On my South Australia roadtrip I really wanted to go to the town of Kingston SE. Why? Mainly because of this:
About Kingston SE
It’s a small coastal town with about 1400 people, main industries are fishing, wine, sheep and cattle. I saw a lot of tourists here with boats and other water recreation things. I came to Kingston SE to see two things – the giant lobster and the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse Museum.
Big Lobster
The Big Lobster is known as ‘Larry the Lobster’ by locals. It’s 17m tall and is one of Australia’s weird obsession with ‘big things’. There is a lobster industry in this region so it’s not entirely a random creation. It’s a funny thing worth stopping for!
Cape Jaffa Lighthouse Museum
The history of Cape Jaffa Lighthouse is a little unusual, which seems to be a recurring theme in Kingston SE. Originally this lighthouse was in the middle of the sea, protecting sailors from crashing into the Margaret Brock Reef. It was opened all the way back in 1872 and was designed to withstand the harsh ocean conditions. It housed two lighthouse keepers and their families with enough supplies for several weeks. In the 1970s the government decided to replace the lighthouse with an automated light, so it was transported back to Kingston SE and opened as a museum in 1976. In the museum you can experience how people lived on a lighthouse.
Interestingly, the platform structure that the lighthouse was built on still stands out at sea. It hosts a breeding colony of Australiasian gannets, because there are no pests like rats to decimate their population. So now Cape Jaffa’s legacy is survived by seabirds!
Kingston Jetty
Jetties are always good photo opportunities. We discovered this by chance because we wanted to stretch our legs at the beach.
More Experiences in South Australia
Another interesting town to visit nearby is Robe – check out my blogpost about what to do in Robe, South Australia.
If you’re interested in another unusual attraction of South Australia check out my post about Lake Bumbunga, a Pink Salt Lake.
Location
About me
Hi there! I’m Noah and you’ve found my travel blog. I love roadtrips, photography and nature. Follow @zeebachi on instagram to keep up with my latest travels!
