More Venus Bay

10 days at Venus Bay have gone by very quickly and it was soon time to move on. But before I post a blog about the next stage of our travels, just some information about Venus Bay for those who may be interested in visiting....

The two main forms of accommodation at Venus Bay are private holiday cottages and the caravan park. To get a holiday cottage during peak times (school holidays) would require you to book many years ahead of when you actually wish to go, or kill someone who has already got a regular booking. Most of the rentals, where handled by an agent, appear to be handled by the estate agents at Streaky Bay. Many of the remainder just have a sign out the front with telephone number on it, which means that you actually need to go there first in order to gather some of these numbers.

The caravan park also takes bookings years in advance. We have booked a place for 2014 while we are here. The park is not huge, having around 65 sites and 10 cabins, and by the time you take out the sites that are booked on an annual basis there are not many available for the casual visitors (in peak season anyway.) So, you would be well advised to book. The Hosts, Linda and Chris Smith, are lovely people who are only too happy to help you.

The Caravan Park Shop

As posted previously, the water quality is poor. You wouldn't drink it and we were advised not to let it get into the hot water service in our van - which basically meant not using it at all. I would advise carrying in as much water as you can, or have some very good filters. You can buy drinking water there but it would get pretty expensive over a long stay. The water is good enough to shower and wash clothes in. There are a couple of rainwater tanks and the sign near the tap implores you take just two litres at a time so that there is enough to go around - something that seemed to elude a chap I saw filling a 20 litre drum.

Site fees range from $23.00 per night for unpowered to $25.00 per night for powered, based on two people staying. Extra persons are $6.00 per night each. Cabins range from $45.00 per night to $115.00 per night. 24 of the caravan/tent sites have absolute beach frontage or unobstructed views, as do three of the cabins.

There are two amenities blocks, two camp kitchens and two fish cleaning stations. The laundry has three washing machines and one dryer and washing costs $3.00 per load.

When cleaning fish, you will have a guaranteed audience.

The park shop, as mentioned in a previous blog, has a kitchen and serves the usual take-away food at very reasonable prices -$14.50 for fish, calamari and prawns, served with chips, is the most expensive item on the menu. You can sit on the balcony of the shop while eating your food and enjoy some excellent views over the Bay.

You can hire boats at the park shop for just $15.00 per hour with a minimum 3 hour hire. They include all of the safety gear required by  law and Chris, the host, will surely give you some tips about where to go to get "onto" the Whiting.

Hire a boat (or bring your own) and join the dozens of others that go out each day.

A  note about security. This would have to be one of the last remaining places in Australia where you can go away from your van and leave everything where it is, then expect it to be there when you return. When you stroll around the park you see fishing gear lying around everywhere, dinghies left on the beach with motors attached, fuel tanks in them, all the safety gear and most likely the fishing tackle - all sitting there unattended. People don't lock their vans when they go fishing and many don't bother locking their cars either. Neighbourhood watch would stop any wrongdoers, even if there were any, (which is very unlikely.)

Summary


If you like your caravan park to be basic but clean and tidy, if you like fishing, if you like feeling totally safe and secure, if you enjoy nature, if you don't mind a banter with people whom are total strangers when you arrive (but not by the time you leave), if you're into photography or videography, if  25 to 33 degree days and 14 to 18 degree nights are right for you, if you don't mind a bit of wind (it is on the coast, all said and done), if you don't mind being a half hour drive from a real supermarket, then this is the place for you. If you want to go a little more up-market, try hiring a holiday cottage. This is the holiday town that we all grew up going to. The town that has disappeared from most of Australia, but is still alive and well at Venus Bay. Uncomplicated life still exists.


I rate Venus Bay at 9/10