One of the wonderful things about traveling in Australia is exploring the historic towns that dot the landscape. Robe, South Australia is a perfect example of this. Robe is a small coastal town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast. Located 217 miles (350 kilometers) from Adelaide on Guichen Bay, it had been a thriving port town during its early years after which it was suddenly forgotten for virtually a century. Today, Rob has been rediscovered and is a vibrant and popular tourist destination.

Robe was first discovered in 1802 by Nicolas Baudin, a French explorer. By 1847, it grew to become one of Australia’s major ports, catering to the large wool exporters in the region. Word got out and for a period, the town’s population swelled. For a short time, over 17,000 Chinese alone made Robe their home when they left Victoria so as to avoid the poll tax. They quickly moved on, though, hiring guides to move them to the then thriving Victorian gold fields.

In the 1870s, the price of wool declined dramatically. At the same time, pastoralists began to worry about the cost of renewing their leases in the face of the financial downturn. Suddenly, Robe had no source of revenue and was practically forgotten until the 1940s, when road upgrades made it more accessible by car from main cities like Adelaide and Melbourne.

Today, Robe is anything but a relic of the past. It is a popular tourist vacation spot, filled with stylish boutiques, intriguing gift shops and fantastic restaurants, where diners wash down a sumptuous meal of local barramundi or Robe’s legendary crayfish with prize winning South Australian wines.

Lovers of the outdoors also love Robe. Whether you take to the water or prefer your adventures on terra firma, there’s something for everybody in this natural paradise. Water skiers flock to neighboring Lake Fellmongery, surfers contend for waves at Long Beach and hikers find endless trails to discover in and around the town. Little Dip Conservation Park is a 4WD enthusiast’s paradise, while those whose idea of paradise is the chirping of birds on a quiet walking track or the roaring of waves at an isolated beach find everything their hearts desire at their Robe doorstep.

Robe is also one of the major stops along the popular coastal road connecting Adelaide and Melbourne. After visiting Robe, travelers can take a short hour and half drive south to beautiful Mount Gambier. Mt. Gambier is only a short distance from the Victorian border. An extinct volcano, it is known for its craters, limestone caves and brilliantly blue lakes. Travelling south from here, travelers have Victoria’s fantastic Great Ocean Road to look forward to.

North of Robe, one can find hundreds of miles more of wonderful, rugged coast to discover. Actually, one of Robe’s great attractions is that it offers long distance drivers welcome respite from their journey. A few days in a cozy Robe accommodation is all it requires to refresh your batteries and head north to Adelaide or south to Melbourne. For that matter, Robe is a worthy destination in its own right, offering guests both the best of the rough South Australian coastline and the best of a relaxing retreat in a city that knows how to look after a visitor’s every need.