Goog's Track - Heave away, haul away, Bound for South Australia: 2012

Day 15: 6.10.12. Oasis Motel, Nhill to home.

Breaky was part of the package at the ‘Oasis’, quite a nice little motel, rooms were clean, beds comfy and water pressure was good. After breaky we checked out and hit the road…Ro moved back into Tuesday, as Dad was heading home via the “Little Desert”, we cruised along to a coffee/toilet stop at Ararat Macca’s, then onto the servo on the freeway near Ballarat for another break, driver change and fuel stop.

Kerri drove this morning, which allowed me to complete a few more days of the blog, after having another stab after tea last night. It’s tricky to reduce many many photos down to a few to tell the story of the day, then resizing them and uploading them…time consuming. Anyway, almost done in the car, not much to do now but finding the time between the unpack/clean up has finally been one.

So this is our last page.

After an ordinary trip into Melbourne in the persistent rain and roadworks on the Westgate bridge. Stopped for lunch at the BP near Berwick, then a quick stop at Steve’s to transfer Reve, Ro and their gear to Reve’s car, and our gear out of Steve’s car.

Ro drove Reve back to Newborough in Reve's little Laser and Kerri came back to collect her car, while Meg, Stef and Milani headed for home.

Rain, ALL day, all the way home.

Home in nice time though, still plenty of daylight, to unpack and start the clean up of clothes, and camping gear.

All in all another fantastic trip, I was really impressed with the Eyre Peninsula, it is certainly on the list of places to return to and spend more time, no need for outback preparations to get there, but so much more to see and revisit. Both the Coffin Bay and Lincoln NP’s were stunning examples of our coastal areas – both land and sea. The other little towns looked like relaxing seaside villages which you could easily chillax in for a while.

Till the next time, this is the last of the Goog’s Track blog.

Wet, wet, wet...

Homeward bound for sure now.

Last supper, at Berwick BP servo.

HOO ROO till next time!

Antarctica in December/January - check out the blog at:

http://antarcticaandbeyond.blogspot.com.au/

Day 14: 5.10.12. Foreshore CP at Cowell to Oasis Motel, Nhill

OMG – we were packed up, breakfasted and ready to leave by 8.00. We farewelled Mary and Col who stopped off at Port Augusta this morning, to revisit the Arid Botanical Gardens, for a project Col is working on.

What a big day, we managed 841kms, having left at 8.00 and arrived at Nhill at 6.45 (SA time) 7.15 (Vic time) with 10 hours 45 minutes travelling time, this included two fuel stops, a lunch stop, a couple of toilet stops and one coffee/driver swap stop just out of Adelaide. This is a great days travelling. Not a whole lot to see, but interesting never the less. I got a chance to finish typing the blog notes, and began sorting some photos and some blogging, while Kerri drove.

Lovely meal at the Union Hotel, have decided these country pubs do a great meal cheaply…unlike many of the ‘gastro pubs’ we usually visit.

Stef almost finished, Steve still going, he is in Reve's tent
sweeping up for the last time. What a good son he is.

Travelling through Adelaide - 4 in a row. Always a challenge
sticking together through traffic and traffic lights.

Our calculations for the day and what we can do comfortably in a day for future reference.

Not much time for photos today.

BTW – Ro is still whining (or wining) about his sunburn.

Day 13: 4.10.12. Memory Cove camp in Port Lincoln NP to Foreshore CP at Cowell.

We made a record pack up time this morning, maybe thanks to such an early night, noticed a third boat had anchored in the cove overnight, said our final farewells to our beautiful private beach and then headed back out, through the locked gate, and off to Wanna Dunes for a play in the sand.

Wow, what dunes they were, heaps and heaps of unspoilt sand dunes, with a track wending through, guided by poles (similar to those you see indicating roads in the snow). The sand was quite white and just a lovely drive through. We had a bit of play on one dune and eventually got everyone to the top…it took a few attempts for all of us, but we all made it to the top. A great bit of fun to top off our last day.

It took a while to wend our way back through the dunes along the track smattered with rocky section here and there, which was slow going on tyres with low pressures. We stopped atop a bit of lookout to pump tyres up and spotted a huge ball of fish (salmon we think) just offshore down below the cliffs we were on. After continuing a little further on the rocky track we were back in dunes again, which required tyres down again. Some more dunes brought us to a rocky spot for lunch and a chance to pump ytres up AGAIN. Headed out of Port Lincoln NP via Sleaford mere and into town to fill up…which is a whole nother saga. We returned our keys to the gate and stopped at Caltex to fuel up all vehicles. Stef calmly walked into the shop and announced he had just pumped 113 litres of UNLEADED into his diesel fuel tanks…oops! We pushed the car out onto the road to begin draining the fuel, when the lady from the servo indicated a fisherman coming to fill up with unleaded…a deal was done and CHAD, the fisherman, left us with half a dozen jerry cans to fill and his phone number.

Stef and the boys proceeded to figure out how best to go about siphoning the tank into the jerries. After the ‘jigglers’ failed, Col proceeded to go with the old fashioned suck it up method, ahh the taste of diesel!. Anyway there was a slow flow this way, but not enough. We then pushed the car up onto the kerb to get a bit more angle on the tank. Decision made to now use the funnel under the drainage plug instead, into a jerry, then transfer to another jerry. A slow but successful method as it turned out. Well done to all. Stef got most out, Chad got some half price fuel, Stef refilled and we headed off again for our destination…Cowell Caravan Park and a lovely meal at the Franklin Harbour Hotel. All those who had the seafood were impressed…I had the best, most tender calamari I have ever eaten. Back to camp for showers then bed for the last night in the tents.

Oh and just so I remember to mention it. Rohan got sunburnt today!!!!!!

Last views of Memory Cove

Sunsrise colour over Memory Cove

Moonsetting over Memory Cove

Sunrise colour

Colouring the rocks on West side of Cove

Stints playing along the waters edge at sunrise

Sun hitting the boats.

Here comes the sun...

An interesting sponge

Our home for the last two weeks.

Some of us REALLY DID see parrots.

They were very colourful but hard to get close enough for a photo, so this one is heavily zoomed.

Colours from the Salvation Jane through to the dunes.

From the rocky plains towards the Dunes

Wanna Lookout.

View at Wanna lookout.

The Wanna Dunes track towards Sleaford Mare.

Playing on the dunes...is that reversing lights we see Steve? or did you see a Parrot?

Made it this time.

Playing in the dunes.

Stef almost made it, Steve having a go.

Ska didn't make it all the way...the first time.

Nor did Riceli... NB. Col in the background letting MORE air
out of his tyres.

...despite trying really hard.

We finally all made it to the crest. Good fun.

Waves crashing on the rocks, while we were playing on the Dune

Ska took the lead, just checking that we had followers.

A large ball of fish, just off shore, looking down from the cliff,
where we first pumped up our tyres...only to hit more dunes just
over the hills a bit.

Some Emus on the dunes. We couldn't work out where
they get their fresh water from.

Emptying Stefs tank...accidentally filled up with unleaded not
diesel.

It was a group effort, watching, filling, topping up the sugar.

Finally finished. Now back into the servo to fill again.

Cowell - Franklin Harbour Hotel, last dinner with Col and Mary.

Day 12: 3.10.12. Morgan’s Landing Camping area in Coffin Bay NP to Memory Cove camp in Port Lincoln NP.

Given the need to tackle the return trip via the beach, we needed to get an early start to be sure of the tides, so in a record pack up, we left Morgan’s Landing beach access at 8.45 along the beach and back towards Coffin Bay. We stopped off at some lookouts etc to check out yet more of this fantastic part of the world. Today we visited Yangie bay (not all that flash compared to our beaches of the past two days) Almonta Beach which had amazing views over Gunyah Beach. Golden Island Lookout which looked over Avoid bay. All beautiful and blue.

On the way out Meg contacted the Information centre, to find that Memory Cove was vacant and we could have all five campsites. We arrived back in Coffin Bay and stopped off at the Caravan Park for our $5.00 showers, which were well needed and appreciated. Meg and John bought some oysters and we pumped up tyres, got some icecreams and headed for Port Lincoln.

A quick trip into the Tourist Info centre to get the keys etc… then a quick lunch to be eaten en route to our camp at Memory Cove. A scenic drive through Port Lincoln NP before landing at our amazing last campsite, right on the cove with a view of beautiful blue water.

A few more of us ventured in for a swim, or at least halfway in for me, Stef, Steve, Ro, Milani and Mary were all fully wet. Dad wet his line and ‘almost’ caught a flatty, a few more snacks and drinks, Meg shucked a few oysters for John and Ro and herself. Then tea time. No fires tonight.

Very cool, so early to bed and warmth for all.

Dunes and a blue bay.

a clifftop view somewhere along the way - Golden Point Lookout I think..

More great views of the coastline.

The Rock and sea and sand from Golden Point Lookout.

The group saw lots of Emu chicks, but it seemed you had to
be lead car or second. These were the only ones we saw close
enough to photograph. Dad was running them out of harms way.