Robe

Robe was proclaimed in 1846 and grew as a wool port, and its old streets keep limestone cottages, a gaol, customs house and hotels from that period. Its strangest chapter came in the late 1850s, when Victoria imposed a heavy landing tax on Chinese arrivals and shipping companies responded by dropping them in South Australia instead; around sixteen thousand men came ashore at Robe and walked some four hundred kilometres overland to the goldfields, an episode marked by a memorial. The Obelisk on Cape Dombey, a red-and-white striped navigation marker from 1855, stands on a cliff now eroding beneath it. Rock lobster fishing sustains the modern town.

What you actually see

• The Obelisk - the 1855 striped navigation marker on the eroding cliff.
• The limestone streetscape - 1840s cottages, gaol ruins and hotels.
• The Chinese memorial - marking the 1857 landings and overland walk.
• The lobster fleet - the working boats in the harbour.

When to go

December to March for beach weather; summer holidays fill the town completely and accommodation prices rise sharply. Winter is cold, windy and quiet. The lobster season affects what is available on menus.

Honest expectations

Summer accommodation is expensive and books out months ahead. The Obelisk's cliff is actively collapsing and access has been restricted. Outside summer the town is very quiet with limited dining.

Nearby

Beachport lies south; the Coorong stretches northwest along the coast.