders is your choice. We haven’t planned for the bus because it would restrict where we could go and not get a lot of use once we are at locations. We would urge members to share travel arrangements so those who don’t have transport can still go. You can take your own camper/caravan/tent as well. A group might want to hire a minibus? You only need a normal car licence to drive one of these.
Here we will spend time looking at the local Geology, doing a geological field mapping exercise/ or sketching (choice), visiting Quorn, and doing the Pitchi Richi Railway trip (approx $65 pp) Accommodation - Pichi Richi Park has shared cabin accom and can also cater for us (breakfast/dinner) at a cost of $75-80 per person per day. Bring your own linen/ towels or pay extra $18. Shared Male/female Block amenties, no ensuite. If this doesn’t suit then you can organise B&B accom in Quorn (15 mins away). Campers also catered for. For more info click on this link www.pichirichipark.com.au
From here we will travel to Bunyeroo Gorge and Brachina Gorge to do some walking on the geological trails . Accommodation: Caravan Park Cabin accom, one Db bed &two sets of bunks ( sleeps 5-6) per cabin, bring your own linen, has cooking facilities but no ensuite. Male/Female block ammenties nearby, $30 per person per night. If this doesn’t suit then there are fully self contained Holiday cabins in a different location that can sleep 4-8 , depending if you want to share a double bed.. These vary in price but will cost you approx $60-$70 per person per night, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO BOOK THESE YOURSELF. Campers in the Caravan Park. The Woolshed Restaurant can provide an evening meal package ($20 -30), but you will have to provide your own breakfast and lunch. For more info click on this link: www.rawnsleypark.com.au
In this area we will do the Blinman Mine tour ($27.50/$20 conc pp) and look at the Blinman Diapir in various locations, plus explore Parachilna Gorge. Accommodation: Bunkhouse accomm where you have to bring your own bedding! Again, Male/Female Block facilities next door, no ensuite, $25 per person, per night. If doesn’t suit then you can hire out the fully self contained cabins for about $50-$60 per person, per night, BUT YOU HAVE TO BOOK THESE YOURSELF. Or you can hire out some of the cottages in Blinman. They can also do an evening meal package at the Blinman Pub (20 mins away), but breakfast and lunch is your responsibility. Campers also included in caravan park. For more info click on this link: www.angorichinavillage.com.au
A tour of the cattle station and you can see where the Ediacra fossils were first discovered by Reg Sprigg. This costs $135 or $165 (with lunch), morning start from the Parachilna Pub and includes morning tea,( max 15 persons). If you not interested in this tour then you can make your way back to Adelaide. For more info click on this link: www.prairiehotel.com.au This ends the excursion.
Overall Approx Cost: $600 pp - cabin/bunkhouse accom + set dinners , 3 breakfasts. Doesn’t include Tours or Travel
Please download the following Flinders Expresssion of Interest file (a .doc file) and complete the details and email as an attachment to wpbriggs2@gmail.com