Holiday houses in Kingston SE

A giant statue of a lobster named Larry greets you from the side of the road as you come into Kingston SE, a beach town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast. Larry pays tribute to Kingston SE’s history as a major fishing port, although the fishing fleet now operates out of the marina in nearby Cape Jaffa. You’ll still get excellent seafood in the town’s eateries — or you can catch your own from the beach or offshore in Lacepede Bay.

If you’re wondering, the “SE” in the town’s name is short for South East. It was added to avoid confusion with another South Australian town, Kingston on Murray, a four-hour drive to the north. Kingston SE is at the southern end of Coorong National Park, a massive reserve of lagoons and dunes teeming with birds. This spectacular national park stretches from the mouth of the Murray River to just north of town, with the wave-worn rocks of the nearby Granites the only break in a long line of sandy beaches.

South Australia has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The beachside towns of the Limestone Coast, however, are exposed to the winds of the Southern Ocean. So you’ll find Kingston SE is much cooler than towns further inland. Expect warm days and brisk nights in summer, although you might still experience occasional heat waves with days above 38 degrees Celsius from November to March. Late summer — once the school holiday crowds have departed — and early autumn are ideal for exploring nearby Coorong National Park. If you’re keen on fishing, the town holds a surf fishing competition each January. Also in January, the Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival celebrates the wines of the Mount Benson region paired, of course, with fresh seafood.

Public art

Head to Agnes Street, the main shopping strip in town, to find Wind Dance, an augmented-reality street artwork best experienced on your phone via an app. And on the creek bed not far from Larry the lobster, the Sundial of Human Involvement uses the shadow cast by your body to tell the time.

Mount Benson wine region

You’ll find wineries scattered around the Limestone Coast, most notably in the renowned wine region of Coonawarra, a 90-minute drive away. But there are less well known wineries much closer to town. The small Mount Benson district, a 30-minute drive from Kingston SE, produces robust red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz. Here you’ll find three cellar doors, including a winery specialising in biodynamic wines.

Coorong National Park

The lagoons of Coorong National Park, to the north of town, are home to more than 200 species of birds, including pelicans, cormorants, and terns. You’ll need a four-wheel drive to navigate the sandy tracks and beaches through the park. Otherwise head to the scenic hiking tracks through coastal scrub at Butcher’s Gap Conservation Park, which is less than 10 minutes by car, or an hour’s walk, from Kingston SE.