Onwards from Yorkey

Another lovely day on Yorkey began with a trip down the coast to the markets in Stansbury. Eric and Joe hit the jetty at Ardrossan as soon as we got back to the tent in the hope of catching something for dinner, while Campbell, Drew and I went for a walk to the bakery for some fresh bread and a wander around town. It was a perfect day of nothing much for our last day in South Australia- lots of reading, chatting and eating.

As our last hurrah we went for a walk around the cliff tops to take in the view before dinner.

While Campbell continued reading....

And Campbell kept reading.....

Up and out early the next morning we decided to just push on as much as we could and see how close we could get to Melbourne. The temperature was rising swiftly and we didn't mind a long stretch in the air conditioned car. We had an afternoon tea stop over in Bordertown, which we thought might be our resting spot for the night, and decided to see how much further we could go. With rumbling stomachs complaining from the back seat at dinner time, we finally stopped in Horsham and opted for a motel for the night. It was a lovely relief from the dry heat outside and the boys savoured the chance to watch a bit of telly. Campbell protested loudly for Chinese take away for dinner in we were quite happy to go along with that request.
We have managed to stick to a budget of $100 a day for our accommodation and food so far, so this was a big indulgence. Most nights our campsite cost us about $50 and the most we paid was around $70. The boys had lots of Christmas spending money and bought their own souvenirs and treats, and with my lease car with a petrol card, our expenses were pretty low. It left us a bit in reserve for the occasional lunch or dinner, or a night away from the tent when the heat or wind got too much.
Having a tighter budget this year really hasn't had much of an impact on our holiday at all. We packed snacks and drinks for morning tea and always had stuff ready for lunch in the esky. We were always able to find a pretty spot to stop and set up a quick picnic on our travels- much nicer than lunch in McDonald's! There was heaps of Christmas stuff on sale in the supermarkets so there was never a shortage of biscuits and chocolates to choose from. Our kids love nothing better than instant noodles or tinned baked beans- they would eat that every night if we let them. It seems that you really can't put a price on old fashioned fun.

Rest stop at Bordertown.

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.

New Year

The boys were all very excited to celebrate the arrival of 2014 in our typically sedate but happy fashion. Sparklers were purchased, special treats at the ready and a movie selected to watch under the stars. Hahndorf remained quiet and peaceful with nothing but cicadas and kookaburras to cheer on the start of the new year. There was a brief spattering of fireworks nearby around midnight and that was as exciting as it got.

It was a heavy heart that I saw the new year roll over. I am feeling very sad for a dear friend for whom 2014 was to be full of the best kind of joy- it is most unfair that it has been ripped away from her. It was hard to celebrate the coming of the new year when I knew how she would be grieving and she is still in my thoughts constantly.

We were set to leave Adelaide on the 1st to see what new adventures we might find, but here is some of the fun we had before we left:

Jonas certainly appreciates the outdoor experience most of all- rocks to find, bugs to hunt, ducks to feed...

Meanwhile, some of us enjoy the quiet time to relax...

The breakfast menu planned by Joe for the first day of 2014 was a stroke of genius! Thanks Joe :)

Excitement levels are high. The camper trailer is out and unpacked. Eric is pottering about fixing bits and pieces. The smell of canvas reminds me of the sound of surf crashing in the still of the night, fresh seafood and watching the sunset over the ocean. I am actually more excited about our adventure than Christmas this year.

 Kangaroo Island is on the top of the list. I hope this is what we find when we get there: