I had never been to Robe before; it's sort of on the coast road halfway between South Australia and Victoria. Previously on other trips we had just taken the faster but more boring inland route. We did not have a lot of time to spare as we had committed to doing a house sit on the Bellarine Peninsula but had enough time to take the longer way and see a few new things.
My first impression was it was pretty neat and tidy.
They reckon Robe used to be a really bust port. At one point back in the 1850s during the Victoria Gold rush. New Immigrants would rather walk the three hundred odd kilometres from here to the gold fields than pay the ten-pound landing tax in Victoria. That made me laugh as it would be something I would have done in my younger years.
It does not look that busy nowadays but I could have easily spent some more time looking around. I have heard there are plenty of other good beaches and walks in the area.
The Cape Dombey Obelisk was pretty cool, could be the first one I had ever seen. They are worried about the limestone coast erosion that will probably have it falling into the sea one day. Let's hope not or they can do something to save it. It definitely seems historic and something very original.
Twelve metres tall and able to be seen 16 kilometres out to sea it was used as daytime navigational aid for ships entering Guichen Bay.
The old Robe Gaol Ruins.
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