14 - Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

 

Entry 14 – Yorke Peninsula South Australia.

We had been invited to participate in Rob’s 70^th birthday celebration on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. We had initially met Rob & Glenda over ten years previously whilst holidaying on Yorke Peninsula. Over the years we have regularly met up with them on our travels. We set camp in a scrub environment in a paddock located on their farm.

Rob & Glenda on left, us on the right

We arrived several days prior the planned celebration day along with some other Bushtracker Caravan owners. It was an opportunity to spend time sitting around a lovely bush camp fire with a group of like-minded people. The magnificent setting, great company and the warmth of a camp fire led to plenty of enjoyable conversation.

Inspecting the wheat crop

 

It was a most enjoyable week with the Bushtracker mob providing Rob with birthday merriment and gifts over the week at various times.

We were having some intermittent electrical issues with our caravan and one day all the Bushtracker mob gathered around our van, testing and brain storming solutions. We are happy to say, mission successful. Mary cooked up a camp fire fruit & nut damper to say thank-you for helping us with solutions for our electrical issue. It seemed to be appreciated.

On the day of the main event, the fire was stoked to produce plenty of red-hot coals for the camp fire ovens to cook up a variety of tasty meats for an evening meal. On one side of the fire more coals were spread out to cook up a few potatoes. The cooks improvised with a sheet of iron to deflect the heat away from the potatoes with the ongoing manufacture of more hot coals for the camp ovens.

Rob and Glenda had invited a mob of family and friends to celebrate his turning 70 years with a fabulous central focal point of a camp fire with our caravans spaced about in the background.

The food was served up with the chattering noise becoming silent whilst everyone consumed their meal. It seemed like there was 100% satisfied customers with lots of yum, yum’s and many returning for seconds.

It was a grand evening, celebrating Rob turning 70 with family and friends.

Three days after the main event it was time to move on. The weather over the week had been quite reasonable, not too hot and not too cold. The weather forecast was predicted to be wet with substantial rainfall over the next couple of days. Rob and Glenda invited us to stay at their home during the inclement weather period and we gratefully accepted.

Around mid-day during the first predicted wet day the rain eased and the four of us participated in a little road trip following the “Water Tower Art Trail.” Every time we got out of the comfortable warm car to view the scenery at various stops, we were buffeted by strong cold winds. We viewed the water towers located near the towns of Yorketown, Edithburgh, Coobowie, Stansbury and Port Vincent.

We also visited some of the other attractions along the way with pictures providing the best description for the scenery tantalizing our eyes and scenes.

Pink Lake

Troubridge Island about 5 kms off the coast

Edithburgh swimming pool

Port Giles silo's & port

Glenda, Rob & Mary at lookout near Port Vincent

The covid-19 pandemic was still creating havoc Australia wide with ongoing border closures, quarantine requirements and restrictions. We were free to travel about in our home state of South Australia with minimal restrictions impacting us. Though we were monitoring the constantly changing restrictions around Australia closer than previously, in anticipation for permissible travel to the Australian capital, Canberra. Something to do with a desirable catch up with our Canberra based kids and new granddaughter.

We had initially thought it would be good to spend some further time on Yorke Peninsula, exploring some of its many attractions.

The expression, have plans subject to change struck again. We were invited to resume our previous months cancelled Flinders Ranges experience (entry 12) and we cheerfully accepted our Victor Harbor friends invitation to join them.

After sharing another awesome meal with Glenda and Rob we set up the obligatory photo. We had worked out how to use our phone with our camera as a remote button. Much easier than the 10 second dash Steve used to do.