Where is Encounter Bay in Australia?
Encounter Bay in Australia lies between the Coorong and Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. The main towns on Encounter Bay are Goolwa, Middleton, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor.
Encounter Bay got its name in the early years of European exploration in Australia. Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin were both charting the coastline for their countries, Britain and France. At the time, both believed their countries were at water – news of a ceasefire had not reached them yet. But the meeting was peaceful.
Flinders – who gave Australia its name – named the bay where he met Baudin ‘Encounter Bay’. But where is Encounter Bay, exactly?
Where is Encounter Bay, Australia?
Well, the bay is on the coast of South Australia, technically part of the Great Australian Bight. It’s roughly chevron-shaped, formed by the Fleurieu Peninsula jutting out from the mostly west-facing coast of South Australia.
The longest river in Australia, the Murray, empties into Encounter Bay, next to the longest beach in Australia. The Mouth of the Murray is inside the Coorong National Park. It’s near Goolwa, one of the four main settlements on the bay. The others are Middleton, Port Elliot (home of the Port Elliot Bakery and Port Elliot Caravan Park) and Victor Harbor.
Encounter Bay things to do
Encounter Bay is a popular area for tourists. Goolwa offers Coorong cruises and kayaking tours from Hindmarsh Island, with cheap accommodation at the Goolwa Caravan Park. The Cockle Train, a tourist train that sometimes uses steam engines in the school holidays, departs from the Goolwa Wharf Precinct.
That train passes through Middleton and Port Elliot on the way to Victor Harbor, Encounter Bay’s main resort town. Things to do in Victor Harbor include the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island and feeding kangaroos at the Urimbirra Wildlife Park.
Just to confuse matters, there’s also a small settlement called Encounter Bay. To the west of Victor Harbour, this is effectively just a suburb. Albeit one with a decent beach looking out to Wright Island.
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