On this tour, you will hear about the local maritime history, which includes the early and successful whaling industry around the Bluff and Granite Island. Learn about the stories of the early fishing families and learn how a number of shipwrecks in Encounter Bay persuaded the colony administrators that it would not be a suitable capital city for South Australia.

Together with your local guide enjoy an easy stroll along the coast and to out-of-the-way places around the streets of Yilki, which is four kilometres from Victor Harbor. The word Yilki is an Aboriginal word meaning place by the sea.

The tour is an easy walk along the town’s pavements. If you have any mobility concerns, please get in touch with us.

We start the tour on the Encounter Bay bike/walkway and hear about the whales that continue to visit the Bay but also the history of early whaling and its' importance as a commercial export for South Australia.

We then cross the road and have a refreshment at the Yilki Store where you will hear much more about the early whaling industry and the colourful characters at this time associated with whaling.

The first European settlers other than the whalers, made Yilki their home. We explore the history of one of the first group of settlers including the Newlands. We set off walking around the streets, whose names are those of the early settlers and head to the Tabernacle cemetery where we hear more about the original church and cemetery.

We then head off to see a heritage listed house belonging to one of the founding fishing families, and hear more about the contribution of this family to the area.

We pass the Yilki Uniting church and continue on to the Fountain Inn. Here we stop and hear about this as one of the early inns in South Australia, and a local ghost story.

Finally we move back towards the Yilki store where we started. We look at the site of one of the shipwrecks in the Bay and hear more about these and the influence on changing the course of history in South Australia.