A regional service and administrative centre and the main port of the southern section of the Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor is also a favourite holiday destination for the people of Adelaide, so much so that the city's population is greatly expanded during the summer holidays

Where is it?: Fleurieu Peninsula. 48 km south of Adelaide at the south-eastern end of the Fleurieu Peninsula on the shores of Encounter Bay

A popular site for visitors is Granite Island, which is connected to the mainland by a short tram/pedestrian causeway. The tram service is provided by the Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram, one of the very few horse-drawn tram routes remaining in public transit service. Granite Island is home to a large colony of Fairy Penguins which are a popular attraction on the island. These penguins shelter on the island during the night, departing in the morning to hunt for fish before returning at sunset.

SteamRanger Heritage Railway

The SteamRanger Heritage Railway operates a number of different heritage steam and diesel hauled tourist trains between Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills, up over the crest of the southern Mt Lofty Ranges, down to Strathalbyn and on through the coastal holiday towns of Goolwa and Port Elliot to the tourist resort town of Victor Harbor. Trains operate on up to 140 days a year and are manned by volunteers from the Australian Railway Historical Society, who are also responsible for maintenance of the rail line and the heritage locomotives and carriages.

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The Cockle Train


Since 1887 passenger trains operating along the coast from Goolwa to Victor Harbor have affectionately been known as The Cockle Train. The broad sandy surf beaches at Goolwa are famous for large cockles. The section of the line between Goolwa and Port Elliot was the first steel railway built in Australia. The horse drawn carriage can be viewed in the main street of Goolwa. The Cockle Train is run today by SteamRanger Heritage Railway during school holiday, public holidays, Wednesdays and Sundays.

During the months of June to September, whale spotting is a popular attraction. Southern Right Whales often rest in the nearby waters. The South Australian Whale Centre located at Victor Harbor provides hands on interactive activities and presentations as well as information on whale watching tips.

Victor Harbor offers numerous fishing opportunities varying from offshore reefs for larger boat based anglers to excellent surf fishing on the beaches closer to the mouth of the Murray River.

Langhorne Creek

Langhorne Creek wine region is 63 km to the north east of Victor Harbor. With grape production dating back to 1850, Langhorne Creek is traditionally a red wine grape region best known for its full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and red blends. With a surprisingly cool climate, the region also produces exceptionally flavoured white and fortified wines.

Goolwa

Goolwa was once a thriving Riverport but now the boats carry just tourists and its historic buildings have been restored as art galleries, cafes and B&B;'s. With both fresh and salt water, Goolwa is a mecca for the keen fisherman and boating enthusiasts as a starting point for a day or multi-day trip into the Coorong National Park or the Lake Alexandrina area.

History: The sheltered bay on which Victor Harbor sits was discovered by Matthew Flinders in the HMS Investigator in April of 1802. Flinders was surveying the then unknown South Australian coast from the West. He then encountered Nicolas Baudin in the Le Geographic near the Murray Mouth several kilometres to the east of the present day location Victor Harbor. Baudin was surveying the coast from the East for Napoleonic France. The ships returned to the bay and sheltered while the captains, whose countries were at war, compared notes. Flinders named the bay Encounter Bay after the meeting.

In 1837 two whaling stations were established here, one at the Bluff (Rosetta Head) and the other near the point opposite Granite Island and whale oil became South Australia���s first export. The last whale was caught off Victor in 1872.

In his ship, 'HMS Victor', Captain Crozier anchored just off Granite Island and named the adjacent mainland Victor Harbor after his ship. The town of Victor Harbor itself did not exist until 1863, when stone buildings first appeared.

Victor Harbor was originally called Port Victor, but its name was changed in 1921, as a result, it is said, of a near shipwreck blamed on confusion with Port Victoria in the Yorke Peninsula. Despite the fact that harbour is normally spelt with a 'u' in Australian English, the name of the city is spelt Victor Harbor. This spelling, found in several geographical names in South Australia, including Adelaide Outer Harbor, is the result of spelling errors made by an early Surveyor General of South Australia. Conversely Victor Harbour railway station is spelt with the 'u'.