The Eyre peninsula is an area we visited very quickly at the end of our Wa and Nt trip and on our way home earlier in 2020. This time we doing the area slowly. The Peninsula is primarily a grain growing area, Wheat, Barley and Hay with the coastline very prolific in the Seafood Industry.
A typical scene on the inland area of the Eyre Peninsula
We left Kimba and travelled south, down part of the middle of the Eyre Peninsula to the rural town of Cleve and the first stop after setting the van up in the RV friendly show grounds was to visit the local township and lookout.
Followed by a drive in the afternoon to Yeldulknie reserve and a scenic drive through the Cleve hills , farmlands and lookouts.
The next day we explored the areas of Darke peak and the grave yard of John Darke who was a surveyor in this area , in 1800s, pictures above.
We Viewed the Carappee hill area, John climbed a small amount but I didn’t like the rock surface so didn’t go up, picture above.
The fields here near Darke peak aren’t as prosperous as the Cleve side of the hills and are said to be on the other side of the Goyders line. This is a line that is used to define good usable Pasteur that receives good rainfall and that that doesn’t. Pictures of the Dark Peake area are above.
After a lunch at the pub in Darke Peak (above pic) we drove through the wheat fields to Federation lookout.
Next we are off to Cowell , known as the the blue swimmer capital of SA but there where no crabs to be bought in town only to be caught, which did , details and pictures later.
We decided to stay here so booked into the caravan park for a night and ended up staying four nights. The sun had come out and we walked around the mangroves and along the wharf, followed by a few beers at the pub.
We found out that the caravan park lends you nets to go crabbing from the wharf, so morning tea in hand the next day, we set off down the wharf to catch our own blue swimmer crabs. It was a slow day for catching crabs but we ended up with four just legal ones which were steamed in the park facilities cooking areas. A great park with all these added features and the crabs tasted lovely.
Port Gibbon, this was a day trip we did from Cowell , the road mostly dirt with coastal scenes of high cliffs on the beaches, the area known as the Ketches.
The point of this peninsula has a seal colony but we only found one solitary fur seal at the point, he was huge. John got quite close for a great photo of him sitting up to growl at him. A warning not to go to close.
On our way back to Cowell we viewed the Igloos, these are shelters built for WW2, however they were built to late and never used.
The final day in Cowell it was nasty weather and the wind was horrendous and too dangerous for moving on and towing the van. So the day was spent at Cowell not doing much except van housework, visiting the silo art and a trip to the pub for a game of pool. John flogging me 7/2.
Cowell silo art
Oct 31 and we are on the move south on the Eyre Peninsula’s eastern coastline.
We called in to Arno bay for morning tea and walked through the mangroves, one boardwalk going inland and the other to the coast.
We moved further south for lunch at the pub in Port Niell, a pretty stop and then drove onto Tumby bay for two nights.
Below is Tumby Bays silo art , which appears differently from different directions.
While we were here in Tumby Bay, one day was spent exploring the hills and inland of the lower Eyre Peninsula plus the coast line just south of Tumby bay and Louth Bay.
While travelling inland we stopped at the Koppio rural museum which was full of old farm machinery, blacksmith set up among others displays, a well set up museum .
Wheat fields and hills surrounding Tumby Bay
Our next stop was Port Lincoln, where the van park overlooks Boston Bay and we got a great site with views and mostly guarded from the winds which blew 60 percent of the time while here in Port Lincoln. Sometimes the winds were gusting over 65 kph and from all directions depending on the day or time of day. The NE wind the worse for our position. So having set up the one wall of the annex we brought with us to protect us from the western sun and the wind, plus a screen at the front as well, we decided to stop here for two weeks. There is lots to see here and being all set up it is also nice to just spend time relaxing outside, when the wind and weather allows.
overlooking Boston Bay at Port Lincoln
Our first day in Port Lincoln was Melbourne cup day, John picking the winner and we had a lovely day sitting outside the van with the TV set up, seafood and champagne.
Lincoln race day was the following day and we enjoyed the day with Anthony and Julie from the van next to us, but no winners were backed.
other activities enjoyed in Port Lincoln were
++++ A seafood production tour which included some samples of pickled seafood, an oyster followed by a fish luncheon. The food was great and the tour interesting but not amazing. They told us about seafood from Port Lincoln, we watched some workers do the filleting and opening oysters with a air gun. The cost of seafood was explained and the wastage of the frame being the biggest reason for its high cost per kilogramme.
++++ Sightseeing around the marina and the boat trawlers, some trawlers are used for prawning and others for tuna fishing among other seafood activites.
prawn trawler and wharf areas.
++++ A half day fishing trip on Boston Bay where we caught mostly silver trevalli and a few King George Whiting, which Port Lincoln is famous for. We now have a lot of fish meals in the freezer.
++++ Walking the Parnkalla Track towards town and along the long wharf used for loading grain onto boats. The walk overlooked Boston Bay and it was great seeing the sail boats out racing and the granite outcrops at the waters edge.
++++ Half day aquaculture boat tour. This went out into Boston Bay and we were shown the mussell farms, the tuna holding bays which are use to fatten the Tuna after being caught and towed slowly in the ringed nets all the way from the Australia bight, a close up look at the fur seals and bird life on one of the islands at the edge of Boston Bay, tuna sashimi tasting and a look at the fishing fleets and expensive homes on the waterways. Port Lincoln has more millionaires per capita in Australia and nearly all homes have water views, some houses being very large and flashy.
++++ A day driving through the Lincoln National park. The best spots were September beach were we stopped for lunch and Surfleet Point which had a great camp spot for $10 per night, maybe for another visit. We drove all the way down to Dorrington point and saw the Lighthouse, liked Fishermans bay for swimming but didn’t swim and took the occasional horrid road detour to Taylors landing which was really only an area with a boat ramp and Carcass rock which was just a pretty scenic point.
++++ a visit to the marine museum with a history of fishing and boat building. It told the story of Alex Stenross who arrived here from overseas lived here and built boats.
+++++ a walk through the town, wharfs and enclosed swimming area
+++++ a road trip into the west side of the National park to the lookout known as Wanna. This particular day was extremely windy and just getting out of the car for photos was hard and keeping your balance difficult in the wind.
After Wanna we viewed the Sleaford lake , the sand dunes and long pine lookout. On the way out we very unfortunately ran over a tiger snake, the poor thing not fairing to well. Apparently the national park is full of snakes and they are very active at the moment. So gators were bought for walking to add to out other walking gear of long pants and boots.
+++++ a day trip to Whalers Way, this is private land and requires a permit and key from the information centre. The dirt road takes you around the most southern point of the Eyre Peninsula.
whalers way map
The first stop was a view over Fishery bay
, then after some other brief stops it was down to Cape Wiles where we saw some seals on the rocky beach.
Then along past Gropers bay with a look out over moonlight bay Then to the flinders crevasse walk and wreck point with Liguanea island off its point
Onto Cape Carnot which looked like an old loggerhead turtle This rock is the oldest rock in SA approx 2643 million years old. john pointing to this rock. There where caves, grottos and wild surf on the point
Onto Theakstone crevasse a fault line fracture occurring millions of years ago. It is 13 m deep with 9 metre walls.
And finally to the red banks cliffs
Before returning the same way back again admiring the views back toward Sleaford lake and bay with the coast line in the background
A lovely scenic drive but expensive entry
+++++ A great Seafood luncheon at the Mariner Hotel. Here we enjoyed local mussell, prawns ,oysters Calamari Tuna and Whiting. with a bottle of wine.
This ends our time in Port Lincoln, and next blog will continue to Eyre Peninsula moving north through the middle and parts of the coast line on the west side.
