Kayaking Fun in the Sun | Southend | South Australia
Tucked into a sheltered corner of South Australia’s Rivoli Bay lies a hidden gem, Southend. This quiet seaside Lobster fishing town is geographically sheltered from the harsh prevailing weather that whips straight off the Southern Ocean and is home to one of my favourite beaches in Australia.
If you love a seaside town with cafes, hotels and restaurants with sea views then don’t come here. Southend doesn’t even have a pub, its commercial hub is a licenced general store with a couple of old fuel bowsers which just adds to the appeal of this South Eastern jewel.
In the late 80’s Miss Linda and I rented a house there and it was home for a short while and this being Miss Linda’s teenage stomping ground I got to meet the local fishermen and have always felt at home and comfortable there ever since. There are few places in Australia, especially by the sea, that don’t change but Southend today is the same Southend it was back then.
In more recent years the nearby inland town of Millicent has been home for Miss Linda and I and we always enjoyed our regular short drives down to our local beach at Southend. It’s no secret that I love the water. Swimming, kayaking and fishing are some of my favourite pastimes and during summer there is no better place to enjoy all the above.
For starters, you can drive on the beach, most of the time you don’t need to engage four wheel drive but it certainly pays to have it on hand and it is essential as you drive further around the bay towards Beachport. I don’t think we ever sat on the beach without saying g’day and maybe having a beer and a chat to a mate passing by. The conditions vary substantially during the year and sometimes during the winter months you won’t even be able to get on the beach. Southend can get hammered by the winter storms and swells and this just adds to the diversity and beauty of the place.
The water can be chilly but it does warm up and this is a near perfect swimming beach. As a kayaking destination, when the conditions are right like on a warm summers evening with the overcast dead calm before the brewing summer storm over the water, you would be hard pressed to find better. Paddling on crystal clear water, the cray boats idle in there sheltered nests and the sun dropping into the Southern Ocean creating a spectacular natural lighting display all adds to the memories etched into the favourites folder in my mind.
There are so many wonderful locations and destinations scattered around the spectacular country of Australia but in my mind I have several that just rise above. It is not just idyllic scenery it is a compilation of the place, the people and my experiences in that place that put them in a special category in my mind. The beach at Southend is one of those special places and whenever in the area it is a must for me and a very special part of my Australia, Finchy’s Australia.
