We are spending time with family who live scattered across the Fleurieu Peninsula. A cold wet place in winter but that said, it is still picturesque, and there are days when the sun shines through. Before the British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the Kaurna people, while several clans of the Ngarrindjeri lived on the eastern side. The Fleurieu Peninsula was named after Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu, the French explorer and hydrographer, by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin as he explored the south coast of Australia in 1802. Below are some photos from this beautiful part of the world.

We spend half a day travelling via boat down the Murray River through the lock on the Goolwa Barrage and further along the river past the mouth of the Murray and then southwards along the Coorong, it was a wonderful day. We can clearly see a boundary between the muddy Murray water and clear blue water of the Southern Ocean. The dredging of the Murray Mouth was limited to one dredger due to the good water flows, a legal requirement rather than necessity, dredging commenced in 2002. The Long Nose Fur seal were active and full of character, the birdlife was prolific with abundant swans, some with young, terns constantly patrolled the the skies occasionally diving into the water, cormorants were likewise abundant. Long Nose Fur Seals are recovering after years of hunting, it has caused concern for some fisherman but that said the seals were here first, we just need to learn to live with nature not constantly trash it. We stop for a walk through the dunes to the ocean, evidence of indigenous occupation is easy to find as indigenous middens are readily identifiable by the copious quantities of pipi remains. If you want to go on an informative and interesting trip through one of Australia’s iconic wetlands you should consider Spirit Australia Cruises who we travelled with.