ELLISTON

 

After 16 weeks, 10,000klms, I desperately needed to clean out the caravan.  To do this we had to stay in a van park(yay, unlimited water & power), & everything that could be pulled out & washed, was!  Mike & Jade went fishing at a beach called Locks Well.  Moses did well!  

     

A nice feed of fat salmon.  Elliston is a nice little town & along part of the coastline is a scenic drive with some sculptures.  Kirst & Jade loved it.

We stopped at Murphy's Haystacks which are in the middle of nowhere.

Finally, we found another oceanfront camp area just south of Streaky Bay, where we are meeting up with Rob & Laurel.  They arrived Thursday arvo.

NUMBER OF FLIES SWALLOWED SO FAR -

MIKE – 3

GIRLS - 0

SURFING SHERINGA

For the boys!

Sheringa Beach – Awesome!

A SLIGHT HICCUP!

 

A nice catch of King George Whiting off Farm Beach.

Sunday 18.03.12.  We packed up & back tracked to Coffin Bay to fill up with water & dump.  Ready to head on, Rob & Laurel went in front.  We normally head off first, as they sit on about 80klms an hour.  But it was early and we just sat behind them.  Half an hour later we pass an impressive salt lake, so we called Rob on the two way & said we have stopped to take a photo.  They went on.  Ten mins later we spot the caravan at the top of the long straight road & caught up to them.  Just as we got over the hill something caught my eye on the back of Rob’s van.  I said to Mike, “Is that the mud guard flapping?”. Within that second, we realised it was the right side wheel on the van that was wobbling!  Mike grabbed the two way & told Rob to stop. Another 5 meters the wheel would have come off.  It was so lucky we stayed behind them.  There was one nut left on the wheel and the others were totally sheered off.  4 hours later the van was towed back to Port Lincoln with Rob & Laurel following.  We headed to our destination and they will meet up with us again when the van is fixed.  Very Lucky!

The van was serviced just before meeting up with us.

COFFIN BAY

 

After 4 glorious days at Whalers Way we drove to a camp that we were recommended to stay at.  At the top of the hill all we could see was caravans.  Annoyed, we found about the only piece of dirt beside a tractor graveyard to set up camp.  Farm Beach is the busiest free camp we have stayed in.  Camp is ugly, but the beach is beautiful and we are able to launch the boat off the beach.

As usual the winds have picked up again so for 3 days we weren’t able to fish.  We went sight seeing around Coffin Bay.  A quiet fishing village, with tractors having the right of way.  Best oysters ever!  Coffin Bay National Park was a good day out, but we needed more than a day.  After getting bogged in soft sand(a nice man pulled us out), the road was worse than the tracks on Fraser Is.  The water was crystal clear and as the sun came out the colour was amazing.  Big white sand hills all through the park.

We had a race to the top of the sand dune.  Kirsty crawled.

SHARKBAIT OOHAHA

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09/03/12  6.30am Mike & I boarded the Calypso Star for a Shark Cage Dive.  The day was magic, no wind or swell.  2 hours later (after a yummy brekkie & morning tea) we anchored at the Neptune Islands.  This boat is allowed to burly up to attract the sharks, so with a nice bloodied mixture streaming out the back of the boat, it took minutes for the first 3 metre Great White shark to cruise along the side of the boat.  They lowered the cage into the water.  6 people in the cage for about 45 mins each time.  About 5 Great Whites came, attacking the baits, with the biggest at 5 mts.  He was massive!  It was adrenaline plus and  Mike even caught some fish.  We had a fantastic day.

Will post some video soon.

PORT LINCOLN

 

We made a decision to head inland just outside of Port Lincoln to hopefully escape the wind.  McKechnie Springs Farmstay is 20mins from town.  The farm is 2500 acres with sheep & some cattle.  Jonathon (the hot 25year old trainee from Switzerland) took Kirsty & Jade on the back of the ute to feed the sheep.  They had a ball!  There was a well equipped camp kitchen which the girls pretended was there very own restaurant.  They set the table beautifully and served us with afternoon tea.  The service was impeccable.  Sadly this farm along with its neighbours was destroyed in the 2005 Black Tuesday fires.  Arnd & his family just made it out alive.  The family said “It was a weird feeling driving out of the fire passing by the golf course with people still playing golf, as these fires were burning houses, animals & people.”

8.03.12  Today we went into Port Lincoln.  Population 12000.  The foreshore is lined with lush green grass, barbeques and a long walkway.  The Marina is pretty flash too.  We found a great seafood market and splurged on oysters & prawns for lunch.  Apparently Port Lincoln has more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in Australia.  I am loving the (window) shopping!

10.03.12  Vacated the farm and went to the southern tip.  Whalers Way is a massive privately owned property, open to the public, to stay and explore.  With sandy dirt roads hugging the rugged rocky limestone cliffs, we followed the grader to our destination 14 klms along.  Couldn’t go to close to the edge.  Not a good spot for little children. It is a long weekend here in SA, and we had this camp spot all to ourselves once again.  The surf was massive!

A 30 metre drop over the edge!

We had 4 beautiful days here.  Huey was kind.  Mike & Rob caught fish which they think were blue groper?  No photo sorry.

EYRE PENINSULAR CONT……………

 

The wind has not been kind to us since we entered the Eyre Peninsular.  Constant 20/30knot winds, the locals say they have experienced 3 good days out of 2 months.  It makes it difficult when we are trying to camp on the coastline.  Still, a cold beer fixes everything.  After filling up on crab, we left Fitzgerald Bay and headed south to a spot called Redbanks.  It was a good view, but did it blow~!  Quickly left there early next morning and found a fantastic camp just 20 mins down the road.  Nobody else here, we happily parked up.  Cape Hardy Beach has lovely white soft sand with clear blue water.  We all had a fish and caught some whiting.  And then the wind blew again.  So we decided to move on the next day and explored Tumby Bay.  It was a pretty big town but really no where to stay that was in our budget, so onwards a bit more to a lonely old camp on a beautiful white sand beach and again we were the only people here until late in the arvo.  Then the wind blew again!!!

Mike & Jade in Fitzgerald Bay.

Cape Hardy Beach.  The dirt is richer on the Eyre than the York Peninsular.

6/03/12 This is Redcliffs, where we are tonight.  It is a religious camp so we have hidden our beers.  $20 a night.  We are moving on tomorrow.  Yes the wind is blowing a gale!