This is a
record of our wonderful retirement travels, presented mainly for our personal travel
memories, close family & friend’s knowledge and enjoyment for other
interested persons.
Entry 1 4th
Feb to 19th February
2020 was to be another different year revolving around
travel. Our Canada based daughter was getting married at her Canadian township
of North Bay.
Over the 2019 Christmas period, we were kept busy at home
with normal caravan and home maintenance needs. We were prioritising our time,
planning a Canada visit and sorting our finances to suit. Nothing was straight
forward with our Canada plans and thoughts, with much time spent researching,
asking questions, thus obtaining an understanding of a rather different system
in Canada from what we had in Australia.
Unfortunately, our downfall for seeking pertinent
information was due to previously spending time in Canada 2017 where we thought
we had prepared ourselves the best we could. We felt a bit on the naive side
once in Canada with reality being quite different from information provided by
the travel industry at home.
It wasn’t long into the new year and we were in need of a
sea change break, deciding to spend time enjoying the provided spoils of nearby
Eyre Peninsula. With the caravan in tow we stopped for a dentist appointment where
Mary had a bit of treatment and then we were on our way. Escaping from the
never-ending home maintenance and research headaches for our planned Canada
trip.
Our first two nights were spent at Fitzgerald Bay with a
beautiful ocean setting. It was our first time at this location, located about
30 kilometres north of Whyalla and with the added bonus of a free camp
location.
We enjoyed Fitzgerald Bay so much that we thought we would
like to allocate a week for our next visit allowing time to explore it more
thoroughly and its nearby surrounding area.
Next, we spent a night at Cowell caravan park located about
130 kilometres down the road with Steve’s brother & wife whom were
travelling in the opposite direction. It was another enjoyable chatting time.
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| Cowell silo |
The following day was a Friday with our aimed destination at
Port Lincoln to catch up with Steve’s other brother & family about 160
kilometres down the road.
We did take a break about 100 kilometres down the road at
the town of Tumby Bay where we stretched our legs walking around viewing plenty
of interesting murals.
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| Tumby Bay art work |
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| Tumby Bay art work |
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| Tumby Bay art work |
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| Tumby Bay art work |
Arriving at Port Lincoln, we obtained a permit and set camp
at a boat ramp carpark nearby Steve’s brother’s home. We had a wonderful view
overlooking Port Lincoln.
We spent another enjoyable weekend socialising with our Port
Lincoln based family members.
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| Logan the surfer |
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| Mary enjoying the waves |
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| Phil the life guard |
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| Day at Fisheries Beach with the family |
Sunday evening, we relocated to a 40 plus years friend’s home
on the outskirts of Port Lincoln, Jeanette & Wayne’s where we spent another
two nights of constant chatter.
It was time to start heading north, up the western side of
Eyre Peninsula with our first stop at Greenly Beach about 80 kilometres up the
road.
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| Greenly Beach |
Greenly Beach is a most magnificent setting with beautiful
turquoise coloured waters. It’s only archillies heel, the constant wind,
whipped up from the vast Southern Ocean. We were unable to enjoy time outside
due to the constant sand blasting effect, staying put in the caravan, gazing
out the windows at the beautiful setting. The caravan was constantly rocking
from side to side from the buffeting winds which showed no sign of abating with
the approach of the evening.
We had previously experienced Greenly Beach in 2014,
remembering the wind ferocity picked up during the night causing us to move our
rig so it faced directly into the wind to ease the sea sickness effect caused
by the wind rocking the caravan. On this occasion we decided to relocate a couple
of kilometres back down the road to nearby Cole Point where we had spotted a
track heading inland alongside a sandhill. This turned out to be a good
decision where we were provided with protection from the strong wind by a large
sandhill and surrounding trees, minus the ocean views.
We woke to grey skies and enjoyed a morning walk along Cole
Point beach.
We realised we had forgotten to obtain some medication
whilst at Port Lincoln and returned to Port Lincoln leaving the caravan at
Coffin Bay. With our medication in hand, we thought it also to be pertinent to
top up with fuel and food, maintaining our required supplies for when heading
out into remote locations as we had planned, for an undetermined time line.
It was Wednesday and the Coffin Bay Yacht Club were
providing evening meals, $15 for two pieces of garfish and chips which was most
enjoyable.
Coffin Bay is noted for its quality oysters and we walked a
section of the Oyster Trail along the water’s edge and enjoyed a scenic drive
of Coffin Bay National Park.
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| Emu's walking past our caravan |
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| Oyster trail walk |
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| Oyster trail walk |
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| Oyster trail walk |
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| Oyster trail walk |
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| Coffin Bay National Park some interesting sights |
Coffin Bay was good but we had previously spent time there
and decided to move on after a night to pursue our preferred, uncommercialized
remote type locations. We continued north, about 30 kilometres past Greenly
Beach turning left off the main road, travelling along a dirt road for about 16
kilometres to Point Drummond. On the approach side to Point Drummond it was a
very rocky coast line with a large swell battering the rocky shoreline.
A bit after the point the road ended and the view was
replaced by an endless beach. We parked up and walked along a sandy track
entering into the sandhills running parallel with the beach. There was a couple
of spots we may have got the caravan into but we sided on caution and set camp
in the parking area where the dirt road ended.
We were delighted with our punt to travel down a dirt road
we had spotted on a map, setting camp in a most satisfying location with the
grey skies dissipating on our arrival and beautiful blue skies emerging to
welcome us. It was picture perfect.
We spent 3 nights at Point Drummond, thoroughly enjoying the
beautiful scenery with many walks along the beach, enjoying the pleasant soft
sand under foot.
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| The dark shade was a school of samon |
Point Drummond was a very special quiet location. Then we
had three caravans arrive at the same time, circling the carpark, getting a little
bit too close to us for our comfort and when they decided to stop and get out,
we assessed they were all a bit too hyper, providing us with incentive to move
on.
About 50 kilometres down the road was Sheringa Beach with a
structured bush camp ground with individual fenced off camp sites. It was
another nice setting with a flushing loo and provided rubbish bins.
We had a couple of days at Sheringa with exceptional weather
conditions, minimal wind accompanied by beautiful blue skies. We noticed quite
a few vehicles travelling along the dirt road past the camp ground with roofs
full of surf boards and we followed to investigate.
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| There were plenty of different surf breaks |
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| Dolphins also showing how to surf the waves |
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| Dolphin wipe out |
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| lots of sandy bays scattered along the rocky cliff faced shoreline |
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| lots of sandy bays scattered along the rocky cliff faced shoreline |
We were thoroughly enjoying our time on Eyre Peninsula, a
location we had previously spent time during those pre-retirement days. Yes, it
was February the last month of summer with wads of superb weather for lazing
about at beautiful picturesque ocean beach locations. A much, loved
environment.
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