The Jetty Project

 Rosetta Head - better known as The Bluff, has what is called a jetty but which is actually more of a wharf or fishing platform. It's several hundred metres  around the northern edge of The Bluff on a single lane dirt road. Fairly popular with fishermen, it seems.

A cold but fine winter's day out. Certainly nicer than the last time we tried to walk this area, when it was too cold to walk out across the causeway. We were also able to walk around the island and there were a number of quirky sculptures scattered about. The Causeway. I understand it was damaged earlier this year and there appeared to be work still underway on one of the piles. After walking around the island we checked the breakwater. It's possible to walk out to the end, and to fish from it. The rocks are massive and it takes some effort to walk across. Finally, there is a short and wide jetty, also on the north east side of the island, just west of the breakwater. It looks to be heavily used at the moment.

On the way back from Meningie we stopped at Meningie for a drink and to stretch our legs. I wasn't necessarily expecting a jetty, but there wa one. At least the remains of one - from the late 19th century is was several hundred metres long, as the water is so shallow and it tended to silt up. At that time Meningie was a stop for the Murray river paddle steamers, bringing wool down the river. It was also a point to cross the lake to Meningie, until road traffic picked up. It is a pleasant curving structure adjacent to a park and still carries the remains of an old crane. When we visited there was a family fishing at the end, and other people fishing on the short structures on either side of the boat ramp. There are also a number of private jetties along the same stretch. It was windy, but I suspect it is always windy there.

The Normanville jetty was the last stop of our day along the Fleurieu. Being a public holiday, the grassy area around te kiosk was packed with people picnicking and relaxing, and there were families on the beach. It was the nicest location we visited today. The jetty itself starts on the sand rather than from a path, and it is truncated. After damage in the late 40s and early 50s it was shortened, and now seems cosmetic rather than functional as it barely reaches the water.

Not a true jetty, but during our day in the Fleurieu, on the October long weekend, we walked around the breakwater at the Marina St Vincent. The area around the marina is slightly derelict - large gravel areas with shuttered buildings and scattered shipping containers but the marina itself was very peaceful. At the end of the very large breakwater we found the bollards and ramp from the previous ferryto Kangaroo Island. The southern side of the breakwater curves around and the northern arm and so provides a lot of protection from the elements.

Second Valley is very popular, but I am not sure it is the prettiest spot; the beach is narrow and rocky and the jetty is short. This didn't stop a lot of family groups crowding onto it to fish and walk about.

The old BHP jetty was particularly long - 490m with a 200m T end. It was closed in 2004 after storm damage and is slowly decaying. There is something quite beautiful about this. The new jetty was opened in 2009. It is comparatively modest but still a respectable 240m. It is also the first jetty we've walked with concrete sleepers. It was extremely popular, the busiest jetty we have been on, and we had to pick our way between fishing rods. This may have been in part that it was a spring day, a public holiday and the start of the school holidays. People were catching squid and crabs, as well as fish.

Cape Jervis is windswept and has a rather barren quality, but it was a pleasant day today - overcast but the sea was calm and it was not too windy, even on the jetty. There were a few people fishing and the Sealink Ferry was in. It is a short jetty and extends only a short way past the ferry terminal, curving to the southwest.