York & Eyre Peninsula

On the way back up the York Peninsula it was decided to call in on some more Bushtracker owners Rob & Glenda .They live on a farm just out of Minlaton and we were made feel so welcome with a barbecue and a few drinks in Robs huge shed. As Mick had been there before he showed me around the old car dump which is always an interest to us men.

           Mick playing farmers for the day although after two hours he came back to the job he dose best

After filling up with robs beautiful rain water we said our goodbyes and it was on the road again up though Snowtown with all its murder history. The next camp was at Koolunga a very small town but with the most lovely free camp spot and also as the girls found out a real good junk shop but Mick got the sale of the trip with a bike rack almost made to his design just $30. The next day took us into a small town call Yacka where we stopped for coffee and found the most beautiful camp ground and park with the picnic tables done in mosaic patterns of the district.

                                      the bank with bodies in the barrels at Snowtown

                                     the tables at Yacka.
The next camp was at the Mt Remarkable NP it was a good spot but if you don't have a SA parks pass can be very expensive at $27. for the first night and then $17 after that. We stay for two nights and did a drive down to Port Germein and Port Pirie. I had heard a lot about Port Pirie when i worked on the boats in Port Headland as some of the ships use to carry ore from Headland to Pirre.

                                               A visitor to our camp at the NP

                                             Another visitor this bloke came very close to us at happy hour

                                                   The old Port Germien Jetty at the end of the new one

                                         The new jetty 2ks long a waste of good wood I think!!
It was time to catch up with Mick and Vick again at Fitzgerald Bay to start on our way around the Eyre Peninsula. After a night there it was in to Whyalla to the bike shop for some repairs to the bike and also some shopping. The next camp was at Port Gibbon where we meet Gail and Ann who we had previously meet at the Grampions It was great to catch up with them and have happy hour with entertaiment from Mick!! From there it was into Arno Bay where we had an Arno burger for lunch and a look around.That night we camped at Cape Hardy where we met some locals from Whyalla who owned the Nadrad shop we had a lot of good laughs and got the local news. From there we had two nights at Lipson Cove another really nice spot. Mick managed to catch some Whiting and with the fish I was given it made the most delicious meal. The young guy who gave me the fish was spearfishing and was chased in by a shark who managed to grab his flipper, he reckons it was a white pointer at about two metres but by the end of the story it had grown to four metres. While we were there we went into Tumby Bay as Vickie B reckons it is one of her favourite towns and she was right its a really nice place and very friendly people.

                                                      Port Neill

                                                       Cape Hardy

 Lipson Cove

                                                            Tumby Bay they love there jetties in SA

                                                     Tumby looking up the main street

                                               some of the murals on the beach at Tumby

York Peninsula

The main reason for our stop in Adelaide was to go to the K D Lang concert which was absolutely awesome she has one great voice and is also a  good entertainer. It was also good to go to an entertainment center with great facility ,some thing Perth lacks all in all it was a bloody good night. While in the city we caught up with Mick & Vick to try there much raved about chicken and rice from China town and i am glad to say that it lived up to all they had raved about. It was also great to catch up M&V youngest daughter Erin as we have not seen her for 15 years.
With the Adelaide stop out of the way it was back on the road and this time it was to do the two Peninsulas York & Eyre on the way back home. Our first stop we decided was to be Parham as we had arranged to meet M&V on the york,we thought we would surprise them a little earlier than expected.With a one night stop at Parham we all move on to Ardrossan to call in on Jar & Pam Bushtracker owner's we meat at Quorn. After Ardrossan it was of to find a camp and with a bit of exploring came across a nice spot on a hill over looking the beach just north of Port Vincent.

                                                                 Port Julia

                                                  camp north of Port Vincent

                                       a car at the bottom of the camp

                                                  Mick on a ride at Port Vincent golf course

                                                         me on the ride

                                                Port Vincent Marina
The next camp was at Mozzie Flats which was quiet nice and being hot it was time for more swimming. Camping two nights at Mozzie Flats we were of to Innes NP to look around the southern end of the Peninsula. We all had a great time at the park with some very long rides and early morning walks. Innerston was a gypsum mine that worked from 1900s though to the 1950s and Stenhouse Bay was the port and with plenty of ship wrecks around there is a lot to see and do.

                                            Edithburgh another old port

                                              Mozzie Flat beach

                                            morning coffee at one of the many lookouts

                                                Stenhouse Bay wharf

                                                    the Beach at Westcape

                                                Whats left of the wreck of the Edith

                                                 some of the many ruins at Inneston

Morgan and the storm

Having five days to kill we stayed at Walker Flats for two nights which was not to bad ,then decided to go back where we started on the river at Morgan. On arriving we where surprised to find the place empty so went for the best spot right on the river.

                                                   Walker Flats car ferry

                                              lock one at Blanchtown

                                          enjoying my first swim in the Murray River

                                                  our camp at Morgan
As it was nice and hot we decided to have our first swim and was surprised at how nice it was. That night we were treated to a real slow moving electrical storm it was great to sit outside listening and watching the storm move along the other side of the river. Later we heard that it did a lot of damage to the grapes and other crops.

It is such a wonderful spot but on the third evening the clouds stared to move in at a rate of knots and i knew we were in for it. Within a minuet the wind picked up to about 100kmph while i held onto the awning which was facing on the lee side Vickie was shutting windows and hatchers. Within 20minute it was all over there was a lot of trees down but fortunately we escaped any damage.The next morning it was time to leave for Adelaide, when we started to go on the track out there were tree all over the road so it was out with the markita to cut a way though.

When we reached the town the damage there was incredible, trees every where and even a roof off a house, talking to a local he said he had never seen anything like it be for and the winds were over a 100kmph. we are now at the big4 caravan park at Adelaide Beach which as far as parks go is not to bad seeing it is only the second we have been in .

Fleurieu Peninsula

Driving down to the Fleurieu Peninsula (pronounce it how you like) we needed water and god provided
in the form of a rain water tank at a Lutheran church. The pressure was not the greatest and it took me a while, soon i relised that if i hooked the hose though my suction line it would be about 4 times faster. Then it was on to camp at Tolderol Game Res this turned out to look like a not so good spot so it was lunch and then see what else we could find. As we had our SA nat parks pass and the fact that we needed to leave the van to go into Goolwa and Victor Harbor we went to the closest one at Newland Head . The park was nice and quiet and there was a nice walk over the big sand hills to the beach.The next day we went into Goolwa,Port Elliot and Victor Harbour we could not get over how big they are it is really just one big place and very pretty with ocean views just about every where.

                           from the big sand hill looking down at our camp at Newland Head

                                the bridge going to Hindmarsh Is for those that remember secret woman's business

                                            one of the old cargo barges at Goolwa.

                                           Oscar W run by volunteers at Goolwa

                                            imagine the roast out of this stove on the Oscar W

                                                    Port Elliot
The next day was washing day and then a big bike ride down to the coast. After three nights it was time to move to Deep Creek con park which is right down the bottom of the Peninsula. The camp ground is set in a beautiful stringy bark forest and at $21. a night i am glad we have our parks pass.The parks pass is a great way to save on camp fees at about $130 for 12 months it dose not take long to get in front and i think most states have them. The first night was cold and with fire ban now on it was on with the diesel heater . Waking up the next day was totally opposite, being nice and warm  so it was of to do a morning walk and then pack a lunch to go see the sites. the first stop was a walk around an old lead mine started in 1852 by John McLeod and run by Cornish miners until 1920.

                                                      morning walk and the Stringy bark camp

                                                the old ore crusher at the lead mine

                                                ventilation shaft

                                                 one of the shafts now caved in.
Next it was of to Cape Jervis then up to Rapid Bay and Normanville. The west side was a bit dry but the middle and the south eastern is very pretty with rolling hills and great ocean views .

                                   Kangaroo Island ferry which leaves from Cape Jervis.

Rapid bay nice spot to camp right on the beach

the anchor of HMAS Hobart which they sank of Yankalilla Bay as a wreck dive the anchor points to the wreck site.

                           Vickies patiance payed off it took her about 1/2 hour to take this photo by following him around.