Rapid Bay Campground – Fleurieu Peninsula

About Rapid Bay

Rapid Bay is the name of both the bay and the tiny seaside town located approximately 100km south of Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The town, the site of a limestone quarry, was constructed by BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) along with a jetty from which to load ore. The quarry is now owned by Adelaide Brighton Cement. The original jetty of 490 metres is no longer safe for public use after suffering storm damage.

However, the old jetty is still considered one of Australia’s premier scuba diving sites. The old pylons are home to an abundance of colourful marine invertebrates, including soft coral, sea squirts, sea stars, sponges, anemones and ribbon worms. The leafy sea dragon is perhaps Rapid Bay’s most famous underwater resident. An understandable drawcard for divers and snorkelers alike.

Rapid Bay History

Rapid Bay was named after Colonel William Light’s ship, the ‘Rapid’, which first made landfall on mainland South Australia at Rapid Bay on 8 September 1836. The colonial surveyor general is known for choosing the site of South Australia’s capital, Adelaide. There is a memorial across the road from the barbecue area.

Our Visit

We love the Fleurieu Peninsula. In fact, it was at Second Valley we were married back in 2004. We originally were not going to camp at Rapid Bay because of the significant price hike. However, Easter long weekend was coming up, and we had left things to the last minute. One of our sons was heading there with some friends, so we decided to book just two days before the weekend. We were surprised that we could still get in. Still, in hindsight, I think that just reflects that many campers are now going elsewhere due to what many consider to be an overpriced campground.

Our stay was primarily pleasant, but we were longing for a hot shower after six nights. Washing with a bucket of water just isn’t the same. Not that we care too much when we are bush camping. However, when you are paying the same, if not more, for this campground than you would for a site at a caravan park* you may find yourself regretting your decision to camp here.

* Second Valley have unpowered sites from $25.00 per night and powered sites from $30.00 per night (rates for two people).

Fishing

We were looking forward to fishing and hopefully catching some squid as well. We had absolutely no luck. After talking with many other recreational fishermen on the jetty, we heard no one was having much luck that weekend. I did see two cuttlefish get caught, and that was about it. It was disappointing as this is usually an area where catching a feed is almost guaranteed.

Snorkelling/diving

Rapid Bay is excellent for snorkelling and diving. Access to the water is easy, with a staircase providing safe entry to the water at the new jetty’s far end. Several of our group went snorkelling several times. No leafy sea dragons were spied. However, the underwater world around the old jetty is still vibrant and alive.

Swimming

The water at Rapid Bay is crystal clear and refreshingly cold. We were lucky enough to have a couple of hot days where swimming was a pleasure as well as a technique to keep cool.

Visitors

We had organised with family to visit on Saturday for a barbecue. The barbecue is a public facility. However, we invited our visitors in for a drink at our camper trailer first. When Kye and Kay were getting an esky out of the car, they were accosted by Wayne (one of the park staff). His tone was abrupt and rude, which distress my 82-year-old mother-in-law. He stalked over to our campsite and said that visitors have to pay $5 each to be in the park.

I really don’t understand this payment as it is not like there are many facilities our visitors would use. The toilets, playground and barbecue are all public facilities located outside of the park. It is not like there is a pool, jumping pillow or even hot showers that your visitor would use. I confirmed with Wayne that our guests would not have to pay if we went over to the barbecue area. He agreed that was correct.

Group booking bond

“As of 1st of December 2020, bonds on groups have increased to $50 per adult for the length of stay. Bonds are refunded on the day of departure if everyone in the group complies with the campground and bond rules”. This was announced on the Rapid Bay Facebook Page. However, I’m not sure if this is still actually a rule or not. On the Friday night of our stay, many people partied late into the night, with the last of the noise starting to wind down about 3am. As far as I know, no one approached the ‘offenders’ and asked them to keep the noise down. As for if they lost their $50 bonds, I do not know.

Our thoughts

Pros – The lovely beach. Fishing jetty. Excellent snorkelling and diving.

Cons – Overpriced, no hots showers, no protection from the wind and very little shade.

Our verdict – You get very little for the price you pay, and since you cannot have a fire, I think you would be better off in a caravan park. I would have preferred to pay $10 per vehicle per night over on the Yorke Peninsula, where we could have had a campfire.

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