Factory Bay, Australia "Glass Beach"

by Sandi Myers
(South Australia)

Factory Bay South Australia

Factory Bay South Australia "Glass Beach"

~ sea glass beach report submitted by Sandi Meyers

Name of Beach and Location: Factory Bay - South Australia 


Thank you for your Odyssey sea glass site.

I have tried but unfortunately am unable to post the pictures? 

I thought it was high time I email you something of evidence that we do have sea glass down under!

These are from ROBE South Australia.

Factory Bay, Robe, Australia Sea Glass Beach
Factory Bay Glass Beach, Robe, South Australia


Your history/research is correct that this little cove is known as Factory Bay.

I have spent hours and hours here picking up glass. Mostly brown and clear well rounded pieces.

All the pieces pictured I  found were from a day trip to Robe from Adelaide (5 hour drive one way).

Please feel free to use these photographs... Maybe post them onto the comments thread.

I apologise  for the delay in contacting you with some pictures.

In all honesty my passion of late, marathon training has taken up my glunking time.

Kindest regards to yourself and wife Lyn,

Sandi Meyers. 


~ sea glass beach report submitted by Sandi Meyers

Info by David and Lin from OdysseySeaGlass

Great report, Sandi! We had been asking for more photos of sea glass from Australia, since we had lots of good reports/comments but few photographs of what really was being found at the various beaches (see below for more reports..

Well, Sandi came through with the best proven report on sea glass in Australia. Wow!

We have taken the original comments aboout Robe's glass beach from our page Australia Sea Glass Heaven and are posting them here to keep all the info together:



May 10, 2013
Robe, South Australia
by: Anonymous

The best place I've been to on holidays and came across sea glass was in Robe, South Australia.

There was more sea glass than sand!
It's the beach to the right of the only lighthouse in Robe.

We happened to stay in a holiday house literally right opposite the beach and accidentally came across it while looking through their sight seeing brochures.

I couldn't get there quick enough! It was the best experience ever!

Check out the cave there too!

All the sea glass collects in it and my hubby and I had an absolute ball collecting sea glass!

We came home with buckets and buckets of the stuff!


Sep 03, 2013
ROBE South Australia, did not disappoint!
by: Sandi Myers

After reading the comments to find 'bucket loads' of sea glass in Robe, South Australia.

Since May I've been keen investigate this claim.

It was worth the wait...AMAZING!

I have never seen anything like it.

My family spent glorious hours picking up well tumbled browns, whites,clear, sea foam,and greens.

I even fond a purple nugget!

Thank you for the tips.

I repeat I have never seen piles of frosted sea glass before.

Terrific finds and terrific weather...perfect.


Note from David and Lin @ OdysseySeaGlass:

The official site for Robe, South Australia, states:
-----------
Factory Bay was originally the site of a canning factory that used to can snipe and rabbits.

After the World Wars it was used as Robe’s rubbish dump before people had an aware- ness of protecting the environment. Hotel green & brown bottles were dumped here and washed back into the cove.

The area was also known as Glass Beach from the polished sea glass.
-----------------------
We think someone should make a trip there and take some photos for all of us, don't you? :)

David and Lin





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Comments for Factory Bay, Australia "Glass Beach"

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 30, 2022
 Sea Glass Heaven!!
by: Calista

At Easter in 2022 my family and I travelled to Robe with one clear goal; to visit Factory Bay and bring home as much sea glass as possible. Factory Bay did not disappoint!

We found so much, I was overwhelmed. We got up early one morning whilst the tide was out and proceeded to fill up a bucket. I believe our visit also coincided with a full moon, so I expect this means there was more there than usual. Mostly browns and a lot of clear pieces also some teal and small green bits. We also found two tiny blue pieces.

The cove below the lighthouse was absolutely filled. I could not believe my eyes. We also walked further around and down to a small beach which was also overloaded with sea glass.

We went back the next day and the cove below the lighthouse was empty. As in, not a trace of sea glass to be found. There were also footprints in the sand. Does anyone know why?

Never the less, we left Robe with a more than healthy amount of beautifully rounded sea glass. Go to Robe. It did not disappoint!!
Jul 09, 2020
 WARNING! DO NOT GO TO THIS BEACH!!!
by: Robe = Dissapointment

Went on a nice 4 and a half hour long trip to Robe, found out it is now protected because of native plants and animals (more specifically penguins) and it is now illegal to set foot on or near the beach. Please remove all Robe beach posts so no more people will make the same mistake as we did. Stay safe y'all!!!
Oct 25, 2016
 Post-storm, slim pickings
by: Dartigen

Oct 25, 2016

Hi,

I went down to Robe yesterday (24 October 2016) to check out the beach. Arrived a little early for low tide though.

It looks like the recent storms have done a number. There were still some good drifts of glass
I collected roughly one bucketful through a combination of picking up pieces on the surface and digging to look at what had been buried. From the digging I can say that a lot of it is buried, though not very deep.

It may be worth waiting a few months to see if the sand washes away again, or if more glass washes up.
Apr 16, 2016
 Question for Sandi
by: Tania

Had a fantastic time at Robe but I must have been searching in a different area to you.

I parked in the carpark at the top of the cliffs to the right of the light house and walked down to the left. There was a cave to the far right of the cove I visited. Didn't see the glass in prolific amounts like in your pics but it was on the high tide line and most of it was in the cave.

I couldn't get over how smooth the pieces were! I will try again to upload my pics so you can see where I was. There was another, smaller cove to the left of the carpark but it was mostly covered in thick kelp and it wasn't as easy to access so I didn't get down there. Maybe that was the beach you were at? When I refer to left and right I mean if you were standing at the top of the cliffs looking out to sea. It was certainly worth the LONG drive, I got so much seaglass! I ended up not picking up any browns/ambers because I have so many. When I look at how much I collected I can understand why my back was so sore and required a trip to the chiropractor when we got home!

Tania :)
Apr 12, 2016
 Fun at Factory Bay
by: Anonymous

We went to Glass Beach SA at Easter and I had a great time there!

Originally I had planned an itinerary to explore all the beaches at Robe but that went out the window after visiting Glass Beach/Factory Bay.

You can actually see the glass coming in on the waves - amazing. There's even a large boulder to the far left of the beach that is coated in sea glass that has adhered itself over many decades.

All the pieces I collected were beautifully worn and very, very smooth. You will find the majority is brown/amber or white/clear but I did find some little greens, lots of pale blue, two tiny lilacs, two royal blue and some porcelain shards.

I went at low tide (which I would recommend as the reefs are more exposed) but I found even walking the high tide lines when the tide is going out presented lots of pretty pieces.

The cave at the right end of the beach seems to hold the majority of the pieces - I was on all fours right at the back of the cave having a field day; goodness knows what anyone watching me was thinking!!!

I have some photos but having trouble working out where to upload them.

Another tip - check your footprints as you walk the beach; there is so much glass buried in the sand that your footsteps will push more up as you walk.

Definitely worth a visit though the glass was nowhere near as prolific as in Sandi's photos. I would say a lot of ppl have collected here over the years but there is still tons of it buried in the sand and its still all over the reefs.
Apr 02, 2016
 Factory Bay - Now On My Radar
by: Marylyn

Thanks so much for this amazing report.
I gotta get over there asap!

Pakenham to Robe, now let's see ...

That's a day's drive there, a day to collect and a day's drive back.

Looks like a Road trip in the making.

Cheers,
Marylyn
Mar 11, 2016
 off to Robe we go, Woohoo!
by: Tania

After 2-3 years of begging my husband surprised me today by booking us into an apartment in Robe for a few nights during the holidays.

So excited, can't wait to get to glass beach. If it's as good as I've heard I'm going to make a snow angel in it!!!

Will get lots of pics for everyone.

I still have to do my beach report for out Lorne weekend.
Feb 10, 2016
 Low Tide, be careful of swells
by: Sandi Meyers

Hi Tania. I went hunting at low tide in this spot. You can't access it at high tide.
Factory Bay Glass Beach

Even at low tide I had to be so careful of the sudden and unpredictable swell of the ocean.

It is a very HAZARDOUS area if you're not paying attention. Safety first!

It's amazing how addictive this past time is!

Happy hunting.
Feb 09, 2016
 Glass Beach Robe
by: Tania

Seeing these pics makes me want to jump on the next coach to Robe with a bucket in hand!!!

I'm in Lakes Entrance (right on the beach but ironically it has not a speck of sea glass, the conditions are all wrong for at least 100km either way).

Robe is a good 8-10 hours drive away but by the looks of it, it would be well worth the trip! Did you go hunting on low tide?

What is it about hunting for these little gems, that aren't really valuable, that is sooo addictive?!

Tania :)

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