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Making Traxx
  • Tracey Rich
  • Tracey Rich

Making Traxx

We are finally leaving, so excited and stressed...haha Meer informatie
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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 26 - William Cr to Coober Pedy

    26 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Gave the car and van a check over, quick chat with the neighbours turned into a long chat and before we realised it was 11am before we left for Coober Pedy. Had 166 km of corrugated road to travel.

    Spent the next 3 hours watching for the sharp rocks that were all over the road, corrugation and dust bowls. Lots of shredded tyres along the way. Lost another plug to the road, one draw got stuck and one cupboard door has almost pulled the screws out, not too bad, all fixable.

    Did a massive load of washing, then drove into town to check it out, smaller than I thought, has Mitre 10, IGA, Opal shops (of course), Bottle shop with about a dozen 'residents' waiting for the shop to re-open, numerous servo's and a Pizza Shop. Apart from that there are quite a few mine tours to check out which will be tomorrow. Every shop was shut except the IGA - Sunday afternoon, we get spoilt with our shop hours.

    We saw a few herds of cattle which are the fattest healthiest cows we have seen in SA. So warm here, I don't think it would be very pleasant in Summer.
    Staying at Big 4 - nice clean park. Exploring Coober Pedy tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
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    Day 27 - Coober Pedy

    27 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    One of us got up and took photo's of the Sunrise and one of us slept in until 9am....certain person didn't put on his C-Pac so snored and didn't get enough sleep. Forgot to mention that they put us into the covered section of the Park, not at my request, didn't matter anyway as the covers were torn so we could still get the sun on our Solar Panels.

    Did a list of all the Tourist spots I wanted to cover today, plus a list of purchases we needed from the Hardware to fix our problems with the Van. Off to town to shop then went to The Big Winch which was a lookout over town and to watch a 360 degree Circlevision Cinematic experience. Very impressive presentation of the history of the Ghan up to todays mining town.

    Then visited the 'Old Timers Mine' which was a combination of Mine Site, Museum and underground house from long ago to a modern underground house. Not my scene I'm afraid....no oceans anywhere, just lots of dust, flys and natives hanging around the bottle shop.

    Followed this old guy on a mobility scooter driving down the middle of the road and around a round-about expecting everyone to give way to him, was funny as. Drove out to the highway and took photo's of the entrance to town which we didn't take on the way in.

    Back to camp to fix the sink plug and the kettle, didn't fix the trailer plug or drawers yet. Went for a drive out to Kanku - Breakaways Conservation Park to watch the Sunset. Along the road we drove past thousands of mounds of dirt what has been mined and dumped.

    Out to the 1st lookout which was the Escarpment hoping for some beautiful colours of the sunset. Have decided to stay another night so we can finish fixing the Van and trailer connections and do a sunrise out at the Lookouts at Kanku.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 28 - Coober Pedy

    28 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Said goodbye to Tony and Paula. They are off to Pimba, then heading across to their daughter at 80 Mile Beach in WA.

    We drove out to the Kanku to see the other half of the Conservation Park. Wow, wow , wow, it was amazing. I hope the photo's capture half of how good it was. The colours were beautiful.

    The most impressive of the 'hills' was called Salt & Pepper. You will know which photo this is. We didn't understand Mirror Hill until we drove past and looked back, thousands of pieces of Mica, I assume, unfortunately, the photo doesn't pick it up. The Moon Plain is what I would expect the moon to look like, so well named. The Dog fence goes on forever, well, maybe as far as the eye can see anyway.

    Back to Van to finish our chores, top up water, washed the solar panels, washed the windows on the Van and Car...couldn't see through the dust.

    Wayne fixed the draws and cupboard, the connection on the car, ready to hit the road in the morning.

    Hair cut for Wayne, shampoo for me. Did an Ecopot for dinner - Lamb chops in Plum Sauce. And to finish the day...the kitchen tap is leaking, dam !    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 29 - Coober Pedy to Pimba

    29 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Nice sunrise today, bit of cloud cover. On the Road to Pimba, heaps of roadkill again, saw a couple of live Emu's and quite a few Wedge Tail Eagles. Got a tip from Tony & Paula that we needed to be at Spuds Roadhouse before 3pm as it fills up quickly.

    The Bitumen roads fluctuated between black, grey and pinky brown, of course with splotches of Roadkill. Nice to be off the corrugations and sharp rocks. Saw a new Mine site with more than 10 diggers working it, unusual to see so many in the one area.

    Stopped at Harts Lake which is solid salt, we walked out onto it....oops ignored the signs about being part of Woomera. The wind is blowing at about 20 knots which throws the van and car around a bit. Saw a dead emu in the middle of the road which was fresh, Wayne wanted to stop....Alex has requested some feathers and a claw/leg. Nowhere to get off the road - thank goodness.

    Arrived at Spuds Roadhouse and found a spot, went over and checked out the Servo, $2.30 for Diesel, not too bad considering we are in the middle of nowhere. Will do the right thing and have dinner there, free camping so need to do our bit. Saw an interesting feature in the Cafe, a Mouse hole with a lovely frame...hoping it is a joke.

    Dinner was really good and yes the free camping is very popular. Will catch up with Sandy tomorrow, she has finished Yorke Peninsular and we have done Coober Pedy.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 30 - Pimba to Whyalla

    30 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    As much as I love waking up to the sound of rain on the roof top....not so much when parked in the middle of a dust bowl.

    The things I have to tolerate, Wayne sitting in bed eating breakfast comes up with a Dad joke. "Funeral Homes are investigating the use of glass coffins, will they be a success? .....Remains to be seen"

    Uneventful drive into Whyalla, nice little park and our site is beach foreshore which is perfect. Sandy was already set up and doing her Thursday payroll. When I came back from putting a load of washing on I found water on the floor of the Van.

    Took awhile but Wayne finally tracked the leak to the outside shower which had rattled loose and was running down inside the back wall and running under the shower onto the floor.

    Sandy and I went for a walk along the beach to the Jetty and left Wayne to investigate...sorry honey. Amazing circular Jetty which looks great for fishing. There was a pod of Dolphins herding bait and having a feed inside the bay right in front of us.

    Back to the Van and Wayne has dismantled the outside shower to discover that he couldn't stop the pipes leaking, so after dinner he removed the complete unit and bypassed the hoses....fingers crossed this is the last of the repairs and we can relax without something breaking.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 31 - Friday - Whyalla

    31 mei 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Sun was shining, which we didn't expect. We went to town for some spare parts - plumbing, some PVC tube to carry the fishing rods on the car and most importantly some local fishing knowledge and bait. Really surprised by Whyalla, I always assumed it would be a Industrial town but its really lovely with plenty a parks, all the necessary shops are catered for in town.

    Back to Van, picked up Sandy, rods and off to see the Peninsular, skipped around the edge of bays north of Whyalla, False Bay, Point Lowly Lighthouse, and Fitzgerald Bay. Wayne was off to the point with rod and lure in hand, first cast and he was hooked up next to another fisherman, unfortunately the other guy was a little enthusiastic and was running around Wayne and he lost the fish. Was a nice Australian Salmon around 3kg he thinks...next time honey.

    Went past the bay where they run Giant Cuttlefish tours - it was freezing being dry and fully dressed, let alone when you are wet getting out...brrr

    Followed the Coastline around a dirt road, shame the sun had vanished behind the rain clouds, back into town for a quick shop at Woolies. Then went back to the Circular Jetty for Wayne to see. There were 3 or 4 ppl catching squid but it was about to pour, so thought we would give it a miss for today.

    Easy dinner back at the Van for the 3 of us and made plans for the next day, hopefully the sun will come out to play again in the morning.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
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    Day 32 - Whyalla

    1 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Decided to stay another day as we woke up to a lovely sunny day. Wayne & I went back to Lowly Point to see if the Salmon were there. Sun was out but pretty windy, fish didn't seem to mind as he hooked up 4 fish and landed 2 beauties.

    Dropped into the Tourist Information Centre on the way back into town and took photo's of the 'HMAS Whyalla' which was an Australian Anti-Submarine and Mine Sweeping Vessel on display in their front yard.

    Tried one of the other bays but no luck, came back to Whyalla and went up to Hummock Hill lookout which gave us an amazing view out to the bay, along the beaches and over the town.

    Down to the Circular Jetty to try for a Squid, plenty of evidence of where they have been caught previously but none today. Spoke to a local lady who was surprised they weren't there, she gave us some good tips for places in Port Lincoln to get great seafood to eat....yum! She also explained why the Jetty is Circular - apparently Whyalla is known for the many Round-Abouts so the Council thought it would be appropriate - the locals didn't agree. Looks pretty cool though.

    Went over to the Fish Cleaning bench to fillet the 2 Salmon and met a friend, a huge Pelican that obviously was used to helping the fishermen get rid of the scraps. Took the frames, heads, skin straight out of Wayne's hand and off the cleaning bench - we decided he was Percy.

    Chilled at Van and then went down to the beach in front of our Van to try for a Whiting with the Blood Worms we had bought yesterday. It was freezing in the wind, the fish must of gone elsewhere as no-one caught any today.

    Sandy cooking dinner tonight, so nice relaxing night.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 33 - Whyalla to Tumby Bay

    2 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Lovely morning at Whyalla, drove to Lucky Bay SA not WA, small fishing village atmosphere similar to Fivies. There is a jetty for people to catch a Boat from Yorke Peninsular to Lucky Bay, only houses apart from Jetty.

    Next stop Cowell, beautiful old buildings, bought Fish n Chips from 'The Salty Camel' and ate down at this great park, with water slide, basket ball court, swings, climbing wall and heaps more. Lunch was really good.

    Again the boat ramp has been set up to cater for lots of boats and cars. All the Boat Ramps charge $8 per day to launch your boat or pay $50 per year.
    The Silo Art was really well done.

    Drove through Tumby Bay on the way to our free camp at Red Cliff Beach, long dirt road with some corrugation. If it hadn't been blowing a gale and very overcast it would have been beautiful, white sands on the beaches and bays. There were 2 other Vans camped on the site, plenty of room. The wind was like ice so very cold which went right through all my clothes.

    Our Inverter decided that it didn't want to work again and the kitchen cupboard wasn't happy either, so more repairs for Wayne tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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    Day 34 - Tumby Bay to Port Lincoln

    3 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Beautiful sunrise...from my bed which was toasty warm, there wasn't much enthusiasm from me to go outside into the cold wind.

    Into Port Lincoln Tourist Park right on the foreshore, a lot less wind, still cold but ok. Wayne investigated the Inverter problem and found that something had come adrift inside which shouldn't happen, he tested everything to make sure it wasn't a wiring/battery problem, rang Redarc to discuss and they organised a Auto Electrician in town to inspect it. He immediately deemed it dead. Redarc are sending a new one which we will pick up in Ceduna.

    Next problem was to fix the cupboard, bigger screws will work temporarily until Wayne can do a permanent fix. The Gas bottle people got back to us and were organising a replacement cylinder, so we did another test of the 2 bottles and they both worked. Don't understand how they work sometimes and then they don't, we will test for a few more days to see if there is a pattern.

    Poor Sandy smashed the front of her phone so she has arranged to have fixed tomorrow, lucky they could get a replacement screen so fast. Port Lincoln is a lot bigger than we realised, certainly larger than Whyalla.

    Quick trip into town for some more port, found Father Port which Wayne has been dying to try, definitely warms you up from the inside. Made some plans for the next couple of days, going to the Information Centre for more info.

    Sandy cooked a yummy Chicken dish and I cooked the Salmon Wayne caught, worked well.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
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    Day 35 - Port Lincoln

    4 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Had the warmest night, turned on the reverse cycle A/C....mmmm toasty, don't know why we didn't try it earlier.

    Few things to do today, drop Sandy's Phone in for a new screen, go to Bunnings to pick up Brass fittings for the tap (blew the hose off during the night so the tap was pouring water down the drain for goodness knows how long) ooops.
    Chemist for some of Wayne's Scripts to be filled, Sandy found an OP shop to buy some new books. Of course had to check out BCF - Wayne bought a great jacket for 50% off, plus a Squidge Jig, asked about good fishing spots and the lady didn't know any!!! Sandy picked up a set of levellers for her rig.

    Went to the Tourist Information Centre to get info about, Whalers Way, Port Lincoln National Park, Coffin Bay and ask if it is a good time to see some Seals.

    After all that running around we had to go to a Seafood Restaurant for Lunch, OMG the Oysters were without doubt the best I have ever tasted, they were fresh from Coffin Bay, plus Wayne had Blue Fin Tuna, Sandy had Nasi Goreng and I had Prawns. Yum Yum.

    Drove up to Winter Hill Lookout - very apt name, wind was freezing but the view was great. Took a photo of Matthew Flinders Statue and his cat Trim...Dad named his cat after him cause he lived in Matthew Flinders Drive, Cooee Bay.

    Sandy dropped her Rig in for a Wheel Alignment...has another problem but should be fine to keep going and get home again, her phone part didn't arrive.

    We have booked another 3 nights here to give us time to see everything, we need to move to different sites as it is a long weekend here and our sites are booked out...should have checked I guess.

    Looks like some rain tonight so a quiet night in the warm Van ready for tomorrows adventures.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
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    Day 36 - Port Lincoln

    5 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Opened the door of the Van to a beautiful clear sky, no wind and calm seas, then turned to the right and the sky was covered in big black wet clouds ..the black clouds won and it rained.

    Went into town to fill up before the Diesel prices went up for the long weekend, paid $1.92 for premium. Next stop is the Tourist Info Centre to find out some more info about Whalers Way and book a boat trip for Friday to see some Seals and tour around the bay and Tuna ponds.

    The lady at Tourist Info Centre was really helpful and suggested we stay just outside the Sanctuary at $10 a night instead of $40, that way we have a designated site which is flat whereas there are no restrictions on how many campers go in and no set sites at Whalers Way.

    Back to Van for lunch then Sandy and I went to pick up her phone and grab some groceries. We are having steak and salad and Sandy is cooking a Curry Pot for herself. She doesn't like footy and we are excited to watch Origin tonight.

    Go Queensland.    Meer informatie

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    Day 37 - Pt Lincoln Nat.Prk

    6 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Woke up to an overcast day again but no rain and no wind...off to the National Park. A large part of the park is closed temporarily (Memory Cove Wilderness Protection Area).

    Drove past a lot of Processing plants for the seafood industry which is the mainstay for Port Lincoln. First stop was Horse Rock, nice little bay, water was milk pond, next was Woodcutters Beach 2km off the road. Unfortunately it was a very rough track which took 40 mins of slow maneuvering around trees and rocks....sorry Wayne. The map showed a track from the bay around the waterfront up to Stamford Hill, I didn't notice that this track was a walking track so we had to go back the same rough way we had come in. Oops

    Back on the road again to Stamford Hill and Surfleet Cove, again sheltered little bays. Next stop Donington Lighthouse at the tip of the Nat.Park, Alex had sent us some video of when he and the boys were here. They saw Seals playing just off the rocks....and so did we, just the one but he was very active, Wayne called out to him and he turned to face us, we thought he was going to come over but he didn't.

    Could see a couple of Seals on a little Island off shore but they were having a lovely sleep. This area would be absolutely gorgeous on a sunny day, the water crystal clear with big smooth boulders in between the white sandy beaches. Went down to September Beach and searched unsuccessfully for our little friend, had lunch on a picnic table and chatted to the birds.

    Last stop was Carcase Rock which was a low atoll just off shore, there were 2 boats out off the point fishing, spotted a few Emu's along the way. Just starting to rain as we came back into town.

    Time for Sandy to do her payroll, Wayne to relax and me to read my book. Bliss.    Meer informatie

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    Day 38 - Port Lincoln

    7 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Overcast morning, did the washing and read my book. Sandy and I left for our Seal and Harbour tour at 2pm and the sun came out and all the clouds disappeared, the afternoon was beautiful.

    Lovely, knowledgeable crew took us out past two nesting Osprey, a very active seal, a graveyard for Tuna pens and some very expensive fishing boats. Finally out to the same Atoll we have looked at yesterday at Donington Point, there were dozens of Seals basking in the sun and playing in the shallows, also hundreds of Shags and Pelicans - the smell was a little overpowering on one side of the island.

    Enjoyed watching the seals for a while then noticed the Dolphins were over at the mainland so the skipper took us over to watch them playing, it was a big pod and they were racing the boat, diving and enjoying the lovely weather. Headed back to the Harbour past the Mussel farms and all the homes around the Marina - big expensive properties with their own jetties.

    Was a perfect afternoon which we both enjoyed, even had some Sashimi King Fish, fresh cooked mussels and local prawns on the boat....yum    Meer informatie

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    Day 39 - Pt Lincoln to Fishery Bay

    8 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Quick dash to Woolies for last minute food for next few days off grid. On the way out of town we stopped at 'The Fresh Seafood Place' had good variety but definitely had tourist prices. Anyway we bought, a Doz oysters, a kg of green frozen prawns, 6 pieces of fresh Blue Fin Tuna, a slab of frozen Yellow Fin Tuna, a packet of frozen Scallops and a kg of 'fresh' cooked prawns (frozen/defrosted).

    Easy drive to Fishery Bay which is next to Whalers Way, and is a surfing beach for board riders, paddle boards and seals. We are booked in for two nights at $10 per night. Wow, what a great spot, 2 minutes to a beautiful beach, close to toilets and rubbish bins, flat spacious sites...winning.

    Set up camp, had seafood lunch - yum. Drive up the beach, Wayne is in heaven, beach driving, fishing, sunshine, beautiful clear water. Caught 2 Salmon which were released (not great eating) fun to catch. Back to camp for Barbequed Blue Fin Tuna fillets chips and salad around the fire, doesn't get any better.

    Sat around listening to some great music and chatting to Sandy. Perfect day.    Meer informatie

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    Day 40 - Fishery Bay/Whalers Way

    9 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We got up early to watch the Sunrise, stunning morning with a few clouds and the sun coming up behind the cliffs. So excited to see a few Seals playing in the shallows right in front of the beach, they were surfing the waves, catching fish and throwing them around. Hard to get a better start to the day.

    Back to camp to have Bacon and Eggs and pack up for a day checking out Whalers Way which is a privately owned property around the bottom of Eyre Peninsular, cost $40 per car per day to enter through the gate.

    Wholly shit, what a coastline, massive cliffs, big swells rolling in crashing into the shore, clear turquoise water, bommies out to sea with the waves smashing against them, I know the photo's wont do the scenery justice.

    All the places of interest had good sign posts so we knew where we were. For me the highlight was Cape Wiles which was an island very close to shore covered in Seals napping in the sun.

    Such an amazing place we have booked another night, no internet which is great, no TV, no social media....nice to get completely away.

    After our drive around the stunning coastline went back to camp for quick lunch then down to the beach for more fishing, Sandy stayed at camp to soak up some sun. Perfect afternoon again, caught 4 Salmon today, some Wayne kept and filleted ready for a night fish tomorrow, dogs running along the beach having a ball, surfers catching the waves, few more people on the beach today all enjoying this amazing spot.

    Quiet night in the Van, eating left overs for dinner, ready for another amazing day at the Beach tomorrow.    Meer informatie

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    Day 41 - Fishery Bay

    10 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    We all got up early hoping for another epic sunrise, was a no show...sorry Sandy. However our little seal turned up again to play in the shallows, Wayne had a fish up the beach but that was a no show also.

    Wayne & I drove into Port Lincoln for a quick top up of Bait, Lures and Firewood. Had a good chat to Alex, drove down to the Marina to check out the Fishing Fleet, the Prawn Trawlers have just come back into the bay, very impressive boats. Washed the car and then back to camp.

    Picked up Sandy, went looking for the Whalers Station - couldn't find it but found some lovely bays and another beach which had a great surf, nobody there though. Lazy afternoon listening to music, updating Journal. Had a little shower of rain which will hopefully go away, want to have a fire tonight.    Meer informatie

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    Day 42 - Fishery Bay to Coffin Bay

    11 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    No sunrise to be seen again today - oh well, had to stay in bed a bit longer.
    Packed up and drove into Port Lincoln to top up the water and empty the Devils Suitcase.

    Easy drive around the bottom of Eyre Peninsula, staying at Wangary, which is 20 minutes outside Coffin Bay, Mt Dutton Bay Woolshed camp ground which is next to a heritage listed old woolshed. Nice tidy camp with toilets, an expensive laundry, camp fees $20 pn and if you want a shower its $5 per shower.

    We left Sandy at camp to read and sit in the sun while we went to check out Coffin Bay and have some lunch. Found the local pub and ordered seafood, unfortunately there were no oysters available - who would guess you couldn't get oysters in Coffin Bay (capital of Oysters).

    Lunch was beautiful and the barman was on point with the service, he told us there was a great lookout only 15 mins away and if we wanted we could leave our Van behind the pub the next day while we went sightseeing, which was really nice.

    Emu Park in Qld needs to import some Emus. This place has at least a dozen Emu's roaming around the main street, all quite happy and not worrying about cars or people.

    Off we went for our little drive and were amazed at the coastline, in the National Park, so many beautiful bays and beaches, SA really is a special place and they look after their roads and public amenities.

    Back to camp to assure Sandy we will be taking her for a drive tomorrow to keep investigating the Park. Wayne decided to catch some Squid down on the Jetty just in front of our Camp. Did well, landed 3 good size ones which will be used for bait....apparently.    Meer informatie

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    Day 43 - Coffin Bay National Park

    12 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Had some rain during the night so we were more than happy to greet the sun when we woke up. Got organised early to start our adventures around Coffin Bay National Park, still lots of Emu's roaming around town and throughout the park.

    First stop was for Wayne to have a play in the sand dunes on the way to Gunyah Beach, we drove over some beautiful dunes with good hard sand. Then to the Yangie campsite which looked quite nice.

    Went back to Golden Island lookout and went down to the beach for a fish or better known as 'ish' - its a rugged coastline with rips and strong currents. The only disappointment is it is so hard to capture the beauty of this place....

    Had a picnic lunch while we admired the view, had a few people stop and ask if Wayne had caught any fish, none of them gave it a go.

    Back into town to buy some oysters to take with us, bought 2 doz for $24 - unopened....that will be a challenge. The lady explained that most people want to eat Oysters in Summer but they are actually better quality in the Winter, yay for us! The ones we bought had been harvested this morning, doesn't get any fresher than that.

    When we got back to camp Sandy & I went over to the camp office to pay our camp fees (Jacky had been out when we arrived), she gave us a run down on her whole life and then hit us with adding gst to $20 advertised for which we got basically a toilet, no showers no power and 20km from town. Oh well, it was a nice quite camp close to a Jetty where Wayne caught squid.

    I attempted to open some Oysters, lets just say I wont be giving up my job to become a Oyster Shucker. We sat around after dinner to a lovely hot fire, thanks Sandy.    Meer informatie

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    Day 44 - Coffin Bay to Elliston

    13 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Quick shop at the IGA, water top up and of course D/Suitcase. Heaps of the Oyster Boats were on their way out, there are at least a dozen huge boats going out to collect oysters from the Harbour.

    We were going to stay at Kiana Farm stay but Sandy checked it out on her way past and decided it wasn't not worth the $35 so we went into Waterloo Bay Caravan Park at Elliston. Very happy to stay with power - need to wash and top up all my electricals.

    Sandy also checked out Cummings Lookout on the way, she told us not to go past the first carpark as we wouldn't be able to turn around, so we parked at the turn off and I walked up the hill to take a look. Should of listened to her message a little better, she said don't go past the Monument car park...oops.

    Anyway Wayne drove up the hill and we walked the rest of the way to Monument and then up past it to the cliff tops. Oh my goodness - outstanding view.

    Unfortunately it turns out Sandy drove to the second carpark just around the corner which wasn't nearly as spectacular as our view...she is not happy with me atm.

    Arrived at the Caravan Park and its perfect, lovely staff and neat tidy and the washing machines are only $3 per load. Happy Camper.

    So good to have an unlimited water hot shower and wash hair, off to the Pub for dinner.    Meer informatie

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    Day 45 - Elliston

    14 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Woke up to beautiful sunshine and clear skies...another load of washing, even hung out instead of Dryer. And then the rain started, dam it. Lovely Sandy thought I was out walking so she took my washing off the line then hung it out again when the rain stopped, some went into the dryer. Thanks Sis.

    Wayne had a bad night so he had a nanna nap, eventually went for a drive to see the sights of Elliston, small beach town, lots of holiday homes.

    Drove around the Anxious Bay Clifftop Drive which was very picturesque with Sculptures at most of the Parking Bays of various shapes and sizes. Ocean was quite rough with lots of salt spray.

    Decided we would back track 16km to Locks Well while we were out and about, its known to be a surfing beach, they would have to be fit and healthy to go up and down the stairs to the beach from the carpark.

    Back to town and Wayne decided he wanted King George Whiting for lunch, the only place to buy food was the Pub. I had the locally caught Salt & Pepper Squid which was good.

    Checked in on Sandy and she had gone to the Bakery to buy bread but they had none...

    Chill afternoon reading and Wayne watching fishing on You Tube.    Meer informatie

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    Day 46 - Elliston to Streaky Bay

    15 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    On the Move again, turned off to Talia Caves, Crater and Beach, we drove past the first 2 spots and went to the Beach. Beautiful long, clean beach, heaps of birds. Different rocks along here - smooth rather and rugged.

    Wayne had a fish in a couple of spots but no luck, nice just being in the sun on the beach. Had lunch at the Crater (actual name 'The Tub'), massive hole in the cliffs which apparently the water still comes in at high tide.

    Then to the Cave, I went down the 76 stairs (Wayne looked after the Van) haha. The water was crystal clear and the rocks smooth. The whole area would be so lovely in Summer when you could swim, way too cold for us.

    Next stop was a coffee at the foreshore of Venus Bay, small fishing village with a Jetty and a couple of Trawlers, not much there so kept going. Drove past a few places that we will come back to.

    Checked into Streaky Bay Caravan Park right on the beach, calm water, tons of Pelicans - much to Wayne's annoyance, he set up on the waters edge for a fish but the birds were bussing him. Saw a pod of Dolphins out in the bay herding bait and having a feed.

    The Sunset was spectacular. No wind here so had a fire on the beach.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 47 - Streaky Bay

    16 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Nice sunrise, only just caught it and that was from our doorway in my PJ's.

    Went for the Scenic loop to Whistling Rocks, the Blowhole and Bauer Bay. The waves push the water up through holes in the rocks and it makes whooshing noises. Unfortunately there wasn't enough swell to made the blowhole work but interesting area, Wayne particularly enjoyed the 76 stairs there....

    Decided to go back to the Van for lunch and going for another drive - maybe not.

    After Wayne's nanny nap we headed down to Perlubie Beach to see if we should stay there tomorrow night. We have heard so many great stories about taking the Van onto the beach and people stay for a few days chilling on the beach.
    Beautiful beach, easy access, no need to even let the tyres down, very shallow water for km's out into the bay. We got accosted by a local who not only gave us his life history from 18yrs to 70yrs but advised us that they now charge $30 per night because they needed to control how many Vans were on the beach. He said in Summer there were up to 90 Vans crowding the beach so its now restricted.

    We decided that Streaky Bay where we were staying was just as good if not better as we were less that 2 foot from the sand with all the comforts of power, showers, toilets and laundry for an extra $5.

    Headed back to the Van via the town Jetty, had an awesome netted pool area for swimming in the Summer, lots of Ink on the Jetty from Squid and looking into the clear water the reeds were a beautiful green, the only other reeds we have seen are nearly black and obviously dead. Very pretty place.

    Sat on the beach in the sun soaking up the last of the heat, Wayne shucked all our oysters we had bought in Coffin Bay....yum

    Sandy cooking dinner so a night off.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
    1

    Day 48 - Streaky Bay to Fowlers Bay

    17 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Sunrise was a bit of a non event due to the Rain. Pack up was definitely a wet affair but done very quickly. Going to do 250km today, so topped up the fuel at $197.9

    We have now left the Eyre Peninsular and are officially on the Nullarbor. Stopped in Ceduna to pick up our replacement Inverter - thank goodness, can use Microwave and toaster...yes I know we are really doing it rough this trip.

    Did a quick top up of food supplies, filled up one gas bottle, guy at the hardware was a little dubious - had never done a fibreglass cylinder. Lots of indigenous in town but no problems, I said g'day to those I past and they were friendly.

    Drove past Panong and Smokey Bay but we will back track without the Van tomorrow. Turned of the A1 highway to Fowlers Bay, 11km sealed and 11km good dirt road, beautiful view coming into the bay. 24 deg as we were driving along, bring on the warmth. As we got closer to the coast again the temp dropped significantly....brrr

    Massive white sand dune running along the coast protecting the little town of Fowlers Bay, population of 16. Staying at the Caravan Park right next to the 300m Jetty which is covered in Squid Ink. There is a viewing platform to watch for the Whales, too many white caps in the bay to see any today.

    Hopefully the wind will drop in the morning so we can see lots of migrating whales.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger
    12

    Day 49 - Fowlers Bay

    18 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    No sleeping in here, there is a Mother Ring Neck Parrot that escaped from the Bird Aviary 6 months ago, but her 3 babies (2 yrs old now) are still there, so she sits in a tree and calls to them for hours on end, sad to see them separated.

    Woke up to a overcast day again but the wind had dropped so Wayne and I headed to the beach for some site seeing and fishing, Sandy opting to clean and do some work.

    Drove to the base of the Sand Dunes and followed the signs along a dirt road to Scott's Beach, lovely long beach with not too much dead reeds on the sand. Next stop was a rock sitting off shore which I thought was Mexican Hat but when we went around the next peninsular I realised that I was wrong. This one definitely looked like a Mexican Hat. Ooops.

    Interesting coast but the amazing view was actually behind us - the pure white Sand Dune running the entire bay, truly beautiful. We found a road onto the beach at the far end of the bay and drove the whole way on solid sand, stopped and had a fish at a gutter which looked promising at the end of the beach - not to be.

    I went for a walk up a track off the beach and found a monument for a young lad whom had loved to fish and camp in the area, not sure what happened.

    Drove back along the beach for a little bit and Wayne had another fish, hooked up a good one on the first cast and dropped it....that was all the action he got. A pod of Dolphins were herding bait out in front of him, I ran out with the Binoculars and found them, raced back to the car to set up the Drone. Launched it out to sea and the alarm went off telling me it was low battery, I really am nervous using it, bought it back in and changed the battery, went looking for the Pod again but they had gone...dam. Teach me to check the battery next time.

    Found an exit from the beach over the Beautiful Dunes, was fun going up and down the hills and came out right in town, turns out we didn't have to drive the 30km on the dirt road, could have scooted along the beach without the corrugation.

    Sandy & I went for a walk out on the Jetty and saw a school of Salmon swimming on the surface, plus some bait moving around. Wayne and I went out a couple of hours later for a late afternoon fish. Caught a Squid but no fish today.    Meer informatie

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  • Tracey RichMaking TraxxReiziger

    Day 50 - Fowlers Bay to Bunda Cliffs

    19 juni 2024, Australië ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Wow, where has 50 days gone ? Off to the Cliffs we go, topped up a little fuel at before Nallarbor Road House, took a photo of a whale, figured it would be the only one we are going to see on the Bight.

    Had to pull off the road completely for 2 monstrous trucks coming our way. Thank goodness we weren't stuck behind them.

    Took a turn towards the Cliffs but turned around again, it was still about 20km to the view and really rough road. There were heaps more places along the way which were much closer to the road.

    Went to a designated lookout and saw our first look at the Bunda Cliffs, very impressive and very high, ocean was a beautiful aqua in the shallows, out in the deep was all white caps - blowing a gale and very cold wind...to be expected.

    Kept driving to another lookout, not as good a look at the cliffs. One more stop, and we reached Site 52 and 53, which is the km from the border, still windy but maybe a little less than the first stop.

    Decided we would do our Cliff top sleepover here, Van is getting buffeted around a bit. Wayne installed the new Inverter, so we have 240v power again. Thanks, honey.

    Kept a lookout for any Whales that happened to be passing by, but even if they were out there, it would be difficult to spot.

    Sandy's last night with us before she heads home.    Meer informatie

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