Walking where early explorers did

Port Lincoln is really winning us over. The bays and beaches around this part of the Eyre Peninsula are simply outstanding, and today the weather turned it on.
So, with blue skies overhead, we decided to become explorers ourselves and tackle the Surfleet Cove and Stamford Hill walks in Lincoln National Park — about 7.5 kilometres all up.
And this is where the walk became much more than just a walk.
In 1802, Matthew Flinders and the crew of the Investigator explored these very waters, searching desperately for fresh water. Flinders climbed Stamford Hill to survey the surrounding country, and eventually his party found the precious fresh water they needed.
But their exploration of this coastline also came at a terrible cost. Several members of Flinders’ crew were lost when a cutter capsized in rough seas nearby. Flinders later named a number of features around the area in memory of the men who died.
Standing here today, looking across that incredibly calm, blue water, it’s difficult to imagine just how dangerous this coastline could be for those early explorers in small wooden boats.
We climbed up to the monument on Stamford Hill, stopped to take in the magnificent views across Boston Bay and then made our way back down through the bush.
About 7.5 kilometres later, we’ve made it safely back to the Chev.
No crew lost.
No desperate search for fresh water.
Just two slightly weary Not So Grey Wanderers sitting in the car park wondering why our legs suddenly feel about 20 years older.
A really good day of exploring — and another little piece of Australian history discovered along the way.Read more