David's moving toes

Eyre Peninsula and Coffin Bay

Ceduna was a nice but small place with no picnic tables. We drove on to Smoky Bay and found a table near the jetty. Refreshed by tea and tuna sandwiches we strolled along the jetty meeting the usual penguins.There was a swimming enclosure so you could have a shark free swim

We drove on to Streaky Bay a pleasant place with old buildings and another jetty and swimming area. Then on via Murphys haystacks (granite boulders in a field) to Elliston. Nice place with a good campground. Moonlit walk on the jetty after dinner.
Hot the next morning as we visited Loves well? for the ocean view and lots of steps.

!00kms further to Coffin Bay. Beautiful place but the storm was coming. Great campsite and we got the tent up in the strong wind. Oysters and fish and chips for dinner

Coffin Bay campground. Youngmi adds lots of ropes to stop the tent blowing away

Rain passed over night so next day we had a good but chilly walk on the oyster trail.

The Oyster Trail walk Coffin Bay

Long Beach looking to the Coffin Bay national Park

As Dave walked along Youngmi shouted look out. He looked down first for a snake then up to see two emus close by and looking very big.We had been told to look as tall as possible to an emu and this we did to great effect. They looked and strolled away

One of two emus that scared the life out of Dave as he didn't see them because he was looking out for snakes

Stand taller than the emu to scare it away.

Post dinner drinks that night with two retired couples from Adelaide. The blokes had fought in Vietnam together.

Crossing the Nullaboor Plain- 1200kms Norseman to Ceduna

It would be a long way on a bike

Drove north for 200kms to Norseman the last town before the Nullabor road. Lovely sunny weather and nice visitor centre but lots of boarded up shops. We were told the population had reduced from 3,000 to 600 because all the gold mines had closed.

Campground had a patch of soft ground for our tent and a good camp kitchen so we were happy. Drove to the lookout for sunset. Lots of lakes and a huge mine dump. The lakes are salt lakes and are usually dry. They had a covering of water from the recent rain.

Sunset from Norseman lookout

Monday morning we stocked up at the IGA supermarket which was excellent. The pharmacist was able to supply replacement lancets for Dave's blood tester so all well. It is 1200kms to the next town Ceduna so off we went.

Diabetic supplies in this little town

Boarded up shops in Norseman

Boarded up accountants

Roadside toilet

Salt lake

The first roadhouse was after 200kms. Petrol 40c a litre more than Norseman and the campground looked hard. Found a good free campground near Madura 150kms further on. Dinner before dark and a campfire.Nice.
The Madura Oasis roadhouse was at the bottom of a steep hill. Nice location but a tired looking place. The next Roadhouse advertised cheap fuel but had no premium unleaded. On to Eucla which was a great looking place up a hill and close to the sea. Premium unleaded had run out. Oops. The border was only 13kms away and had a fuel station but this had also run out of premium unleaded. As we were also running out of fuel it was time to stop. Booked onto the campground only $15 but had to pay $2 for a shower. Nice camp spot in trees. Did laundry, fuel arrived so we filled up and relaxed. I have never been so happy to buy fuel at $2.12 per litre. There was a fire place on campground and some firewood so a good evening by the fire.No fires from 1 Nov because of fire danger.

Free camping area near Madura

Youngmi copies an exercise routine at Roadhouse before Eucla

Wed morning we drove back to Eucla which still had no premium fuel. Drove 4km down a dirt road to the Old Telegraph station. Years before 100 people worked here relaying morse messages along the telegraph line from Adelaide to Perth. Now the building had no roof and was filling with sand. Atmospheric. Walked another 1km to the beach. Wild beautiful spot. White sand ,blue sea and the remains of a pier. This must have been how people and supplies got here. Met two English girls who had takeaway coffee, from the roadhouse, and matching bandages on their arms. They explained they had recently had contraceptive implants and these last three years.

Old (obviously) telegraph station near Eucla beach

Eucla Beach

Eucla jetty

Walking back to the Telegraph station

Oversize load. We had to get off the road for this one

Drive on 35kms back through the state border to a lookout on the Great Australian bight. Stunning. Another lookout 80kms further was even better. The Bunda cliffs went on and on.

Great Australian Bight cliffs

Harley at the cliffs

On to the Nullabor roadhouse were we saw our Hamburg friend for the last time having seen her in about 4 other places along the road. The old cars from Esperance were also here. Bit bleak for us so we went on eventually camping at Nor roadhouse. Lots of farming fields around and strong smell of cut crops. Youngmi said it was like camping on a haystack.

Beware of camels, wombats and kangaroos

The old cars at the Nullabor roadhouse

Camping on the haystacks

There is a 1500km golf course from Kalgoorlie to Ceduna and we had one of the holes next to this campground. The campground was a bit neglected but there was a nice restaurant and the guy working there was from Blackpool and had lived in Accy and worked at the Regency.

A hole on the 1500km Nullabor golf course

That day drove onto Ceduna 200kms and some shops.

Esperance WA

The poisonous brown snake that stopped the walk. Boots and gaiters an advantage

The Top Tourist campground on the sea front in Esperance was bleak and wanted $40 for a tent site. Luckily we then found Bathers Bay campground. Grassy, sheltered nice camp kitchen and $28. The old cras we had heard od on the radio were there. One was a 1923 Ford which in 7 weeks had come from Queensland through Broome to here. Amazing. Next day drove along cliff top for 20kms, great views of bays and islands. Saturday we went to Cape le Grand national park about 50kms away. Passed the Esperance stonehenge on the way but didn't go in. A supposed real size replica of Stonehenge in its original form. Lucky Bay was beautiful and we walked along the cliff trail for 5kms before meeting the snake above and turning back.