Coffin Bay To Tumby Bay Week 48

          Coffin Bay to Tumby Bay

                          Week 48

We are finding it hard to believe. Four weeks short of a year away from home. Dennis and Col are deciding if they will have a return visit to the Burdekin Dam, which was virtually the first stop on out trip where the famous barra catch occurred.

Here in South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula it is a world away. Actually we are in the heart of wheat lands, though rolling tablelands all wheat brown or grey. Not really very inspiring. Grass is at a premium, so playing on a very well grassed golf course in Coffin Bay on Monday was a real treat. We had the course to ourselves and really enjoyed a few hours of the golfers “Aaarrrgh” and sometimes “Ahhh!” We even managed to forgive them the scrape “greens” as the putting surface. We will be lost when we return to normal courses.

The journeys now are small and we really appreciate moving day after some of the long hauls in WA. Tuesday finds us moving on to just north of Port Lincoln, really a northern suburb. The park is casual and roomy, but windy.

There is a jetty nearby, within walking distance where a few non windy moments allowed Brian to put in a line or two and catch his first squid. I could only feel sorry for the poor creature. I didn’t realize squid had such large soulful eyes. He also got the opportunity to capture some magic sunrise moments, red and gold shimmering on the unusually still waters.

We had two golf courses here to choose from, but not firing on all cylinders opted for the one north at Louth Bay - bad choice. It was like playing on the Nullabor again. I guess I was over it and if I have to play in conditions like this two many more times, my bad temper will get the better of me and I’ll through the clubs in the nearest bin. Do you get the feeling it wasn’t fun?

With the idea of taking our van to the National Park here for a few days, we took a drive and searched for suitable spots. The camps five book suggested one near the park entry, just off the bitumen, but there was little going for them. Further in, much further, after about 30km of very corrugated road, there was a fishermen’s camp spot but crowded and windy and dusty. We are becoming picky.

Venturing as far into the park as was possible we come across a lighthouse and a crowd of emus enjoying the delights on the bushes by the shore. I could only feel for the poor cassowaries back home after their rainforest has again been denuded. I hope the population can survive through this next ordeal.

After paying an entry fee for the park, driving for three hours we still haven’t found a picnic area and none are marked on the map. If they had a suggestion box they would have received a reminder that user pays is fine, but one facility in the park would be good. Lo and behold, ask and ye shall receive. On a whim on our turnaround, we call into September Beach and here are a number of newly built picnic spots and toilets. A great picnic spot, well appreciated and our faith in the SA National Park system has been restored.

Here we find some large camp bays, big enough for caravans, but the sight of brown snakes did it for me. The promise of water in some large tanks was also an empty one as not a drop poured from the taps. Combined with the corrugations to be endured, Brian got the idea I may need a lot of persuading to camp out, so that one “hit the dust”.

The ordinary, windy weather has hit us again as we head on another short journey to Tumby Bay. Merv told us we would fit right in here because the average age was 55. Brian said the fact it sounded like Tummy Bay was more in keeping with our current image.

Yes Tumby Bay looks like it has the potential to be a desirable destination, especially if you like fishing and boating. There is a huge new canal development here with huge homes and stylish boats, out of our league. The older part of town has many old style homes lovingly restored that look appealing, even in the blustery winds.

All week we think we have birds or possums on the roof. Turns out the wind is slowly turning the antenna so there a little clicking tapping noises. Not surprising the reception is patchy at best, even with digital tv.

Our final day in Tumby Bay and the sky clears. Fishing is still out because of the winds, but we drive on one of the tourist drives. We see an old water collection tank at the base of a walled granite outcrop, a smaller version of what we had seen at Hyden in WA at Wave Rock. The water here was for the steam engines that needed to refill.

The pelicans here gather by the fish cleaning station to demand a feed. They resemble the Russian cargo planes. They stretch credibility that they can actually fly. Some German tourists witnessing the feeding demands got a little more than they bargained for when they ventured to close and were regarded as competition for the fish. They were told in no uncertain terms by rather large snapping beaks to butt out or risk serious injury. No arguing with those birds.

We got the good news that we will get a warranty for the new tyre that blew a couple of weeks ago. It was a surprise as we had resigned ourselves to learning a consumers lesson- don’t listen to “experts” or you will pay for it, but luckily the assessor felt we deserved a break so we will get a replacement in the next week or so.

At the start of a new week, and hopefully with the weather gods on our side to Arno Bay and then Wyalla as we work our way up the right side of the Eyre Peninsula.

Keep smiling

The wind blown Nomads