Harrington to Ballina

February 19 to February 26

Crowdy Head

Sunday was a relaxing beach day at Crowdy Head. We have been asked many times if we have found a better place to live than the Sunshine Coast on our travels. We have certainly found some fantastic places at just the right time of the year, but none that would match South East Queensland year round. However the Mid North Coast of NSW would be a close second, and Crowdy Head leads the pack.

Around 3pm the storms rolled in again, so we packed up and drove 25km to Coopernook Hotel, where you can stay overnight in their grassed car park. We treated ourselves to a pizza from the pub for dinner, after the storms cleared.

Monday we drove a short distance up the highway to Laurieton, at the southern end of the coastal townships that link to Port Macquarie. The shire here have a very flexible attitude to overnight stopping for self-contained vehicles, and fortunately this hasn’t changed. After some shopping we drove around the river to Dunbogan and Pilot Beach, at the mouth of the Camden Haven River. We did some beach walking and I had a fish off the rocks, with no success. We stayed here overnight.

Pilot Beach

Tuesday we did more walking along the river and beach and exploring around Laurieton. In the afternoon we drove north to Frederickton, near Kempsey. The golf club encourages RV’s to stay overnight in their car park. It is a quiet, picturesque place and handy to the highway.

Wednesday we spent the day at Crescent Head, east of Kempsey. A well-known surf break (dead flat on this visit) and another favourite NSW spot of ours. Wednesday night we were back at the Frederickton Golf Club.

Thursday we continued our northward travels, heading into Urunga for the day. A slightly busier beach town with a very long river boardwalk to the ocean outlet (see photo).

Frederickton Golf Club Overnight Stop

In the afternoon we continued north to get around Coffs Harbour. For some reason the highway upgrades haven’t bypassed Coffs, and the painful drive through all the traffic lights continues. We stopped just north of Coffs at Sandy Beach, another “secret spot” one of the residents recommended many years ago. We are normally on our own, but two other motorhomes were already there when we arrived. A terrific spot right at the beach, the sound of surf to send you to sleep.

Friday we enjoyed a morning beach walk before continuing north. There is a lot of roadworks and delays as they replace pretty much all the Pacific Highway north of Port Macquarie. Thankfully we were in no rush and only travelling a hundred odd kilometres each step, but it does double your travel time.

Urunga Broadwalk

We had lunch at Harwood, a pretty river town west of Yamba, before visiting New Italy. We have driven past New Italy heaps of times without stopping, so this time we did. New Italy was settled in the late 1800’s after Australia’s first refugees arrived from Italy. After a lengthy “assimilation” program, they chose to settle in this region, and a museum and garden area has been established to celebrate the history of the area and its pioneers. It was surprisingly interesting and very well researched. 

Broadwater Rest Stop by the Richmond River

We drove a short distance north to Broadwater, where a rare, off the highway, quiet overnight rest area exists on the road to Coraki, in Northern NSW. Due to the crazy number of “Hippy Van” backpackers in this region, most of the local councils have restricted the options for free overnight parking.

Saturday we arrived in Ballina and checked in to the Shaws Bay Caravan Park. We have holidayed at Ballina dozens of times over the past 30 years.

We will be home on the Sunshine Coast in a week, in the mean time we will enjoy catching up with some friends and family between here and home.

Moruya to Harrington

February 12 to February 19

  

After checking out from the Moruya Caravan Park, we drove just 12km along the Moruya River and Bengello Beach to Broulee. We have visited this area a number of times, with the 3km coastline around Broulee and Mossy Point one of our favourites. We stopped at the headland lookout at Mossy Point for lunch, while the weather deteriorated into rain and storms. Late in the afternoon we went to the Mossy Point boat ramp, which thankfully is still a free camping area. We had a fantastic sunset as the storms cleared.

Monday we walked Broulee Beach before I had a fish off the jetty at Mossy Point. I was hoping to get the kayak out but the offshore conditions were a bit rough. In the afternoon we drove to the Broulee Surf Club for a walk along Bengello Beach. We stopped for another night at Mossy Point.

Mossy Point Boat Ramp Overnight Spot

Tuesday we drove north through Batemans Bay and on to Ulladulla. After some shopping and exploring of Ulladulla (it seemed a lot busier than the last time we were here), we headed a little further north to another memorable spot, Bendalong. Although there’s not much there except an expensive caravan park, it has a nicely protected bay where I fished a couple of years ago. We arrived late afternoon to find recently erected “no overnight parking” signs in the couple of secluded spots where we have stayed before.

Most towns which encourage low cost camping use it as a lure for the local businesses (shops, pubs, fuel stations). In very small towns without these facilities, I can understand how the locals (and occasional caravan park owners) have probably felt “abused” by less respectful travellers. Being quite late in the afternoon, we drove to a rest stop for the night, disappointed.

Mossy Point Sunset after the storm

We had always planned to “leapfrog” Wollongong, Sydney and Newcastle on this trip, we had avoided the big city traffic since leaving Perth, and didn’t want to face it just yet. So Wednesday we drove the 450km of freeways (except for Pennant Hills Road, delightful!) and arrived in Bulahdelah mid-afternoon. This town has been a success story for low cost camping, starting with a rest stop on the river. They now offer (self-contained) overnight parking at the golf club (where we stayed) and bowls club as well. The town has thrived and grown since they commenced this initiative after the highway bypassed the town.

Thursday I resisted the urge for a game of golf and we drove The Lakes Way, the tourist drive through the Great Lakes Region just south of Forster. We stopped at Santa Barbara for long surf beach walk, before visiting Wallis Lake for as coffee. This was a really quiet, pretty hideaway along the shallow lake. It is obviously a very healthy waterway, as the large octopus happily swam up to the banks to meet us. The temperature had reached 32⁰C so it was nice to stay by the water.

We also visited Green Point on the way to Forster/Tuncurry. After fuelling up we drove past Taree and on to Coopernook, a forest camp spot we have visited many times. It continues to be a favourite of ours, only about 7km from the highway, but deep in a state forest.

Wallis Lake Coffee Stop

Friday we headed east through Harrington to Crowdy Head. Another of our favourite spots, a very small quiet settlement with an exceptional beach. It can have great surfing and fishing, but today the northeaster was blowing 30+km/h. As the temperature reached 34⁰C it was THE place to be, it only felt like about 25⁰C.

This is another small community where we have previously stayed overnight, and again the “no camping” signs have appeared. A few self-contained motorhomes and caravans were still staying there, believing the signs are only to deter tents and backpackers.

Wallis Lake Octopus, very surprising!

We enjoyed a lazy day beach walking and keeping cool as storms built up and passed through in the afternoon. Thankfully not as severe as the ones that hit Sydney. After the storms we decided to return to Coopernook forest for the night.

Saturday was due to hit 35⁰C by 11am, so we decided to make it a washing and chores day and checked in to the Colonial Holiday Park in Harrington after an early walk along the Manning River. We only chose it because the CMCA have a partnership with it, and it would have to be one of the best parks we have stayed at, and one of the cheapest. Once again the storms built up in the afternoon, and thankfully once again they weren’t too severe for us.

Sunday we cruised out to Crowdy Bay for another beach walk, with the wind and temperature nicely dialled down.

Pambula to Moruya

February 5 to February 12

Sunday saw us enter New South Wales, we’re on the home stretch before returning to the Sunshine Coast. We drove into Eden then on to Pambula. It was surprisingly busy, so we bought some fresh local oysters (this stretch of coastline is another renowned oyster farming area) and went 5km to Top Lake near Merimbula for lunch. This is a large shallow inlet with many oyster leases, and plenty of walking tracks for after lunch.

Sunday night we stayed at another CMCA Member Stop Over property near Pambula. This region have been experiencing a prolonged drought and their property was desperately dry, so dry they had lost many, well established trees. About 1am on Monday a storm came through and dropped about 15mm of rain. The region was about to get a reprieve from the drought.

Monday we went back into Merimbula and checked in to the Merimbula Beach Caravan Park. The weather had turned rainy and windy, we had some washing to do, and the Superbowl gridiron game was on TV. The right combination to hibernate out of the weather.

Tuesday the weather got even worse, we did some grocery shopping then drove north stopping in at Tathra and Bermagui. We reached Narooma with still no relief from the rain. Thankfully Narooma are still tolerant of overnight parking at their boat ramp so we stayed the night there.

Secret Bush Camp, near Potato Point

Wednesday the rain reduced to showers, we had a walk on the Mill Bay boardwalk in the morning, then moved to the other side of Narooma overlooking Wagonga Inlet. This is also a large, very shallow inlet where oysters are farmed. We got the chance to have another walk in the afternoon as the showers became less frequent, but the wind was still constant. I was thinking of doing another offshore fishing charter to Montague Island while in Narooma, I did this 2 years ago and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the wind forecast was bad for the next few days, so we drove a short distance north to Potato Point.

We stayed here two years ago, a very small headland community (no shops or pubs) where you could stay overnight in the park adjacent the creek and the beach. In the time since we were last here, they have erected “No Camping” signs at the park, probably due to the huge increase in travellers opting to free camp and not always respecting the host towns.

Potato Point borders the Bodalla State Forest, and a chat with a local offered a couple of options to camp in the bush, which thankfully the rabid travelling hoard haven’t found out about yet. Less than a kilometre off the Potato Point Road (sorry, I’m sworn to secrecy on the actual location) we had a secluded forest hideaway (see photo).

Emu on the beach, Potato Point

Thursday the weather finally cleared, so we parked back at Potato Point, and did some walks along the beach and through the fringe of the Eurobodalla National Park. The beach walk was a surprise when we came upon an emu couple and their two chicks. While the chicks and one parent stayed in the dunes, one parent happily strolled the beach for an hour or so. We also saw them later at the park in Potato Point. The weather report was looking more promising, so I checked with Narooma Fishing Charters and they were going out Friday, the first time in almost a week. We returned to Narooma to park at the boat ramp so I could meet up with the charter at 5:45am.

Mixed bag of reef fish from Montague Island

The wind had dropped on Friday, but the swell was still 2 metres, so pretty bumpy. We had a good day out although not too successful (see photo). I caught a mix of snapper and silver trevally to take home, but missed a very big Kingfish which, after about 10 minutes of fighting, broke the line before we got him to the boat. Only one legal kingfish was landed on the day. Leah enjoyed a walk into town and around the shops.

Friday night we returned to our Potato Point bush camp.

On Saturday we spent the morning at Potato Point then drove to Moruya, about 24km north. Sydney and the mid NSW were in the grip of a 40+⁰C heatwave (as was QLD and parts of VIC). Fortunately we were just south of the affected area, we only reached around 30⁰C. We booked in to the caravan park for our weekly chores. Storms brewed up in the late afternoon and continued on and off that night.

Sunday we had a leisurely morning walking along the Moruya River and around town, as the checkout from the caravan park was a generous 11am. 

Blairgowrie to Pambula

January 29 to February 5

  

We spent Saturday through to Tuesday in Blairgowrie at Margaret’s, to catch up on mail and other necessary chores. It was the last weekend of school holidays in Victoria, and the Peninsula was crazy busy, it’s no wonder the locals hibernate during these times. Many thanks to Margaret for her hospitality and washing machine.

Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory

It was great to catch up with Ron Corcoran on Monday when he kindly dropped in to see us. Sorry to miss Pam on this visit, she had a more “pressing” appointment, I trust it is all going well.

Tuesday night we stopped at Bass Valley Campground, about 80km before Wilsons Promontory. After living in Melbourne for two years, and numerous visits and motorhome trips over the years, we still hadn’t been to “The Prom”. Wednesday, after an overnight earth tremor centred in Foster about 30km from The Prom, we bravely headed to the National Park. It is well known for the bushwalking and beaches, so popular they have to hold a ballot to decide who has camping access over the summer holidays.

View of Tidal River from walk trail

Although a very cool day (11⁰C overnight and only 19⁰C as a maximum) it was ideal for bushwalking and we walked Tidal River and Squeaky Beach trails before lunch, and the Wildlife Walk in the afternoon. Although the only wildlife we saw was a small deer who nearly became a hood ornament on the motorhome.

The sign says it all

We drove to the Franklin River Rest Area for the night before continuing east.

Thursday we continued east to Sale, then on to Marlay Point, a spot about 15km from Sale, on Lake Wellington. We have stayed here before on our way back from Tassie, a beautiful, peaceful locality which really only has a sailing club. You can stay overnight on the lake foreshore opposite the sailing club. There were a few more campers than the last time we were here, in 2014. It was about the same time of year when we were last through this coastline, and it is noticeable how many more caravans and motorhomes (and backpackers in cars and vans) there are in all the camp areas three years later.

Foggy dawn, Snowy River near Orbost

Friday we drove to Bairnsdale via the country roads, a pretty drive through grain and sheep farms. A quick shopping stop then on to Lakes Entrance. We have visited here a number of times, so we passed through and drove to Lake Tyers. There is a small community (and a pub) set on the lake at the ocean entrance. We had lunch there and a walk on the beach, then continued on towards Orbost. We stopped at a rest stop on the Snowy River, about 6km out of Orbost. We have also stayed here in the past. We had looked at a couple of other places, but they no longer allowed overnight camping. The Saturday morning photo shows why this spot was a good fall back option.

Coastline looking north towards Mallacoota

Saturday we headed to Mallacoota, a town we hadn’t visited since we lived in Melbourne and holidayed there in 1998. The town hasn’t changed too much, but they have put in extensive walking trails to highlight the spectacular coastline and coastal mountains. We checked out the local markets before lunch, and after lunch we tackled the Mallacoota Coastal Trail, following the cliffs to the south.

We drove back out to the highway and into Genoa, and to the overnight rest stop on the river. We hadn’t stayed here before but had seen it. Did I mention how many travellers there are on the road? We found a spot amongst 60 or more of our closest travellers, the photo was only a section of the area.

Genoa River Rest Area, getting away from it all!

Sunday we continued north and into New South Wales, stopping in Eden for coffee and a walk along the beach boardwalk and lake area. We plan to spend the next few days around Pambula and Merimbula.

Renmark to Blairgowrie

January 22 to January 29

  

The Murray, Lyrup

Sunday we were deciding where to head to escape the afternoon heat and the predicted 39⁰C for Monday. There is a low cost camp at Lyrup, about 15km out of Renmark, right on the Murray, next to the vehicular ferry. Lyrup is one of the original 12 small agricultural towns which sprang up in 1894, when the SA Government created a communal land system. Lyrup was the site of the first grape plantations for Angove wineries, back in 1914.

South Australian Border, familiar trucking company

This low cost ($5 per night) camp has four power outlets for caravans or motorhomes available, on a first come first served basis, with a maximum three days stay. For the lucky ones, the power outlet is complimentary. We arrived at lunchtime, and were VERY fortunate to secure a powered site. It certainly makes those hot afternoons (2pm to 9pm) a lot more bearable in the air conditioning (I think we’re getting soft).

The mornings were still quite pleasant so we explored the town and walked and cycled the tracks along the Murray, leading to numerous permanent-looking houseboats moored amongst the reeds and willows.

30 Metre high wheat silo mural, Brim

Tuesday we left Lyrup and drove east, having a coffee at the Victorian border as we headed to Mildura. A familiar branded “B” Double parked next to us at the border, check the photo. Once in Mildura we stocked up on essentials and drove to Kings Billabong, a free camping area on the Murray about 10km out of town.

We camped near Psyche Pumps, an important site in the history of the irrigation of the region. In 1877 the Chaffey Brothers purchased the entire “failed” Mildura Irrigation Colony from the state government, and developed a series of pumps and lagoons to lift water from the Murray and irrigate some 33,000 acres. 

Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge

The Psyche Pumps were the first of the series built, and are still steam operational, being run regularly by the historical group. The region still produces 98% of Australia’s dried vine fruits, 75% of table grapes and 69% of almonds.

Wednesday we drove south through wheat and sheep country for a couple of hundred kilometres, passing through numerous small country towns. We stopped for lunch at Brim, at the lake just out of town. After lunch and a walk around the lake, we decided to stop for the night as it is a low cost camp area, and very peaceful.

As we left on Thursday we stopped at the wheat silos in Brim to admire the mural paintings. Painted last year, they are the first in a series of five rural wheat silo sites which are to be painted and become a tourist drive. As you can see from the photo the 30 metre high artwork is spectacular and the series will become a terrific tourist drawcard.

Hallowed turf, Stawell Athletic Club

We travelled south to Horsham before spending the rest of the day in the Grampians. This rugged mountain range are very popular with rock climbers and bush walkers. We walked the Beehive Falls trail, although the falls were unfortunately dry. We visited the “Giant Koala” at Dadwells Bridge before stopping down the road at Canadian Gully, a pretty lake with abundant birdlife.

Look at those guns!

Friday we visited Stawell, famous for the Stawell Gift professional foot races run every Easter. Central Park and the Stawell Athletic Club Museum were fantastic, with artefacts dating back to the first race in 1877.

From there we drove to Ararat, and visited the Aradale Asylum and J-Ward. Ararat was the home to institutionalised mental patients in Victoria since the mid 1800’s. Aradale was a purpose built township of some 70 buildings to house and treat “the growing number of lunatics in the colony of Victoria” (their words, not mine), while J-Ward was a high security modified jail for the “criminally insane”. Both these institutions were still operating until the late 1990’s. Unfortunately we couldn’t tour Aradale, but did a guided tour of J-Ward. It was both interesting and depressing to hear how they treated mental illness in the not too distant past. Friday night we stopped at a rest stop at Shelford, about 70km from Geelong.

Inside J-Ward, Ararat

Saturday we drove to Geelong and Queenscliff and on to the vehicular ferry to cross to the Mornington Peninsula. We have come this direction to stop in Blairgowrie at Margaret’s for a few days R&R (and chores, mail collection, etc.) before continuing around the coastline.

Whyalla to Renmark

January 15 to January 22

Iron Knob Campground

Sunday we left Whyalla, not before receiving a bagful of homemade morning tea treats as a departing gift from the caretaker of the RV Friendly Park. We can’t speak highly enough of the hospitality we have received from the businesses and residents on the Eyre Peninsula. We also visited the Mount Laura Homestead Museum before leaving. This an original farming homestead that has been “engulfed” by the expanding town, and is now an historical collection of restored buildings and items. Although interesting, the whole place needs curating, it is currently just a massive collection without much organisation or effort put into the display.

We drove to Iron Knob, “the birthplace of Australia’s steel industry”. Iron ore was first mined by BHP here in 1896, to be used as flux in the production of lead at Port Pirie, from Broken Hill mine ore. They soon realised that the quality and quantity of the iron ore was so high, it changed the BHP director’s focus towards steel manufacturing, and justified the construction of the steelworks in Newcastle.

Original Iron Knob mine

The township of Iron Knob is only just hanging on as a town, the pub closed and there is no “council”, a volunteer group levy a small fee to the residents to help manage the town. They also run the visitor centre and tours of the mine area, as well as a well-resourced historical display. We stayed at the free RV Park in the centre of town on Sunday night, a well frequented stopover point for people travelling towards (or from) Western Australia.

Monday was due to reach 38⁰C, so we arranged for an early tour (we were the only customers) as they don’t run it if the temperature exceeds 36⁰C. Our personal two hour tour was really enjoyable, including a town tour and the history of the mines and BHP’s historical successes and missteps.

Port Augusta from the Water Tower Lookout

Following the tour we drove to Port Augusta, and after a visit to the Information Centre and the water tower lookout, we decided to check in to the Shoreline Caravan Park (right on the Spencer Gulf) for two nights. We had the usual washing to do, but Monday was to reach 39⁰C, and Tuesday 42⁰C, so we opted to hide away in our air-conditioning for the worst of this hot spell. Port Augusta is having a tough trot as a town, the power station recently closed, and the residue ash storage had been causing dust cloud problems.

Spencer Gulf, not a breath of breeze

Tuesday started out not too hot, and with no wind (WHAT??!!) I quickly rigged the kayak and went for a quick paddle and fish before it got too hot. A lot of fish travel up to the tip of the Spencer Gulf to spawn, and at the right time of year (not now, of course, late winter and spring) king fish, mulloway and snapper are resident. I had plenty of bites from small fish, and I had a great couple of hours in glass-like water, with a dolphin slowly tracking me for a while as I paddled up to Red Banks, “where the desert meets the sea”. By 11am and 35⁰C I decided to yield and enjoyed watching tennis and cricket in comfort. Even though it is a drier heat, 42⁰C is still crazy hot.

Red Banks, northern tip of the Spencer Gulf

Wednesday morning was cooler after a windy change during the night, and we headed out of Port Augusta after a visit to the town centre and doing some shopping. As Port Augusta is at the northern tip of the Spencer Gulf, we drove south following the coastline to Port Pirie. Port Pirie is a very industrial town with a large smelter and grain handling facility. A trip to the Visitor Centre and a walk around the waterfront before lunch (and the resumption of the heat wave), then we headed to Crystal Brook to an overnight free camp in town. We enjoyed the evening’s free entertainment from the Rural Fire Service volunteers training across the road from us.

Morgan Museum

Thursday we headed towards the Murray River. We have explored most of South Australia to the south of us at the start of our trip, so we’ll head along the Murray before visiting some central/western Victorian areas we haven’t seen yet. We drove through some very picturesque farming countryside once we left Crystal Brook and crossed the southern Flinders Range, through Spalding and Burra and on to Morgan, on the Murray River. Morgan was a busy rail and port hub (second only to Port Adelaide) from 1878 when the railroad was completed. We walked the heritage walk around the town and river precinct, where many historic buildings and structures are still standing.

The temperature reached 37⁰C by 3pm and with the temperature not dropping until 9pm, we chose to drive to Cadell where a low cost campground (at the football field) has power available. A long line of thunderstorms passed through around 9pm, plenty of lightning and thunder but not too severe. Other areas around South Australia received 120km/h winds.

Murray River camp, Waikerie

Friday we crossed the Murray on one of the many free vehicular ferries and did a scenic drive along the northern side of the river. We crossed back at Waikerie and spent the day exploring the heritage sites in town and riverside cliff walk. Friday night we stopped at the free camping area on the Murray just outside Waikerie, where we watched the sculling rowers training in the evening and morning.

Saturday we drove to Barmera, about 50km along the Murray. Barmera is popular due to the very large Lake Bonney, where water skiing is big. It is also where Donald Campbell set the Australian water speed record in 1964. We enjoyed a lazy Saturday, walking along the lakefront and watching the watercraft. In the afternoon we did the scenic drive around the lake and visited Berri before driving to Renmark and another free camp on the Murray at Plush’s Bend. This is a low lying area that was made boggy by the Thursday night’s storms, but had dried out enough (just) to access.

Lake Bonney, Barmera - Donald Campbell Statue

Sunday the weather was due to get hot again, with 36⁰C today and 39⁰C Monday. We visited the riverfront and walked the river walk, before deciding our next move. We had thought we would leave The Riverland area and drive to Mildura, but their forecast was even hotter. I had one other idea for somewhere to visit and manage the heat, I’ll let you know how we went next week………

Tumby Bay to Whyalla

January 8 to January 15

We departed Tumby Bay Sunday morning after a final walk along the waterfront and jetty. Driving north east we stopped at Port Neill, another village with fishing shacks lining a bay. The “walking trail” along the bay took you through the front yards of the shacks, mingling with the holidaymakers.

Arno Bay Hotel RV Park - Guarding the solar panels

After lunch we continued to Arno Bay. Although a (another) small fishing village, the local Progress Association is working hard to attract travellers and to improve and showcase the town. The RV friendly parking is in the back carpark of the pub, and costs $20 for three nights, and you receive a $10 voucher to spend in town. How could we resist that offer?

Monday we walked the Town Trail, a walk around the town with points of history to explore. The town is half a kilometre inland from the bay (and pub), and was settled in the late 1800’s as a hub for the local grain growers to ship their goods. We also walked the tidal creek and mangrove boardwalk.

Beach shacks at Arno Bay

The local charter fisherman uses the pub’s fish cleaning table after each charter, so I began to understand a lot more of the local fishing attractions. He was (unfortunately, or fortunately?) booked up for the week so I couldn’t have gone out, however he goes 40 kilometres offshore to a reef chasing snapper. Given it was blowing 25-35km/h winds each day, I think you have to be hardy to be out that far in the exposed ocean! Although they did catch some huge snapper (he was booked by the same four fishermen from Sydney, for four days straight), they didn’t catch too many. By the third day they gave me a couple of snapper “wings” (the part behind the pectoral fin to the gills) as they only wanted the fillets. When they come off 10+kg snappers, they are a great meal!

I had hoped to get out on the kayak, but the relentless onshore wind didn’t abate. Also, the target fish inshore in the Spenser Gulf are flathead and King George Whiting. Both are most active in the winter months and go offshore and are difficult to catch in summer. I did some mountain biking around the region, only the main access roads are sealed, and there are a maze of dirt roads that access the more remote coastline and fishing shacks.

How did they taste? Shucking great!

Wednesday we left Arno Bay and drove to Cowell, a larger village on the shallow, sheltered Franklin Harbour, just 44km north. The main produce here is oysters. Being a shallow bay the shoreline is mangroves, not beach. The town has some beautiful stone buildings from its settlement commencing in 1853, again as a hub for agriculture. More recently a discovery of Jade in the local hills in 1965, and oyster farming commencing in 1987, have given this town a boost.

We stayed at the RV Park, which happened to be about 250 metres from an oyster farmer. He only sells oysters unopened, and although I can open oysters, I’m not too flash. With a lesson from the farmer and a bag full of closed oysters, I can now officially shuck (not suck)!

First ship built in Whyalla

Thursday we drove to Lucky Bay, where the vehicular ferry operates across the Spenser Gulf to the York Peninsula. This isn’t even a village, just collection of fishing shacks. This time of year it is alive with kids swimming and playing on the beach, it would be a fantastic place for young families to holiday.

We continued on to Whyalla, South Australia’s Steel City. Unfortunately Arrium, or One Steel, one of the state’s largest employers is in receivership, and the whole town is waiting for the news whether it will be closed or sold and continue operating. Either way it has had a major effect on the town, with many workers leaving, apparently there is 1000 homes for sale and 800 for rent. For a town of 20,000 people, that’s a large percentage.

Coke Oven, Whyalla Steel Mill

Thursday reached 36⁰C, so after a visit to the Information Centre and booking on the Steel Mill tour for Friday, we headed to the shopping centre for some respite. We stayed at the RV Friendly Park in Whyalla, conveniently located at the local sports field.

As often happens in South Australia, after a hot day you may get a cool, windy and rainy day. Fortunately the Steel Mill tour is carried out in a minibus, so the weather didn’t affect it too much. The tour guide has extensive experience with the mill and wasn’t shy in giving us her opinion on the current problems. Nearly every section of the mill seemed to have operational breakdowns, including the offshore ship loader which was in flames the day before. The tour was interesting and covered all the mill’s operations, which are widely spread over the 10 square kilometre site.

Whyalla RV Park, behind the baseball field

Saturday was still cool, overcast and windy, but at least not raining. We visited the Whyalla Wetlands and walked the trails, and walked around the “old” town centre of Whyalla. After visiting a number of towns where the historic architecture is from around 1900, Whyalla’s town was developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, and many of the old buildings have interesting art deco designs. We also walked around the foreshore and marina precinct, which is not terribly attractive with the very shallow coastline, copious sea grass deposits on the tideline, and relentless wind.

Sunday we stocked up and did some more sightseeing before heading out of town to Iron Knob.