“One of South Australia's oldest towns, Robe is also the starting point for one of the most remarkable yet little-known treks in Australian history”
Sprawling along the blue waters of Guichen Bay, Robe, 355km east of Adelaide, was once South Australia's second-largest port.
Home to around 1500 lucky permanent residents, the town's population swells with visitors during holiday periods, but offseason, this charming town is laidback and peaceful, and an ideal place to kickstart any journey.
One of South Australia's oldest towns, Robe is also the starting point for one of the most remarkable yet little-known treks in Australian history.
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, more than 16,000 people left their homes in China and landed in Guichen Bay. They then walked hundreds of kilometres to reach the Victorian goldfields, a journey anyone can follow today.
The Chinese miners trekked through the bush on a number of routes. One of the most common was via Penola, Casterton, Cavendish, Dunkeld and then on to Ararat, the only Australian city to be founded by Chinese immigrants.
Robe to Penola - 108km
The views across Guichen Bay from the Robe Hotel are among the best in town.
This venerable pub was first licensed in 1848, when it was called the Bonnie Owl. The ruins of the original building can be seen at the rear of the current hotel, which dates from the 1880s and is still a popular
