Eyre Peninsula SA

The port of Thevenard, Ceduna.

Amazing what gets shipped!

After weeks of desert and dust, we were happy to spend some time back by the sea. Ceduna is at the western end of the Eyre Peninsula. It is the business centre for the rural, mining and aquaculture industries of the region. Situated on a large bay, there is a busy harbour with loading facilities for both grain and mining products. Gypsum is one of the main exports. It is quite likely that the plaster board used in the wall linings of your home,contain gypsum mined in this region. A sign near the port facility, which is in a suburb of Ceduna with the unusual name of Thevenard, surprised us with the diversity of things shipped from the harbour. 

Sunset across the bay at Ceduna.

Relaxing at Ceduna.

We have based ourselves at the Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park, which is right in town, along the edge of the bay. It has a high security fence, and an imposing security entrance gate, that is sadly required because of an Aboriginal problem, with the locals using the foreshore as a drinking and overnight sleeping spot! We saw a lot of aboriginals around, but no trouble. As the self proclaimed oyster capital of Australia, there is no shortage of product available. The annual Oyster Festival, had been held the weekend before we arrived. We had been unable to get

Beautiful Decres Bay.

We got a really cold change in Ceduna.

accommodation over that weekend, at short notice, but we did manage to get a belly full of the wonderful plump and salty oysters. Fishing is also big in the region, with the famous King George Whiting, and Pink Snapper the dominant species. There are two processing places in town, which we headed out to. It is small scale processing, with the local fishermen using small boats to bring in their daily catch. You can buy what is being filleted, so one day we bought the whiting and next day came back for snapper. The freezer is now full of the freshest fish

Out on Ceduna Jetty.

Looking towards Thevenard
from Denial Bay.

imaginable! Our few days in Ceduna saw the most unbelievable contrasts in weather. It was lovely when we arrived, then the next day it was 38 degrees. The following day the wind blew and the temperature plummeted, and maximum temps reached 15 with a healthy wind chill factor. We got an instant reminder that the nearest land to the south is called Antarctica!! We drove out to the nearby coastal spots of Denial Bay, Decres Bay and Smoky Bay. It is fascinating reading all the history, as many places have Dutch and French names, another reminder that explorers from these countries had mapped the area long before the British arrived. We of course found the best coffee, at Blue Dolphin Cafe, and we also found a delightful little craft place, run by local volunteers. While we were there, a lady brought in the days selection of home made cakes and biscuits. Carolyn spied a Honey Roll, and I grabbed some Anzac biscuits, and then another lady arrived with fresh eggs, so we bought a dozen at the exorbitant price of $3.00!!

Streaky Bay Caravan Park.

Mocean Cafe by the bay.

We left Ceduna with the larder freshly stocked, and headed a short distance down the coast to Streaky Bay. We had heard a lot about Streaky Bay, almost all good, and when we got there it had a real wow factor. A beautiful protected bay, and a little village that just seemed so nice. We found the only caravan park, which is right on the bay, in fact many sites back onto the beach. These were all taken, but hey, what's wrong with a 50 metre walk to the beach! We set up and walked

Long lazy lunch at Mocean Cafe.

Coffee on the deck at Mocean Cafe.

into town, which had an imposing Pub, a long jetty and a lovely cafe called Mocean, right at the wharf. We sat out on the deck and enjoyed our coffee with a view. We also found a wonderful bakery across the road, called Elliott's, which did great coffee and kept better hours! Streaky Bay is a holiday destination, and as the school holidays had just ended, was less crowded than we expected. With sunny, cool days, we just relaxed and took in the scenery. There are

Ready for a drenching!

Whistling Rocks & Blowholes.

some lovely drives, that take in the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful coastline. The Cape Bauer Loop Drive is only a short drive from town. The highlight is the incredible Whistling Rocks and Blowholes. From the car park, there is an impressive wooden walkway that takes you to the coastline, where you can see and hear the ocean at these amazing natural formations. The sea was quite rough, and the spray coming up

Sleepy sea lions at Cape Labatt.

Coastline near Cape Labatt.

through the blowholes was enough to drench you. Fantastic to see! We did the Point Labatt Sea Lion Colony drive and the Westall Way Loop Drive on the same day. Talk about spectacular scenery. It was quite windy, and depending on which side of the headlands we were, the sea was either boiling away or smooth. The bright sunshine meant we got some incredible sights along the way. There were sea lions at Cape Labatt, but they were a lazy, sleepy lot! We called in at a place called Yanerbie, where we saw a new and expensive home being

Catching a wave at the Granites.

Smooth Pool near Fisherman's Paradise

constructed right on the bay. They must be rich fishermen who like their own company! From there we drove through another little place called Fisherman's Paradise. Enough said!! Along the Westall Way it is just one great scene after another. There is a famous surfing spot along here called The Granites. There was a great wave breaking and a number of guys surfing. It is no wonder these guys get taken by sharks! Here they are in the Southern Ocean, a breeding ground for Great Whites, dressed in black wet suits, just up the coast from a sea lion colony, dangling their legs in the water waiting for a wave!! Still it was like poetry watching these guys surf. They were very obviously experienced surfers. Without doubt, Streaky Bay is a lovely spot to spend some time. We will be back!

Murphy's Haystacks

More of the haystacks

Just out of Streaky Bay, we found another little surprise, in the form of a geological phenomenon called Murphy's Haystacks. The story goes that an Irishman on a coach spotted these rocks and thought they were haystacks built by the local farmer whose name happened to be Murphy. This probably happened after he put the cork back in the bottle!! Still, they are unusual to say the least, as the surrounding landscape is all wheat fields! Along the way we stopped in at the small town

Easter Island?? No, Elliston!

On Elliston's Great Ocean Drive.

of Elliston, a coastal town with a lovely bay that has a very bad entry.There have been lots of ship wrecks! On the way to town, we had seen a sign saying "Great Ocean Drive", so decided to detour. The sealed road gave way to dirt, but there were no signs saying "NO CARAVANS", so on we pressed. The scenery was spectacular, as we wound our way along the edge, and I mean edge, of the cliffs. At a variety of viewpoints where we could get the van off the road, there were sculptures depicting the sea, and some other interesting things! It was a lovely diversion, after which we headed into town to see what was for lunch. We found a lovely bakery, not quite up to Elliott's of Streaky Bay standard, but still pretty good, and decided that as it was a cold day, hot pies were the go! Back on the road, we were now well on our way to Port Lincoln, the

Home to Australia's biggest fishing fleet.

Port Lincoln from the lookout.

largest town on the Eyre Peninsula, and the self proclaimed Seafood capital of Australia. Who can argue with the claim, as the many & varied aquaculture industries include, Tuna and Kingfish for the lucrative Japanese markets, prawns and oysters, sardines(pilchards), rock lobsters, mussels, cockles, and a host of other fish including King George Whiting. An interesting fact, is that Port Lincoln has more Millionaires per head of population than any other town in Australia! Now you know why seafood is so bloody expensive!! The largest fishing fleet in Australia is based in Port Lincoln.

At Port Lincoln Tourist Park.

Waterfront park in town.

We have family history in Port Lincoln. My Nanna, mum's mother, remarried and came to live here. Uncle Ray as we knew him, owned the local bakery. I remember as a young teenager travelling to Port Lincoln on a huge family holiday. We came by train from Sydney to Melbourne then on to Adelaide, then I had my first flight on an old DC3 across the gulf to Port Lincoln. It was a great holiday. Everyone had a great time, so much so,that 9 months after we got home, our family got huger, with the arrival of little brother Ian! Hard to believe that was 50 years ago. Sadly Nanna died not too many years later, as did uncle Ray, so we never came

Mum & baby sea lion.

So many cormorants.

back. I enquired through the local historical society, and found that the only living relative of Uncle Ray, a daughter, is confined to a Nursing Home, aged 90 something. Ray's brother still has family in town, but we never knew any of them. All interesting! We have settled in at the lovely Port Lincoln Tourist Park, which has tiered sites up the hillside, looking out over Boston Bay. On the couple of still days we had, it was just lovely sitting outside and taking in the view. Sadly, most of our days were very windy. John did a morning tour on the harbour, thankfully

Tasty Blue Fin Tuna.

Playful dolphins.

on one of the good days, to learn all about the fishing industry. It was a great tour, only 7 people on a small boat with a real character for a guide, called Peter. The money involved in aquaculture is mind boggling, and the fact that most of these millionaires just got lucky, is an incredible story. You see, most are of Slavic origin, and came to escape persecution back home. They started to fish for tuna the old fashioned way, with poles, and soon had depleted their stocks so badly the government stepped in and stopped the fishing. They had quotas and licenses that became

Windy day on the bay.

Port Lincoln's most famous.

worthless. Along came someone with a grand idea to farm the fish, and guess who had all the quotas and licenses. The government wouldn't issue more, so the old ones became like gold! One guy we were told, doesn't even own a boat, just sells his quota each year for wait for it, $12 million per year!! The tour was fantastic. In simple terms, they go and catch the fish in the wild, then they bring them into the harbour where they are fattened and sold to the Japaneses market. Fish are caught at between 15 & 20 kilograms, and then fattened to 45 to 50 kilograms, all in a few months. It is all very hands on, as the slightest damage to a fish will render it

Uncle Ray's old bakery
was still standing.

Tuna industry tour.

worthless, so when it is time to go to market, each fish is actually hand caught! In the high end Japanese market, Southern Blue Fin Tuna sells for $2,000 per kilogram! Just unbelievable. They are also doing the same thing now with Kingfish. Our tour included a traditional Japanese tasting, plus we went out to a seal colony and saw lots of playful dolphins, so it was a great day. Everyone has heard of Makybe Diva, the only horse who  won the Melbourne Cup three years running. Well her owner was Tony Santic, you guessed it, a Port Lincoln Tuna fisherman. There is a lovely bronze statue of this amazing mare in the waterfront park in town. 

Along Whalers Way.

Wild and windy.

Port Lincoln has lots of food options, and we tried a few! The stand out for coffee was Del Giornos, down along the waterfront. The food also looked great and the cakes were delicious! Fresh fish and chips were everywhere, but our favourite was The Fresh Fish Place. This is a processing and export business that does fresh fish 'n chips. We shared a delicious plate of fresh garfish, sitting at a large table with a local farmer and his wife. The conversation over lunch was as good as the food! Their farm was just up the road at Tumby Bay, where they grow wheat and barley

Picnic by the sea.

Great sights.

and ran sheep. So interesting to find out about a type of farming we knew nothing of. We had read about a day trip called the Whalers Way, and decided to do the trip. It cost us $30.00 to buy a permit, and we had to go to the Visitors centre to pick up a gate key! It is all on private property, and is a gravel road that was very rough in parts, but the whole day was so worth it. The coastal scenery was magnificent. Sea lion colony, rugged coast, beautiful beaches,

Bob Tail Lizard.

Theakstones Crevasse.

wild seas and even a wind farm. We packed a fantastic antipasto plate of fresh produce from the region, some crusty bread and a bottle of wine, and found ourselves a quiet corner out of the wind at a place called Redbanks. Just wonderful. The day went so fast as we stopped at dozens of viewpoints along the route, visiting South Australia's oldest rocks at Cape Carnot, and marvelling at the incredible Theakstones Crevasse, carved into the rock. All along the way, we kept dodging the bob tail lizards that are prolific all along the Eyre Peninsula. They are so slow! Sadly, we've seen dozens squished on the road, and have had to do some fancy maneuvering when the caravan is in tow, to miss them trying to cross the

Yummy Coffin Bay Oysters for lunch.

Coffin Bay Jetty.

highway! Next day, we headed out to nearby Coffin Bay. It is such s terrible name, but seafood lovers all over Australia know that Australia's best oysters come from here. We sat on the veranda of a local cafe and had freshly opened oysters for lunch. Just magnificent. Coffin Bay itself is a real seaside holiday spot. The famous Boathouse Restaurant was closed for renovations, which is why we decided to make our last lunch special day elsewhere.

Lunch at Delacolline Estate Winery. 

Our seafood platter

For our last Sunday, we treated ourselves to a lovely lunch at the local Delacolline Estate Winery. We had been told that the seafood platter was legendary! So off we went and boy did we feast on all the amazing local seafood. This was a seafood platter. Not a chip or salad in sight. Tuna, Kingfish, whiting, prawns, mussels, oysters, calamari, bugs and crabs, all fresh cooked and pickled. We ate for an hour and a half, then ran up the white flag and took home a large doggy box! All

Always respect the sea!

washed down with their lovely local Riesling. A great lunch.

Cape Wiles near Port Lincoln.

On the way back home we stopped at Mill Cottage Museum, in beautiful Flinders Park. In my search for some of the old family history I had been told that there would be people from the local historical society there from 2 to 4.00pm, and that they should have lots of information. We met two elderly, lovely people, who regaled us with lots of stories, but nothing more than I had already learned from the local barber while getting my hair cut! We eventually escaped and made it home, where we collapsed in our chairs!

Whizzed by Whyalla.

Stopped at Port Pirie for coffee.

We had really enjoyed our week in Port Lincoln, but it was time to get to Adelaide to meet up with Robyn. But before we could head off we had to clean the filthy caravan! With water such a scarce commodity where we have been for the last few months, the van was covered in red, brown and grey dust. We had spotted a truck wash in town, so after we hitched up we headed their and started feeding coins in until the old girl ( the caravan, not Carolyn!), was sparkling. One last run through town. and one last coffee at Del Giornos, and we were on the way. We called in at

The new cafe SaFAVI.

With Saied at his new cafe.

all the spots as we headed up the Spencer Gulf towards Port Augusta. Tumby Bay, Port Neill, Arno Bay, and a lunch stop for fish 'n chips (again!) at Cowell. We sat with an old farmer couple from the Clare Valley Region. He had that outback weathered look and slow country drawl, that was so slow we'd finished lunch before he'd finished the introductions! We whizzed through Whyalla. What a sight! Port Kembla on steroids, with smoke stacks from the steel works belching smoke. It was as if we'd left Wonderland and met Mad Max! We stopped overnight at Port Augusta. When we left Port Lincoln it was 17 degrees. The

Back in the Big Smoke.

temperature gauge now said 39! We put the air conditioner on and didn't venture outside until after sunset. Next morning we were on the road early for Adelaide. We stopped for morning coffee at Port Pirie. You might remember from a couple of years back when we surprised our NZ friend Daphne's relatives, by looking them up at their family cafe. Well, we looked them up again. Saied had a look of vague recognition on his face when we called in at his wonderful new cafe, which is in an old stone church! When we reminded him who we were, he burst into the biggest smile, and was soon showering us with coffee and biscuits! It was so lovely to see him again. Unfortunately no one else from the family was there, but his new cafe is just grand and doing so well for them. Three hours later we were in Adelaide, surrounded by cars and noise and so many people. Thanks to Navman, we found our way to the Discovery Park Adelaide Beachfront Caravan Park at lovely Semaphore Beach. This is a change from our other stays in Adelaide and sure looks like a great spot with so much close by. We have a few days to regroup, before Robyn arrives for our 3 week journey along the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne.