Top 10 Fleurieu photo spots
The frames, light and angles photographers come for
A peninsula built for photography
The Fleurieu has more genuinely photogenic locations per square kilometre than almost any other coast in Australia. Multi-coloured cliffs, heritage jetties, granite domes, river mouths, lighthouses, vineyard ridges and the dramatic Wild South Coast cliffs are all within an hour of each other. This list is built around photographers' needs - the right light, the right frame, the right angle - rather than just where it looks pretty in the brochure.
Golden hour for almost all of them.
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1
Aldinga & Port WillungaPort Willunga Beach
The 1855 jetty pylon ruins at golden hour are the single most-photographed Fleurieu shot. The ochre cliffs catch the warm light and the silhouette of the Star of Greece bluff frames the top of the image.
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2
Aldinga & Port Willunga
Maslin Beach
The multi-coloured ochre and limestone cliffs rise to 70 metres above the sand - some of the most striking coastal geology on the South Australian mainland. Best in the morning when the cliffs catch the light from the east.
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3
Myponga & Second ValleySecond Valley Beach
The curved timber jetty against the sandstone cliffs is one of the most-shared Instagram frames in South Australia. Calm afternoons reflect the structure in the cove water.
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4
Victor HarborThe Bluff (Rosetta Head)
97 metres of granite dome looking straight at Encounter Bay. The view from the summit at sunrise sweeps from Wright Island all the way back across the Encounter Coast.
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5
Cape JervisCape Jervis Lighthouse
The 1871 stone lighthouse with the wind farm turbines turning behind it is a photogenic mix of 19th and 21st century - especially in the long afternoon light off Backstairs Passage.
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6
GoolwaGoolwa Barrage
Long-lens shots of the fur seals on the barrage wall, plus the geometric repetition of the 1940 lock structure with the Coorong dunes behind it. Both are unique South Australian frames.
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7Cape Jervis
Rapid Bay Jetty Dive Site
The new Rapid Bay jetty stretching out toward Kangaroo Island is a striking leading-line subject, especially at low tide and golden hour.
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8
Inman ValleyGlacier Rock (Selwyn Rock)
A 510-million-year-old glacial pavement with grooves, polish and the river bend behind it. A geological close-up subject with a sense of deep time.
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9
Port ElliotHorseshoe Bay
A near-perfect crescent of sand framed by sandstone headlands. Best photographed from Freeman Lookout above for the full curve, or from the western headland at sunset.
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10
Victor HarborHindmarsh Falls
The 20-metre cascade is a serious long-exposure waterfall subject in winter and spring when it runs at full force. Bring a tripod and an ND filter.
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