By this Author: anne.muld

It was with much regret we decided to leave Tumby Bay. We stayed 8 nights in this lovely quaint town. As it was the first official day of summer, we decided to go back and have another look at Port Lincoln. We needed to stock Bertha up with supplies and the weather was fantastic for a lovely drive on the coastal road back. Previously we drove up on the inland road. The drive was great with a mixture of wheat on one side of the highway and ocean on the other.

Wheat fields harvested on the Eyre

We went shopping at Port Lincoln Coles and whil looking for a jam to purchase, this gentleman told us that you can't get a better brand than "Anathoth", it is made in New Zealand and is preservative free. He has been to the small factory himself. So we purchased the jam and yes he is right, it is lovely. We bumped into Bruce and Bonnie a few times in Coles. After leaving Coles we drove to the fish warehouse, down towards the harbour. We wanted to purchase some Coffin Bay oysters and see if they were as good as the Ceduna ones we had before. Whilst in the fish markets, Bonnie and Bruce were there also shopping. They invited us back to their place for coffee and lunch. They live in Adelaide but they are staying on their yacht at the Marina. Well why not. So we went back on the "Freedom Now" and had a lovely time hearing of there sailing adventures.

Bonny & Bruce and Me dining on the Freedom Now

Freedom Now was built in the UK in 1985. She is a very luxurious and was purchased by Bonnie and Bruce, in the USA a few years later. She was shipped over to Australia on the "SS Tampa". Bonny and Bruce have sailed for quite some time and they manage sailing by themselves mostly.

The main bedroom on Freedom Now

The "Freedom Now" has 2 bedrooms both with ensuites, and has a great timber furniture throughout the living areas. Very cosy.

To view more about "Freedom Now"and Bonnie & Bruce's adventures visit www.bbmarriott.blogspot.com
visit

Freedom Now

After having a delicious lunch and great company, we drove back to Tumby for our last night there. The next day we moved up the caost to Cowell and the Franklin Harbour. This also is a great fishing spot and another quaint country town with great craft shops.

We ventured into Port Lincoln with the intention to stay a couple of days, but the weather was wicked. The Caravan Park was on the side of a hill facing the ocean and the winds were 40 knots with horizontal rain drops. Yesterday the weather was so hot I was melting and today we have all our winter woolies on. Port Lincoln town is very famous for fishing, especially tuna. Also wool is exported from here as well as grain. The Port is a very busy one with boats everywhere. It is a very large town with a Woolworths, Coles, Country Target and about 60 other shops. Definitely the largest town we have seen so far in SA. If the weather wasn't so windy and wet, we would of loved to stay. We stacked up Big Bertha's fridge and pantry and left for clearer skies.

Port Lincoln harbour mooring

Fellow Travellers had told us about Tumby Bay and how it was worth a visit especially for fishing. Tumby is a lovely little country town that thrives on fishing and grain farms also. The town is fairly small but it has everything you require with an IGA food store, and a dozen other essential shops all only 1 km from the van park. The van park has views of the bay and the township is very flat and protected from most winds.

Tumby Bay Hotel in the main street

The Van Park accommodates about 100 sites, but there are only about 4 fellow travellers here. So we have everything to ourselves. The jetty is just out the front and a short walk from us. Tony actually went fishing there and caught a squid. Chilli sqid for tea tonight. The neighbour came home with six squid. I wouldn't want 6....There is only so many you can eat.

Tumby Bay Jetty

Tony's jetty where he catches squid.

The weather is still not that wonderful, you can feel the chill coming from the Antartic. The Van park has a great kitchen with a TV in it, so I usually watch TV and do my patchwork quilt when the weather isn't good. When the weather is better we explore the area on our bikes. We decided to stay here a week as I have a sore shoulder and can't stand being in the car for too long. I think the cold weather has a lot to do with it. This town has a great craft shop as do most of these small towns. I can spend hours in them and the local people are so friendly and want to hear all about your travel stories. I rode my bike down to the local IGA shop yesterday to buy some supplies, when I went to pay the $50, I realized I left my wallet behind. The checkout girl said "no worries", and asked for my name and phone number and told me to take the groceries home and bring the money back later. Who from the city has every heard of this happening, especially with a total stranger??? I refused to take the groceries anyway and returned 10 minutes later with the cash in hand.

Tumby Bay older fishing homes on the beach

This is the older section of Tumby Bay. On the southern side of the town, is a huge new estate with homes and canals built in amongst it with great private jettys. This place is obviously growing. Everyone seems to be also growing great roses. The climate is obviously perfect here for roses and wonderful gardens. It must be all the rain??? We whinge about the rain but the locals love it!

New estate at Tumby Bay

Yesterday we arrived at Coffin Bay home of the best oysters in Oz. It was 40 degrees and it was so hot, we nearly melted. No pool at the only caravan park and seeing those large sharks prancing around the shoreline, we weren't even dipping our toes in the water. So what do you do when it is hot when you don't have airconditioning in Bertha, you go for a drive in the Bulldozerand I think we both had 3 cold showers also.

Coffin Bay Oyster farmers

There is a great walk around the town called "The Oyster Walk" . It takes you around the bay and out to the heads. Great fishing spots and you see all of the Abalone fisherman taking off in their large boats. We saw a fishing trawler getting pumped out with fish into the back of a truck. The fish actually spurt into the air from the boat and then into the truck.

The pump mschine used to get the fish out of the bost onto the truck for market.

The name Coffin Bay comes from Matthew Flinders in 1802, named in honour of his British Navy friend Sir Isaac Coffin.

This is why I don't swin in the ocean

This is a photo of me inside the head of a five meter white pointer shark. This was caught in 1990 and is on deisplay at a service station to remind tourist what the locals are like......

They do have a sence of humor though. This is a new housing estate in the area. I don't think I could live here. The address is too much for me. (maybe Bob and Cheryl should buy a block?)

Love shack route

Lovely view of Coffin Bay. Nothing much in town just lots of oysters.

Coffin Bay = nice two day stop (definately no more)

This is a great , to spend a week. We are right on the coastline and our friends, Vicky and John from Cessnock are here also. Most of the people in the park are from NSW. There are 3 couples from Macksville and it is a very, very social park. Everyone having happy hour or 3 together and sharing travelling yarns. Very homely. There is plenty of wild life around. Yesterday afternoon, we had a 2 metre shark just out the front about 50 metres entertain us all. Noone would go out and see if it was a White Pointer or a Tiger Shark. The more we drunk, the bigger it got. Entertained the Caravan Park folk for hours. The locals swim in a shark cage built off the jetty.

A map of where Streaky Bay is on the Eyre Peninsular SA

The pelicans live out the front of our van as the neighbours feed them after there daily catch. The pelicans never move from that spot.

Lazt Pelicans never leave

The coastline is very rugged and the wheat farms are right to the coast. The oysters are the best we've ever had and very resonably priced. There are sealions everywhere and very happy to have there photo taken. They seem to sunbake most of the day. There are dolphin schools also. The native widelife is very abundant.

Lazy sealions

Tony having lunch with a view.

Tony having lunch with a view.

The drives around this area are very isolated. There is plenty of lizzards on the roads but no kangaroos, or farms. It seems to be a fishing area and the local seafood is very cheap and great quality. You can have fish and chips anywhere in town for $7.50. Tony says why bother fishing........

great coastline view with easy access for tourists

The bikes are getting a workout here.

Tail wind behind us blowing us accross and armed with audio CD's. It was so easy, weather was great and road conditions were also fantastic. Accommodation was the right price - free (road side accommodation both nights) that was a 100 m distance from the "Grey Highway". Big Bertha did us proud with her wonderful ensuite so we weren't "stinky. Ït was far easier than we antisipated. Next stop will be Streaky Bay for one week.

Tony viewing the coastline at the border of WA & SA

coastline on the Nullarbor

The next night was just as good a spot as the first night. We look for the road side stops that don't allow big rigs as sometimes they are refridgeration vans that don't turn off all night so they keep you awake. Also big rigs get on the road at dawn, just a little too early for us. The time is a little confusing as we lost 3 hours along the way.

2nd night accomodation on the Nullarbour

The Nullarbor crossing was nothing much, very overated as the roads in outback Qheensland, NT and the top of WA are far more remote and desert.
We are off to Ceduna for Big Fat Oysters, apparently the best in Aus.