Yorke Peninsula

It was such a shame that our time on the Eyre Peninsula was so cold and windy. We were regretting packing so lightly this year, because an extra jumper each would have been much appreciated. It was certainly a pretty place to visit and we did enjoy our coastal walks and explorations. Although the promise of good fishing got us hooked ;) we quickly realised that our odds were significantly reduced without a boat.

On a little side trip to Coffin Bay.

 It was lovely to stop and relax in Port Lincoln and we all felt recharged and ready to see what the Yorke Peninsula might have to offer. It was an easy drive back along to coast towards Port Augusta- we are all so used to long stretches of driving now that 4 hours passes without effort.

We were glad that we decided to stop at Whyalla for lunch because the sun was shining and we felt the love again- no hard feelings Whyalla.

We managed to push on to Port Broughton for the night. We were pretty swift and setting up our campsite so we could head straight back to the jetty for fish and chips for dinner and a go at catching something on the jetty- Joe had fun pulling in lots of little crabs in the net and throwing them back again.

 

Not sure what might be the best spots to visit on the Yorke Peninsula, we decided to just head south and see what we liked the look of. Ardrossan looked like it might be a good option, since it claimed to be the crab capital, and we set up a little bunker for 3 nights. Our little hidey hole kept us cool and gave us privacy- we were quite comfortable.

There is a blow up boat out there in the distance.

The beach was gorgeous and a good place to sit and keep cool for the day. Our little blow up boat proved good entertainment again and is a perfect way for us to enjoy the water as a family. The rocky beaches made it tricky to get Campbell in and out of the water but he loves bobbing around in the boat while we all swim around him.
We often have lovely offers of help from locals and tourists and Campbell strikes up a conversation with anyone nearby. When I told him yesterday what a gentleman he always is, I was so proud when he flippantly said "oh that's what my teacher alway says". Isn't that lovely??

It is very quiet along this coastline and we are well positioned in Ardrossan to make little day trips. Every little town has a pub, a museum and a caravan park- with very little else. We have loved just sitting back and doing our thing without any need to rush through our day.

Tomorrow we are heading in the direction of Melbourne- so that is all about to change. We are all a bit excited about exploring our favourite places in Melbourne and catching up with friends.

Our poor tent is looking very sad after the beating it took in Whyalla. It will deserve a full make over when we get home with new zippers, bent poles replaced and a really good clean. It has done a great job over the past 5 years and has seen us through some rough nights. We do love our home away from home. 

Port Lincoln

With quite a bit of disappointment we left Whyalla behind- I am sure the tail wind got us out of town even faster. The lady at reception took pity on us, and our pathetically droopy, wind blown tent, and made us an offer we couldn't refuse on a cabin for our last night. Ahhhhh the luxury!! It was a beautifully clean 3 bedroom mansion, but perhaps she accidentally forgot how much the usual rates are because it didn't seem to cost very much at all ;) Yet again we find fabulous South Australian helpfulness. It took us the whole day to shake the sand out of the sheets, towels, sleeping bags etc etc etc... Even after sweeping the floor repeatedly for what felt like hours, we still have sand. Every thing in kitchen was washed up and tubs were cleared out. It was still so windy that we couldn't even see below the surface of the water to look for more crabs (though we tried anyway).

Onwards and upwards we went in search for wind-free sunshine. We found it in Port Lincoln- which was our main destination point for this trip. We are smiling again! The water really is this colour:

We haven't really done much yet apart from throwing in a line and bobbing around in the blow up boat. It's quite lovely. We are not sure yet how long we will stay or what else we might discover.

If you look closely you may notice the bobbing boat in the background.

My thoughts remain with my lovely friend and it is very hard to be so far away at the moment. I hope she knows how much love I send her way every day.

Why, why, why Whyalla?

Oh Whyalla! What sort of greeting is this? Here we are such loyal spruikers of your beauty and seaside offerings. Yes people are frequently shocked to hear us rant on with glowing praise for you- but our two previous visits provided wonderful memories of sunny days, breakfast in the warm waters at high tide, crab hunting followed by dinner to fill the bellies of the glutinous. I am a bit suspicious that your unfriendly reaction to our arrival was ploy to get us out of town and leave the crabs to the locals.

The boys hit the beach immediately and started out into the low tide shallows to explore, I wondered up the the shower block with Campbell while Eric leisurely unpacked the trailer while stopping to admire the view and watch the boys in their explorations. A lovely start...until the wind was switched on...set to full power!! All of the boys scurried to the safety of the car while we fought against the wind to get the tent up. Helpful neighbours rushed over to hold the tent down as the wind attempted to lift it into the air. With sand lashing at our legs and eyes we somehow managed to get pegs in and construct something that vaguely resembled our tent. Then our kindly neighbours realised that their awning was about to bend in the ferocious wind and we had to rush to their aid. The poor lady was lifted off her feet  as she tried to hold the frame in place before it buckled.

When we finally joined the boys in the safety of the car our faces were caked with sand, our ears, noses, mouths and eyes were full of sand and we were bitterly disappointed with you Whyalla- this is not how we remembered you!!

Proudly stands our tent, despite your efforts, and we have not been discouraged! We enjoyed our feast of crabs tonight and Eric & Joe had a wonderful time finding them in the sunny, warm afternoon low tides. HA!! The wind is persistent. The tent is full of sand- everywhere!! We can't cook or eat outside, but the camp kitchen serves us well. We will remain grateful that while the wind billows through our tent and flaps and slaps all night, the frequent threat of rain is quickly blown away. Oh no- you will not dampen our spirits! In fact we are looking forward to our crab dinner again tomorrow night! 

The sand caked effect.

I did the first stint as the Wet'n'wild ride operator, but of course there is no photographic evidence of this. Trust me- I was very exciting and Campbell managed to fit into the boat too for my shift.