Middleton in the Fleurieu peninsula wasn’t on our original itinerary for our trip to South Australia. The main purpose of our trip was to visit friends and family, however we’d planned to get away to the Flinders Ranges for a few days mid-week. We had a glamping tent and a scenic flight booked, had researched walks and the best vantage points of the ranges and Wilpend Pound – I was excited!

And then we got COVID.

After a week of isolating and having to re-schedule our catch-ups with friends, we found ourselves with space for a quick overnight trip. As it needed to be within easy reach of the Barossa Valley (our base), we decided on the Beach Huts at Middleton. They have a selection of super cute huts, all with a slightly different but beachy look and feel and some with a large spa bath (perfect for winter beach breaks!).

We started our afternoon in Goolwa, with a quiet lunch at Hectors on the Wharf. Peaceful outlook, and perfectly fine (nothing to write home about) food. Having lunched looking straight out over the bridge to Hindmarsh Island, we decided to drive across it to the Murray mouth, where dredging happens on a daily basis. Interesting sure, but not worth getting the camera out for. Also, Hindmarsh Island is surprisingly large – with stretches of 100 km road! Not the wee paradise I’d imagined.

Having stopped in at the information centre pre-lunch, the helpful volunteer had recommended a trip out to the Goolwa barrages so this was our next stop. Here seals and pelicans play, waiting for the lochs to open and easy access to their next meal.

Upon entry, there were some pretty unnerving health warnings. “Caution! Encephalitis carrying mosquitos in this area”. Being the type of person that, even when doused in mozzie repellent I still seem to end up with bug bites, I was pretty hesitant to enter. However, as it was winter and we were wearing long sleeved clothes, we proceeded with caution, keeping an eye out for any sign of the potentially disease-ridden critters.

And what a treat the barrages were - I’ve never seen so many seals enjoying themselves in the water! The seals I’ve seen in New Zealand have all been fairly sedentary, sunning themselves on a rock. While these seals weren’t exactly active, they were relaxing and floating about on their backs in the water.

You can’t go to the Fleurieu without a walk along the beach. So, after checking into our beach hut, we headed down to Middleton beach to enjoy the last light of golden hour. During our walk we brainstormed plans for dinner (which ended up being takeaway from THAi days in Goolwa – we would have loved to have dined in, however even mid-week, it’s exceptionally popular! The Singapore noodles and softshell crab were a winner).

The following day, we set off for another walk, in an area where we’d heard there had been whale sightings. Following the path along the clifftops and breathing in the sea air, I almost forgot the reason we were there. Until I glimpsed a rock in the ocean that suddenly spouted water! We saw several whales and all were reasonably close to the shore – definitely visible and enjoyable to watch with the naked eye from the clifftops.

Having walked for several hours, we decided we had earnt a pie and donut from the Port Elliot bakery. If you haven’t heard of the Port Elliot bakery, you’re probably not from South Australia! It’s a South Aussie institution - and I now know why. Check it out! This donut was some kind of chocolate ripple crunch, nutella-filled extravaganza! The pie too, was delectable, melt in your mouth goodness - but we wolfed that down before I had a chance to take a photo. 

Hahndorf was calling for the afternoon – specifically, Prancing Pony brewery and a wander through the local craft shops. The main street of Port Elliot did look rather cute however, so I’d love to head back at some stage. We also didn’t venture across to Victor Harbour, as we easily filled 24 hours in Goolwa and Middleton. 

Our departing gift as we left Middleton, was this sighting of a flowering canola field. Very fitting for the first day of spring!

And settle in we did. After a moody sunset complete with ‘second sunset’ due to the Tonga effect (volcanic remains in the atmosphere from the Tongan eruption earlier this year), our quirky van decided it was done for the night. Cue kumbaya and storytelling (during which we discovered we were in the presence of a bona fide rally car driver) while waiting for a jump start. The knowledge that our Ferg Burger dinner courtesy of “Ted’s Eats” delivery was on its way, helped keep spirits up too!

Given Glenorchy had pulled through with the weather on Friday night, we were straight back out to the wharf for sunrise. Moonrise coincided, so we were able to capture some near full moon shots as she made her decent behind the mountains. But by gosh it was cold! When we could no longer operate our cameras due to numb fingers, thawing and breakfast in front of the fire at the Glenorchy Hotel was in order – the hot chocolates at the Glenorchy Hotel were a particular hit with the group!

Not content that Glenorchy was sufficiently ‘paradisal’, we continued on. Our poor wee van wasn’t capable of making it all the way to Paradise, but we certainly found some cracker vistas en-route! This included gnarly trees and epic mountains, plus beech forests for some sun starburst action between the branches. We followed this up with sunset at Lake Hayes before tacos and tutorials.

We then had one last chance to put our learnings into practice at sunrise the following morning. We predicted it was either going to be a clanger or an absolute banger… I’ll leave the images to speak for themselves. It was certainly a high to end the workshop on!

**If you're not familiar with PSNZ and it's workshop series, PSNZ membership is open to everyone with an interest in photography. The society hosts several specialised workshops per year, and this was a hands-on, practical workshop interspersed with learning sessions. Although participants had varied photography experience and ability levels, there was something new for everyone in Meghan’s slides – from how to use filters, composition tips, editing techniques and Lightroom shortcuts, to planning your shoot using Photopills and a variety of weather apps. Find out more about PSNZ at www.photography.org.nz**