Vivonne Bay

Vivonne Bay is a bay in the Australian state of South Australia located on the south coast of Kangaroo Island about from Kingscote, the island's main town, and which was named by the members of Baudin expedition to Australia who visited the bay in January 1803. In a survey of 10,000 beaches by Professor Andrew Short, director of Sydney University's marine studies centre, the beach at Vivonne Bay was adjudged as one of the best in Australia.DescriptionLocationVivonne Bay is located on the south coast of the Kangaroo Island in South Australia overlooking the body of water known in Australia as the Southern Ocean and by international authorities as the Great Australian Bight about south-west of the municipal seat of Kingscote.ExtentVivonne Bay has been described in an American source as being “a bight in the coast” between Point Ellen in the west and the Eleanor River in the east which is referred to as being the ‘Mary River’ and which is located about 1.75nmi north-northeast of Point Ellen. While the American source does nominate an eastern extremity, the official Australian source does not.DepthThe depth of water within the bay is reported as being in the range of 9.1to. The bay is reported as being suitable as an anchorage where there is a need to shelter from northerly and westerly winds. However, the bay is considered to be unsuitable as an anchorage in the case of “fresh SE winds” as “there is no space to get underway if the wind increases and a sea is raised.”