Limestone Coast

Halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne is the spectacular Limestone Coast, a several hundred kilometre stretch of still unspoilt natural coastline and hinterland. Once covered by the waters of the southern ocean, today it is the limestone bedrock that is responsible for the region’s unique features of shallow lagoons and wetlands, honeycombed caves and the rich terra rossa soil which produces some of the world’s best red wines. The Limestone Coast wine zone includes six highly active wine districts and has become the largest producer of premium wine in Australia. Of particular international interest is the emerging Mt Benson district. The lighthouse was one of the two most important navigational points to the dangerous waters of the Limestone Coast, the other, a simple obelisk, was sited on the Robe Headland in 1855 and is still in use today. Robe became South Australia’s second most important colonial wool out-post and served as the gateway for over 16,500 Chinese prospectors on their way to the Victorian Goldfields in the mid 1800’s. The fragrant, highly elegant Bordeaux style whites of Cappe Jaffa Wines and other Mt Benson producers have achieved, in a few short years, a status similar to that enjoyed by the neighbouring Coonawarra Region with its outstanding reds. Today, the town of Robe is considered to be the informal capital of the Limestone Coast. Robe has retained many well preserved colonial buildings and is listed as one of the State’s historic towns. It has become an extremely popular summer holiday destination and is the home port for a large commercial fishing fleet. Another outstanding feature of the Limestone Coast is its spectacular expanses of natural wetlands.