Whyalla to Port Lincoln

1 – 9 June

 

 

After a long day of driving (~430kms) we made it to Whyalla, and to a lovely free campsite just out of town right on the beach. As we were to discover these free beach campsites are dotted all along the coast of the Eyre Peninsula, and provide great places to stop for the night invariably being able to find a private stretch of beach to enjoy (well at least in the winter months).

To celebrate the first day of winter, and to hold off the chill that quickly descends as soon as the sun sets, we cooked up a roast lamb shoulder and vegies in the camp oven. Yum! Washed down with a warming red from the Barossa all in front of a blazing fire, you really enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

First port of call waking up in Whyalla was to the Visitor Information Centre, and yes they could confirm that the Giant Australian Cuttlefish mating season was underway. It was a calm sunny winter’s day and after gearing up we made our way into the water. The guy at the dive shop had promised that once you got to chest height you’d be able to duck your head underwater and see the cuttlefish. Wow! He wasn’t wrong. There were cuttlefish everywhere you looked, and whilst their name is ‘giant’ the size of the cuttlefish surprised us and really was something to behold. Our rough estimates think that the biggest males were up to 800mm in length!! A very unique experience.

 

 

The next morning we headed out on a bus tour of the Whyalla Steelworks. We always enjoy getting out and seeing industrial plants. It was an interesting time to be in Whyalla with the company that owns the Steelworks currently in administration and the future of the plant uncertain. You really get the sense that the town would fall over if the Steelworks were to close.

We slowly kept moving our way down the coast camping at the beach just out of Port Gibbon, Port Niell and at Moonlight Bay. The Eyre Peninsula is known for great fishing, so what better place for Estelle to learn how to fish. After a few practice casts it was time to bait up the hooks. A windy and showery afternoon was spent throwing our lines in off the Tumby Bay Jetty. A day of first’s – Marcel’s first squid, and Estelle’s first fish. Given the teeny size of the fish, it was calamari quickly seared for entrée that night. Catches have been negligible so fingers crossed for better bites as we make our way up the West Coast.

 

 

Pulling into Port Lincoln the rain really set in. We dodged showers to take a tour of a wooden Tuna boat called Tacoma in the afternoon. The boat had been built by three brothers and come to Port Lincoln to start the Tuna fishery at the end of the Second World War. I’d seen a clip of the boat’s story on Landline a couple of years ago so was really interesting to hear about its history. Marcel and I even had a go at poling a tuna in from the side of the boat. Wouldn’t have wanted to be out on the high seas pulling tuna in with water up to chest height as shown in some of the old photos!

After a week without a shower, and feeling a bit down with all the rain we checked into the Caravan Park in Port Lincoln for the night. The hot shower that night felt amazing. The BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) was forecasting strong northerly gales and rain so we figured we’d find somewhere to hunker down for a couple of days. We headed out to Memory Cove in Port Lincoln National Park for two nights.

Clearly the folks that had written the guide describing Memory Cove as sparkling white beach, calm clear water on a protected bay hadn’t been here during winter with northerly gales pushing the swell right into the bay, king tide and storm surge. The white sand was well and truly covered by the waves that rolled right up and over the stones at the top of the beach. You certainly see a different side of places travelling during winter.

With the winds up we decided to spend the nights inside the back of the 4wd. The bed extension folded up from the foot well and we settled in for a cosy night. Was nice being inside listening to the wind and rain outside watching movies, but after a couple of nights of sleeping in a space 900mm across we’re looking forward to the spaciousness of the tent again.

 

 

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