WEATHER ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTH Australia has been hit or miss—and we’ve been missing. This isn’t the Robe we remember—sunny days swimming on Long Beach, succulent lobsters just off the boats and oysters fresh from the sea. It’s chilly, windy and rainy and lobster now cost $100/kilo. Aunty Annie’s cottage would make a charming place to hunker down, to snack on popcorn and read.
But this is our final stop in South Australia and we felt obliged to explore a bit. We walked along the rugged coastal cliffs always in sight of the Robe Obelisk which has served as a navigation aid for 150 years. Our only companions were a pair of Eurasian Kestrels who seemed to be sheltering from the wind.
The two original rooms of Aunty Annie’s, the current living room and extra bedroom, were built in 1856, making it one of Robe’s first homes—the master bedroom, bath and atrium kitchen are later additions. And once we warmed up John cooked his Blue Plate Special—meatloaf, peas and mashed—comfort food on a cold day.