Holiday houses in Port Victoria

The calm and tranquillity of Port Victoria on the western coast of the Yorke Peninsula disguises the importance that this coastal town once had in this region. Located on the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, Port Victoria was named Wauraltee — ‘bandicoot’ — by the Aboriginal Narrunga people and was once one of the busiest ports in the whole state. Today, all that remains of the once-booming grain shipping industry is the L-shaped jetty built in the 1870s.

The sea remains important to the town, with fishing still one of its main industries. Visitors are attracted to the four sandy beaches in the area, not far from the jetty, for swimming and soaking up the Aussie sun. As you look out across the water, you can make out Wardang Island, which helped shelter the port. People now visit the island to go diving and explore the shipwrecks offshore as part of the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail.

As Port Victoria is by the sea, most visitors tend to come during the summer months, between December and February. This is when temperatures are at the highest and the days are much longer and sunnier. The water temperature is also a comfortable temperature for a dip in the sea off North Beach. During the winter months, it is noticeably cooler and the nights draw in. This gives you a chance to follow the different trails in the area, including the Time Walk and Northern Walking trails, while there are fewer people around, although temperatures will be chiller. The town usually welcomes its highest number of visitors over two days at the end of January when the Gynburra Festival is held, with different stalls, competitions, entertainment, and fireworks.

History Hidden in the Rocks

Travel back in time by walking along the Port Victoria Geology Trail. Follow the four-kilometre path with large black boulders at points of interest, showing you how earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have shaped the landscape in the area. Some of the black basalt rocks along the trail contain pink porphyry.

Wardang Island diving

Dive among the wrecks of eight vessels, including five schooners and coastal steamers, and three grain ships off Wardang Island. Each of the shipwrecks has its own plaque and a waterproof booklet is available to guide you when you are underwater. Information boards also appear on the island itself. Artifacts from dives can be found in the local maritime museum.

Maritime Heritage

The Port Victoria Maritime Museum, is in the shed that was historically used to store cargo. Situated at the start of the jetty that was built in the 1870s, the artefacts and stories tell you more about the story of Port Victoria and its significance from the end of the 19th century until the last boats left in 1949.