The Inman River Trail (And A Clydesdale)

What with broken toes and working and general life errand I haven't seen much of Victor Harbor yet, and that's a shame because Victor Harbor has quite a lot to see. For a start there's the bay itself, with the Bluff at one end and Granite Island tenuously anchored to town by the curved causeway along which the Clydesdales plod, pulling their chattering loads of tourists. Between the Bluff and the island the sea is calm and blue, protected by sturdy granite from the wild sea which froths and surges on the seaward side of the island.  Dog's owners were due to come home in a few days and my toe was on the road to recovery, so off I went for a spot of exploring.

Wherever you are along the beachfront in Encounter Bay, from Port Elliot around to the Bluff, Granite Island is always visible.

I came  to the mouth of the Inman River and left the sea behind, following the river upstream.

Back when Victor Harbor was a summer retreat from Adelaide's heat, the Inman River was a popular spot for boating.  Not being a very big river it was prone to traffic jams on days when everyone wanted to go boating, leading to the Council widening the river to allow passage of more boats.  Of course it wasn't long before somewhere else became the place to be and something else became the thing to do, and the recently-widened Inman River became a nesting sanctuary for birds and a breeding ground for fish.

The Inman River path followed the high ground above the flood plain of the river (the widened bit didn't last for very long) and beside paddocks where Clydesdale horses rested and relaxed when they weren't pulling loads of tourists out to Granite Island.

There were no horses in the paddock when I rode past.  I was very disappointed.

I rode under the twisted limbs of River Red Gums.  I rode quickly, given the propensity of River Red Gums to drop bits of themselves on those who loitered under their canopy.

It was much safer to set up bicycle poses under pine trees. 

As rivers go the Inman River is very short, and quickly devolved to creek status.  The trail left it behind and headed out along a little gravel road past the Clysedale Stables, where the horses are collected every day to head out to work.  There were no horses there either, and I was very disappointed all over again.  

Just down the road from the actual working stables was a very grand building with a fence to which several old railway bridges must have contributed, and a very grand sign welcoming visitors to The Stables.  All the gates were closed when I was there, but had I arrived later in the morning I could have (for a fee) seen how the horse-drawn tram operation worked behind the scenes.

Still no actual flesh-and-blood horses...

The Inman River trail, having departed from the river, came to an end at the Victor Harbor cemetery, where another sign invited me to wander amongst the graves and look for  Victor Harbor's early settlers.

The cemetery had a very nice rose garden.

I turned around and went back down the Inman River trail, where I got very excited to find a Clydesdale at the stables, waiting patiently for his lift to work.  I happily appreciated him from a distance and the Clydesdale, no doubt quite used to goggling tourists, ignored me completely.

I'm happy now.

On the way home I just had to divert to check out an intriguing lakeside estate which Google Maps had shown tucked in the suburbs of Victor Harbor.  Sure enough, a freshwater lake in the dunes had been converted into a canal estate complete with private jetties where people could moor their boats.  Not that the boats could really go anywhere, but it's the thought that counts, right?

The estate had a swimming beach with snail trails where kayaks had been dragged across the sand.  I met an elderly lady coming down to swim.  We looked at the grey water and traded comments on the cold wind.  When I left on my bicycle she was getting back into her car: I don't think she went swimming. 

I rode my bike home, where Dog was ridiculously happy to see me.  I was happy too.  My toe had proved itself fit for cycling and, even better, I got to see a Clydesdale.

Bird of the day:  a chestnut teal on the Inman River.

Sunset over Victor Harbor, from our back door.