Sat 27 / Sun 28 / Mon 29 April - Streaky Bay

Sat: Weather - very windy. Warm.

Made the decision to abandon Speed Point due to the wind.  (Took the tent poles out and the tent still standing.) 

Backtracked to check out the sea lion colony Pt Labatt, then up to Streaky Bay.  Still windy, though not as bad here as Speed Point, but we opted for a nice unit for a couple of nights on the street one up from the beach. 

Lunch overlooking the water, Streaky Bay

Nice little town, and no crowds here.  Not sure why on a (sort of) long weekend.  Enjoyed a coffee in the bakery, and lunch at a café overlooking the water and the jetty.  Hot shower for the first time in 5 days was nice. 

Sun:  weather overcast, not cold.

Made our way out on the tourist drive to see Hally's Beach (deserted), then to the Whistling Rocks and Blowholes (magnificent).  Confusing that the whistling rocks were more like blowholes then the blowholes were....  The sounds made by the whistling rocks as the water came up through the spouts sounded like you'd imagine a whale breathing through its blowhole might sound.  Quite deep and loud. 

Hally's Beach

Hally's Beach

Near the blowholes

Whistling rocks, blowing and making noise

Mon: weather overcast / sunny at times.  Not cold.

Now we've had a good look at the maps, have decided to stay and extra day here and prepare for an early start and a drive through to Eucla on Tuesday.  About 600 km.

Enjoyed a quiet morning checking out the half dozen shops, then coffee at the bakery.  After lunch we went out to the blowholes again and were equally impressed as we had been yesterday.

 



Thurs 25 April - Port Lincoln to Coonil Park

Weather pleasantly warm.

Headed North up the West coast of the Eyre Peninsula.  After a tea stop at Coffin Bay, we walked the 284 steps down to the beach at Locks Well where Clive checked out what the fishermen were catching (then the 284 steps up again).  Enjoyed the different sculptures and views over the clifftops near Elliston, then caught our first real (and very 'specky') view of the Great Australian Bight at Cummins Memorial. 

First view of the Bight

 

Great Australian Bight, near Elliston

284 steps....



Sculptures on the cliffs, near Elliston

After a couple of disappointing false starts, we found a great camping spot on a property at Coonil Park - $10. Had our first campfire of the holiday. 

Campfire, Coonil Park

Very dewy overnight.

Friday 26 April - Coonil Park to Speed Point

Weather warm and sunny.

Woke up to a very wet (dewy) tent. I took up Clive's offer to finish the packing up so I could make a head start walking.  One and a quarter hrs later he picked me up.



Out walking from Coonil Park,
waiting for Clive's pick up.

 

Great Australian Bight

We checked out the Talia Caves - Woolshed Cave and The Tub.



Talia Caves - steps down to Woolshed Cave

Rather fascinated by 'Murphy's Haystacks' - very large boulders in a farmer's field.




Murphy's Haystacks


Murphy's Haystacks



Tarp was good before the wind came up overnight.

  
Again after a false start or two, found a great camping spot on the sand above the beach at Speed Point.  Weather was warm enough for Clive to have a quick swim (hand above water to save his bandages from cut fingers). 
Planning on being here a couple of days, we set up the tarp for shade tomorrow.  But... middle of the night the wind arrived and the tarp had to come down. 

 

Magnificent sunset over the water.

(Having a problem loading photos without errors.  Annoying but will continue loading them with black stripes up the side. Photos themselves are OK, but when loaded into the blog the stripes appear for unknown reasons.  When I add them via Picasa web album they appear OK, but it's time-consuming.  Grrr.)

 



 

Tues 23 / Wed 24 April - Lincoln NP

Lazy day.

It rained last night, but not too bad.  Clear this morning but cloudy.

Drove back to Tumby Bay for a look as well as checking out sites in and around Port Lincoln.  Nice spots.  We've had a leisurely few days here in the National Park. 

 

 

 

Mon 22 April - Wallaroo to Lincoln NP

Weather good.

Up early to catch the 8 am ferry.  An easy trip just over 2 hrs, with a rolling motion due to the swell. 

A short drive up the road from Lucky Bay on the Eyre Penninsula we stopped for morning tea off road in the sunshine.  Proceeded on  past Flat Rocks to find a magnificent sand bar on the point near Port Gibbon.  Sunshine and blue skies!

Clive and the car on the ferry

Lunch stop



Lookout near Flat Rock

On the sand dune



Great spot for our first camp

As we drove South after lunch, the sky clouded over and rain clouds loomed.  Considerably wet as we neared Port Lincoln.  Continued on past Port Lincoln to the National Park where we hoped to camp for 2-3 days.  As we near our camp site the rain stopped and we make the decision to set up camp.  A delightful spot on the water overlooking Fisherman's Bay. 

Found a dentist in Port Lincoln and had my minor tooth problem fixed.  Enjoyed seafood chowder for dinner before heading back to camp.

Sun 21 April - Yorke Penninsula / Wallaroo

Weather windy, cold and raining.



Fog and rain through the Adelaide hills



Ardrossen Pier, York Penninsula

Buying some fruit/veg as we skirt Adelaide proved impossible.  No shops open on a Sunday in Adelaide before 11 am.  South Australia really is like some sort of semi-parallel universe!
Our plan for Days 2-3 was to explore and camp on the York Penninsula. Hoping the weather improves!

But by the time we hit the peninsula, it's still bad.  Had lunch overlooking the water at Ardrossen.  The wind was so strong it blew the vegemite lid off the back of the tailgate and we never saw it again!  (Vegemite jar now in a plastic bag.)  We proceeded South after lunch but soon aborted our explore Yorke Penninsula plans; hoping to do that on our way back East.  We headed towards Wallaroo after discovering there is a ferry across the Spencer Gulf which will save us about 3.5 hrs driving via Port Augusta.  On arrival, found the ferry went at midday - only missed it by about 2.5 hrs.  With time to spare, decided to take it easy and spend the night here and catch the 8am ferry tomorrow.

After an aborted attempt at accommodation in a cabin in the caravan park (smokers' fumes overwhelming), we found a great room at the Anglers Inn.  And even better - a live two piece guitar/singing group who did a 4 hour gig, and a $14.95 3 course Sunday carvery which was superb. 

Sat 20 April - Melb to Murray Bridge

Weather fine.

Apart from a bit broken off the back of my front tooth this morning when cleaning my teeth, today fairly uneventful.  Stopped at Kaniva cemetery - surprisingly the first time in my 59 years I've been there.  Found the grave of my grandfather Lawrence John Goldsworthy (died 1933) and grandmother Evelyn Marshall Goldsworthy (died 1973), as well as his parents, my great grandparents, John Mann Goldsworthy and his mother, my great grandmother Elizabeth Goldsworthy. Also his brother Royden, as well as my Uncle Sandy (one of Mum's brothers) and Aunty Rita.

Kaniva Cemetery

For a one-nighter, decided to spend our first night in a motel at Murray Bridge. Whilst I went for an hours walk circumnavigating the golf and race courses, Clive spent time with the computer and new dashboard screen trying to work out why the OziExplorer maps keep intermittently stopping. Hopefully now fixed.