SA Fishing Adventures: With Ali Carle in the Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia
From the Penguin Point Lookout on Yorke Peninsula you take in sweeping views of Innes National Park and the nearby fishing town of Marion Bay. The Penguin Point Beach House is the ideal location from which to explore this spectacular coastline. From the verandah, it's a short stroll to Willyama Bay with tell tale signs of an early shipwreck.
This entire coastline offers a visual feast for those who drop a line at the "tip of the toe" of Yorke Peninsula. Experiencing it from the shore is one thing but the committed angler knows that the BIG fish are "out there" somewhere. So I teamed up with charter operator, Herbie Glacken, for a tour of this dramatic coastline.
Along the way there are reminders that this has not always been a national park. Herbie tells us that ships used to call in at the Stenhouse Bay Jetty to load gypsum. From here the steamers and clippers would head out to sea, skirting a coastline that even today instils a little fear in any sensible navigator.
The cruise past the cliffs known as The Gap - another reminder that the battle between land and sea is never ending. From the sheer cliffs and the golden beaches beyond our reach, we head out to sea in search of snapper which Herbie says are lot more accessible... if you know where to look.
And true to his word and a few GPS coordinates, we're soon on one of his favourite spots. A snapper here, a nannygai there - what could be better? But for Herbie, this fishing caper's a far cry from life on the land.
"A couple of years ago I used to crop 6,000 acres," he explained. "Had a bit of a "Barry Crocker" and lost quite a bit of money. I asked do I keep going or give the farming game away? I like fishing so my wife and I decided to do this and never looked back."
Herbie reckons selling his sixth generation farm was tough. "You have to bight the bullet - it's a business and you've got to live."
With dinner taken care of, it's time to feast on the rest of this coastline and soon we sidle up to the Australian sealions and New Zealand Fur Seals who rest on one of the most imposing landmarks of Investigator Strait - majestic Althorpe Island.
It's just one of the many delights of Herbie Glacken's SA Fishing Adventures. For charters contact Herbie on 0407 619 197. To stay at Penguin Point Beach House contact Steve Jones on 0409 474 078.
SA Fishing Adventures
Marion Bay
Yorke Peninsula
Contact Herbie Glacken
Ph: 0407 619 197Penguin Point Beach House
Marion Bay
Yorke Peninsula
Contact Steve Jones
Ph: 0409 474 078.Published 22nd July 2007
