PORT MACDONNELL MUSEUM: In South Australia's South East Region.

The waves at Cape Northumberland, just west of Port MacDonnell, provide ideal conditions for surfers as the swell hammers into this part of the Limestone coast with relentless force. So much so, that they had to move the original lighthouse built just a little too close to the water's edge. The boardwalk now covers part of the crumbling foundations laid in 1859.

"The reason why this was shifted from here was, as I understand it, because it was so close to the cliffs, and in really rough weather the whole building was supposed to shake".

The old Cape Northumberland Lighthouse slowly fell to pieces, and was later replaced in 1882 by what you see today. It's stark proof of the power of the sea. And it's one of the first ports of call on any Port MacDonnell Maritime Museum Tour.

"This is actually seeing the coastline in real life and realising why some of these ships came to grief when you see the reef in so close like this and you know, standing out so vividly. It makes it very, very true that this was a rugged piece of coastline".

But you needn't venture beyond the deceptive calm of Pt MacDonnell where the breakwater shields the holidaymakers from the pounding surf and the ever-present reefs. To get a real appreciation of just how dangerous this coastline is, you need to step inside the town's Maritime Museum where each blue dot on the map marks another shipwreck.

"We've got stories of thirty ships that were wrecked around the area plus stories of five that were ships that left Pt MacDonnell but were never seen again, and at least eight that got into difficulties in the area".

The Museum is like a spare parts warehouse for shipwrecks with chilling tales attached to each. In one display sits the bell and cannon from the "Admella", one of the most horrific tales in Australian maritime history. It went down not far from Port MacDonnell at Carpenters' Rocks with a crew and cargo bound for Melbourne in 1859. Of the 113 people on board only 24 survived. They clung to life on the remains of a smashed ship impaled on a reef two miles offshore.

"Now those who survived were on that ship for a week. During that week, people, through sheer exhaustion, dropped off into the sea. In some cases because they drank salt water, which of course, tends to make people go mad".

"Several attempts had been made by people on that ship to try to go onto the shore to be rescued. In several cases they got nearly in and then a wave washed them off to sea. Then they were seen floating on a piece of wreckage never to be seen again".

In one corner remnants of "The Undaunted", a life boat that operated along the coast for many years, and the museum pays tribute to those who risked their own lives to save others.

"They were brave men. There's an interesting report that talks about when an alarm went off a bell rang down here and lights went on in all the homes and men came from everywhere just to form a crew for the lifeboat. They probably had no formal training, but it was something they chose to do just to go out and help the ship that was in trouble".

For the story of the lifeboat crews and the many wrecks on the Limestone Coast, head to the Port MacDonnell Maritime Museum. It's open on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday or by appointment. If you have any questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au