The cool, blue water is so inviting on a hot day, you wont be able to resist. The first jetty in the photo is the new rapid bay jetty. At one end of the beach is a large cave to be explored. It is regarded as one of the best squidding, and general fishing platforms close to adelaide, and was recently damaged by storm activity, which resulted in it being closed off about 200m down, which. A photo on page 2 of rons book shows the large shed as being located at the corner where the car park meets the causeway to the jetty. Rapid bay jetty is considered to be one of the best dive sites with a shore entry in australia showcasing the beautiful leafy sea dragon and an array of fish. In search of the leafy sea dragon bimble in the blue. The rapid bay jetty is used by many anglers and divers.
Having rented some tanks and weights and with the expert guidance, my buddy and i headed for the leafy hotspot of rapid bay jetty with mounting excitement. Rapid bay in the region of south australia is located in australia some 615 mi or 990 km west of canberra, the countrys capital. Map of rapid bay, sa 5204 rapid bay is the name of both a locality postcode 5204 including a small seaside town and a small bay on the west coast of the fleurieu peninsula, south australia. Rapid bay is on e of a few beautiful beaches south of adelaide. In 1882 a jetty was built, initially to roll wool bales out to the ships. Recollections of my first few dives marine life society. Those with a nose for history will find an important south australian landmark a replica of the boulder on which sas founding father, colonel william light, carved his initials after he first stepped ashore from his ship the rapid, in the new colony. Limestone mining, which once dominated the bay, has declined but the long jetty remains, now joined by a. Second valley has a busy history dating as far back as 1836. David cowan of the society for underwater historical research has kindly prepared the following document. Rapid bay jetty underwater photographers dream location in adelaide.
Rapid bay south australia genealogy familysearch wiki. Our favorite body surfing beach morgans beach which a 20 minute drive to cape jervis. Nestled between long sandy beaches and towering cliffs, rapid bay is 105 kilometres south of adelaide and reached by a steeply descending road from the main normanvillecape jervis road. A concrete and steel structure, the new jetty is designed to avoid the likelihood of the high costs typically associated with maintaining wooden jetties. These rapid bay dives had been my deepest ones to date. The quarry stopped operating in 1991 and the jetty became a popular dive spot. Tucked away near adelaide, australia is a gem of a dive site known as rapid bay jetty. Michael and kathy hope a week at the beach will dispel some of the disappointment and heartbreak of their recent past and shore up their romance. Vessels can anchor anywhere in the bay that draft and conditions permit. Rapid bay jetty michael mcfadyens scuba diving web site. Jan 25, 2016 rapid bay jetty is considered to be one of the best dive sites with a shore entry in australia showcasing the beautiful leafy sea dragon and an array of fish species in the aquarium.
Demolition or refurbishment of the old structure not possible due to cost and environmental concerns so the new jetty was constructed alongside the existing structure. The town of tumby bay is the major population centre of the district council of tumby bay, and the centre of an agricultural district farming cereal crops and sheep, as well as having established fishing and tourism industries. What an amazing example of the perfect blue bay that isnt packed out with every man and. Rapid bay coastline on september 8th, 1836, colonel william light made his first south australian landfall on the fleurieu peninsula at a place he named rapid bay, in honour of his ship.
Rapid bay was named after hms rapid, the brig carrying colonel light to glenelg in 1830. The old jetty pylons are beautiful overgrown with soft corals in a multitude of colours. Whether wide angle or close up, rapid bay jetty is an underwater photographers dream it is teaming with life. The new jetty is open my old man visited last week, and he said the end is already black with squid ink which is a good sign. As with any other beach, rapid bay is also great for swimming. History of the fleurieu fleurieu peninsula family history group. This is the website of governors bay jetty restoration trust. A brief history of the rapid bay jetty may be found on the main page. Some surface chop on entry, but generally great conditions. They also sell copies of the second edition of ron blums history of second valley book. The site is highly regarded as a venue for underwater photography. Rapid bay primary school be kind, aim high, work hard, fail well, keep going. Rapid bay beach in rapid bay yankalilla sa sls beachsafe.
We usually meet at the dive centre at 9am and you will return between 4 and 5pm. In 1941 a jetty was constructed and a plant was erected. The name was used in preference to gold coast and is reported as being a corruption of karikalingga, a former aboriginal camp on section 1018, meaning place. Caves are always fun to explore and the series of caves along rapid bay are no exception. Jo and gregory woods became the new managers of the second valley caravan park and jetty store on 1st may 2014. While the original jetty built in 1940 is closed to the public, a new jetty opened in early 2009 is now available for use. You could spend days exploring the macro and wideangle underwater photography opportunities at this site. The hamelin bay jetty was a culmination of one mans driving need to succeed in business. It sits on the eastern shore of st vincents gulf and is worth a. The wreck is 3 meters long, the depth is 30meters deep at. It is a long sandy beach at the foot of magnificent sand dunes. The local timezone is named australia adelaide with an utc offset of 10.
The colony of south australia was established soon after and today, a bolder at the southern end of rapid bay inscribed by colonel light commemorates the landing. The bay was previously used for loading limestone from the quarry immediately behind the shore line. The first bay discovered on the fleurieu by matthew flinders, rapid bay is home to a campground, an old incomplete jetty and a new recreational jetty. Crystal clear waters mark this safe bay, thus providing for great swimming and snorkelling fun. Travelog rapid bay jetty leafy seadragon heavenunderwater. There is a lot of history in glenelg and too many to list, but here are a few that you. Colonel william light made his way along the coast of south australia looking for a good spot for the capital of the state. The first show was held in november 1882 and was held at yankalilla in a paddock near the yankalilla hotel.
Rapid bay limestone quarry, rapid bay, fleurieu peninsula, south. It provides deeper water fishing and is rated as one of the top 10 jetty. You may even see a few dolphins while youre out too. The goal of this plan was to build a more cohesive community on the shores of auke bay and adjacent uplands. Rapid bay was one of the earliest sites in south australia to be settled. Due to the deteriorated state of the piles, the substructure needs replacing which means the jetty needs to be rebuilt before it can be reopened.
Beautiful leafy sea dragons, pier pilings covered in life, and large schools of fish await you at the rapid bay jetty. Rapid bay limestone quarry, rapid bay, fleurieu peninsula. The city and bureau of juneau recently completed the auke bay area plan. On september 8th, 1836, colonel william light made his first south australian landfall on the fleurieu peninsula at a place he named rapid bay, in honour of his ship. The open cut mine at rapid bay was a major source of limestone for broken hill proprietary ltd bhp during the years. According to history, locals and visitors would swim by and sit in the shade of the wheat and wool sheds of the jerry shore. Rapid bay is a popular site not only for camping but also recreational fishing and squidding. A photographic guide to rapid bay the best things to do. The jetty is constructed of timber and is constructed in the shape of a t, but the end of the jetty has a slight kink to the right before meeting the end section. Watch the mating process, migration and the release of eggs by the famous christmas island red crabs. Jane robertson has eloquently captured the history of local jetties in a forthcoming history of settlements at the head of lyttelton harbour.
Oct 21, 2003 page 2 of 2 rapid bay jetty sa posted in sa. The jetty by jay brandon and joe labatt moves ghosts out of their dark, cold, dreaded confines into the sunlight of mustang island beach at port aransas, texas. After getting in from the middle platform with some awesome giant strides see the video below. For many years, the town functioned as a wool, grain and lime exporting port. The sa state governments announced its plans for the building of a new jetty at rapid bay on 8 th september 2006. There is a wide foreshore reserve given over to recreation and a beachfront camping and caravan park. In 1836 a ship called the rapid made its first stop in south australia.
Then premier, mike rann made the announcement down at rapid bay in front of the media and stakeholders. It is well known for its limestone quarry and its pair of jetties which are popular sites for recreational fishing, scuba diving and snorkelling. Mar 12, 2009 the new rapid bay jetty features ample space for fishers and a convenient launching platform for divers drawn to the location by the rich diversity of marine life, including the leafy sea dragon. The locals came to know the jetty as wool bay jetty and by 1940, the name of the town had also changed to wool bay. Went on the search to capture a glimpse of the elusive sea dragon, didnt spot any rapid bay south australia.
Tumby bay is a coastal town situated on the spencer gulf, on the eastern coast of eyre peninsula in south australia, 45 kilometres 28 mi north of port lincoln. The historic, iconic, 300metre governors bay jetty has been closed since 2011, when a postearthquake inspection found it to be unsafe. It was nearly 500m long and had a t section at the end where ships could dock. Seastars and urchins forage amongst this tangle of encrusting organisms and mixed schools of baitfish dance around the timber uprights. Rapid bay beach is closer than morgans but not suitable for swimming. Samuel stephens to george fife angas, 27 september 1836, prg 1741461464, slsa.
Easily overlooked but thats all part of the charm, rapid bay hasnt yet succumbed to. His first campsite on the south australian mainland was the nearby rapid bay, which was named as such after colonel lights ship the rapid. In 2004 a storm damaged the jetty and it closed to the public. Rapid bay beach 2020 all you need to know before you go. Take a stroll along the jetty and enjoy fishing or the beautiful views. The limestone was shipped to bhps steelworks at whyalla, newcastle and port kembla where it was used as metallurgical flux in production of steel. Rapid bay jetty, south australia the leafy seadragon phycodurus eques belongs to the same family of the seahorse, pipe horse, pipefish and the weedy. Rapid bay jetty is a popular dive site because of its ease of access, relatively shallow depth, protection from prevailing weather for most directions and the presence of a large variety of fish including iconic species such as the leafy seadragon. Those with a nose for history will find an important south australian landmark a replica of.
Jan 17, 2016 scuba diving rapid bay giant octopus, blue rings, leafy dragon and giant cuttlefish duration. Jetties of lyttelton harbour for stories and photos of our jetty and its jetty cousins past and present in lyttelton harbour. The rapid bay jetty in south australia is known for big schools of fish and colourful corals. Rapid bay features in the creation myths of both the kaurna and ramindjeri people, most notably as the burial site of creation ancestor tjilbruke s nephew. It lies within the district council of yankalilla and its township is approximately 100 km. When colonel william light first landed at rapid bay it was considered for the capital of south australia until the adelaide plains were discovered, leaving rapid bay to be the quiet home for marine life it is today. Rapid bay is not only a very popular site because of high chances of spotting leafy sea dragons, but also because the old jetty is a beautiful dive site and a photographers dream itself.
Easily overlooked but thats all part of the charm, rapid bay hasnt yet succumbed to the flurry of beachside development seen elsewhere. Rapid bay is the name of both a locality postcode 5204 including a small seaside town and a small bay on the west coast of the fleurieu peninsula, south australia. Rapid bay jetty is famous for its diving and is known as one of the best spots in australia. Might make a trip down there in a couple of weeks for a fish. Diving in south australiarapid bay jetty travel guide. The site was named after lights ship, the 162 ton brig rapid. You walk to the end of this jetty and easily enter the water via stairs. Visit rapid bay beach on your trip to rapid bay or australia. This is south australia rapid bay south australia facebook. Col william light aboard the hms rapid and george strickland kingston aboard the. There are some historical monuments and a long fishing jetty.
The jetty was shortened in 1945 and 1953 and upgraded in 2001. Our main leafy sea dragon dive sites the famous rapid bay jetty and victor harbor bluff both shore dives with easy access are about an hour and a half drive to get to from the city. Apparently seadragons, blue ringed octopus and giant australian cuttlefish can be found in rapid bay. Because of its north facing proximity protecting it from the prevailing southerly winds, rapid bay jetty is an ideal allyearround dive site. The town of rapid bay is located on the west coast of fleurieu peninsula and under the district council of yankalilla. The beach is picturesque, nice blue water not turquoise with no waves with white stones sand. Road transport, as elsewhere, took over the role of the ketch trade, and today the jetty is used by fishermen and holiday makers. Carrickalinga first appeared in 1958 as the name of a private subdivision developed by a george lewis of waterloo corner in the cadastral unit of the hundred of myponga. The poles are covered with sea squirts, sponges and a variety of algae. Edithburgh jetty beautiful shore dive with colorful pilings, nudibranchs, sea horses and leafy sea dragons. The open cut mine at rapid bay was a major source of limestone for broken hill proprietary ltd bhp during the years 1942 1981. I dived at the very end of the jetty and down to 55 feet where i soon netted a huge conger eel. This is a bit of a problem rapid bay jetty in south australia is in danger of being closed off to all recreational fishing and diving.
The 2nd, larger jetty behind it is the one you actually dive. The rapid bay jetty was built in 1940 as part of the limestone and dolomite mine located on the southern side of the bay. South australia colonial surveyor general colonel william light made his first landfall on mainland south australia at rapid bay on 8 september 1836. Lights early map of the coast see appendix british parliamentary papers, select committee into south australia, 1841 calls yankalilla, yankalilly. It consists of the small settlement of rapid bay, a large rock quarry on the southern rapid head fronted by a 400 m long jetty. Invertebrates, schools of fish, rays, leafy sea dragons. I am snorkelling just below the old rapid bay jetty.
Rapid bay destination guide south australia, australia. It lies within the district council of yankalilla and its township is approximately 100 km south of the state capital, adelaide. Jetties of lyttelton harbour for stories and photos of our jetty and its jetty cousins past and present in lyttelton harbour jane robertson has eloquently captured the history of local jetties in a forthcoming history of. Drove to rapid bay it took 1hr 34mins approx 101 kms from adelaide. Very quiet place with camping grounds next to the beach with a really long jetty on the southern end. Holdfast bay history centre, ringwood house, 14 jetty road. Rapid bay jetty dive site in adelaide, australia diving logistics, underwater photography tips and subjects such as the leafy sea dragon.
Rapid bay got its name from the 160 ton ship of colonel william light, the first surveyorgeneral of the colony of south australia. I stuffed the beast into my catch bag and took it out of the water onto the jetty. A bit of offshore wind early in the morning, turning to onshore later in the day, but the point in between turned the water perfectly clear. Bhp built the original jetty in the 1940s to support a limestone quarry. While the original jetty built in 1940 is closed to the public, a new jetty opened in early 2009 is now available for.
The christmas island red crab migration like youve never seen it before. It is well known for its limestone quarry and its pair of jetties which are popular sites for. The jetty is uniquely positioned to significantly benefit from the infrastructure investments into the auke bay neighborhood. The jetty was last used commercially in 1990, and has fallen into a state of disrepair. A group of seven and denise and myself as dive guides drove all the way down to rapid bay, to dive one of the most iconic jetty dives in the state. It provides deeper water fishing and is rated as one of the top 10 jetty dives in australia. Once you come here you wont want to leave, so book your ticket and come.
113 1505 1507 1229 84 501 1497 1318 407 1549 550 1248 267 513 144 1267 84 87 17 1401 930 595 733 1460 375 957 313 344 785 608 984 846 1374 963 1127 866 6 150 1133