Farewell Eyre Peninsula

Life can get busy.  Living in Melbourne our life had become full of events to attend: birthday celebrations; weddings; barbecues and general catch-ups.  It had become run by our calendar of events. In essence, life wasn't about what we wanted to do anymore but what was scheduled. 
Life is an adventure. It's about waking up and asking, 'what do I want to do today?' 'What do I feel like doing today?' Getting away for a year gives all of this back to you. Your life suddenly becomes yours again.
Uprooting from Melbourne and moving to Port Lincoln was hard and once settled, there were moments of loneliness, being away from family and friends. The beauty of technology such as Skype, texting and phone calls never proved more useful.

So, what were the big differences between city and country life?

City life is exciting, there are shows and gigs always to go to.  There are always new cafes and restaurants to try.  There's something to do every night of the week, there are shops, things are open late, early and all weekend.  People and places are so trendy and interesting - everyone is so different and from so many different parts of the world.

Country life is adventurous.  It's fresh.  The air is fresh, the food is fresh.  It's down to earth but doesn't cost the earth!  It's a very real way of living. It's so relaxing and chilled out.  Everything is 5 minutes away, there's no traffic, no stress.  It's friendly, warm and fuzzy.  Nothing's a hassle, nobody is too busy to help or to stop and have a friendly chat.

Now to finish with a fun cliche, the five things I will miss most about the Eyre Peninsula are:

1. The people. Always especially friendly and helpful. Nothing is too hard for them if it means taking the time to help someone out. Some say there is a difference between city and country folk in this regard and Port Lincoln would be affirmative evidence for anyone looking to prove the point. We often noted how nobody was in a particular hurry to get anywhere, which meant stopping for a ten minute chat to a stranger was all part of your day.

2.  The seafood. Being able to buy a dozen, fresh Coffin Bay oysters for less than $10, take them home and shuck them yourself. mmm

3.The lonely beaches and living by the water.  Pulling up at a beach and not having it to yourself is a rarity on The Eyre Peninsula.  Crystal clear water, soft white sand.  The kind of beaches dreams are made of...
Nothing is more relaxing than resting on your lounge and gazing out the window to boats floating on by.  It's pretty hard to beat.  The occasional dolphin or seal making a splash and the salty sea smell is the sealer.

4. The omission of countless rules and regulations.  You can drive on the beach (awesome!).  And signs and levies and... you get the drift.

5.  Everything is five minutes away.  That's the difference in a country town; it takes five minutes to get to all your daily locations. Five minutes getting to work, driving along the coastline, absorbing the view on your way.  Five minutes to the supermarket or doctors or post office or pub.  And in our case, five minutes to the National Park full of spectacular beaches.  All of this means more time doing the things you want to do. No such thing as peak hour traffic!  Stress levels slowly evaporate.

Would I do it again?  Yes - most definitely!!
If you are considering a sea/country change - BE WARNED.  You may never be able to return to the hustle and bustle of city life again!

Ferry - Wallaroo to Lucky Bay

The Ferry pulling in at Lucky Bay

The Lucky Bay to Wallaroo Ferry started running in April 2012 after closing while the new ferry was being built.  Many of the locals seem to think the ferry is overpriced and something of a waste of money.   Now the ferry doesn't really save you anything when you compare it to flights out of Port Lincoln and driving around the gulf, via Port Augusta.  Given we were relocating and had a long drive back to Victoria we decided it was worth go.

When we arrived at Lucky Bay, I was expecting to find a nice ferry terminal where I could grab a bite to eat and we would sit and wait. Instead, we found a slapstick shed that even attracts the odd snake, according to the amusing warning sign, asking visitors to close the door.  The ferry was nice and new, all the amenities were clean.  There's a cafe onboard, televisions, tables and chairs.  The rooftop provides a nice view.  All things considered, it was worth the ride!

Keep an eye out on the SeaSA website for monthly specials.

Lucky Bay Check In

Lucky Bay boarding area

A little bit of outback

Dutton Bay

To the West of Wangary is Dutton Bay.  A cute little town that looks out to a Bay.  Dutton Bay is equipt with a town jetty and boat ramp.  It also has a Wool shed museum - but at $10 entry fee per adult I'm not sure how many people they get through.

The Dutton Bay Town Jetty

The Wool Shed Museum

 

Little Douglas

Looking out towards Coffin Bay

Just before you hit Farm Beach is the turn off to Little Douglas; a quiet shallow inlet of crystal clear waters.  The protected, shallow waters and sand banks makes this a popular spot for young families and kyaking.

 

 

Whalers Way

The old Whaling Station - looks out over Fishery Bay

For a while I've been wondering about Whalers Way.  What is it exactly, is it worth the drive and $30 for key entry etc.  Finally, I found some time to check it out.

A lengthy drive and although The Tourist Info Centre advise you can travel by 2WD, it's harsh terrain and very rocky for much of the way, with the addition of soft sand, at times (I don't think I'd feel comfortable navigating in my VW Golf).

Despite your mode of transport, the question is whether it's worth it or not?  I have to say that I'm not convinced it is.  A long drive and a bit of a hassle to pick-up/drop-off the key.  After driving along the track a good 20 minutes we came to what i thought was the most interesting part: The Blowhole and Baleen Rock Pool.  The weather was wild, which made for a magnificent (and a little scary) crashing of gigantic waves against the rocks.

Entry to Whalers Way

Map and information given to you when you pick up a key

Almighty waves crashing against the rocks.  A reminder of how powerful the ocean can be.

Baleen Rock pools

Danger Sign that reads "DANGER DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT.  4 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DROWNED IN THIS AREA.  BE WARNED"  

Theakstone Crevasse

Walking down to Theakstone Crevasse

Big Swamp

On the Flinders Highway, between Port Lincoln and Wangary, sits Big Swamp.  You won't miss it as the Highway cuts it in two. It's a nice spot for bird watching, in particular, at sunset or sunrise.

Farmland opposite Big Swamp

Looking across Big Swamp

 

Bird watching shelter

Dolphins at Port Lincoln Tourist Park

Dolpins in front of this fishing boat

We often head to the jetty at the Tourist Park for a sunset squid.  Visiting in the summer school holidays we were shocked to see so many people on the Jetty.  Feeling a little dissapointed that we wouldn't have it all to ourselves we headed to the left and set up on the slipway.  As we ventured out we were greeted by a very playful pod of Dolphins.  Splashing around, having a great time.

We didn't catch any squid, but the Dolphins made up for it...

Splashing about

Looking out to a crowded Jetty

Stand up paddle board (SUP)

Xtreme Kites and Paddle Board

STAND UP PADDLE BOARD:  1 hour hire & lesson $45pp.  PORT LINCOLN AND SURROUNDS

I'd been eyeing-off this Sport since I first moved to the Eyre Peninsula.  I've not seen so many paddle boarders in one area before.  There must be something about this sport that has so many people gliding around the bays.  This week, I made the phone call and booked myself in for an hour session.  Expecting it to be a bit like surfing I thought the board would be pretty hard to stand and stay up on.  I dressed in my bathers in anticipation of getting very wet!

SUP through the Marina

To my surprise, paddle boarding on flat water is pretty easy to get the hang of.  There's something beautiful about almost walking on water and gliding along. 

Step 2 will be to take the challenge and try and catch a wave on this board.  I'd definitely recommend giving it a go on flat water - I'm pretty confident that anyone can do it.  Xtreme Kites and Paddle Board cover the whole Eyre Peninsula, run by Jacqui and Scott who are both super friendly.  So if you're like me and have been eyeing off those folks out on the paddle board, skimming across the surface of the water, wondering what it's like? Just give it a go!

September Beach - Lincoln National Park

SELF DRIVE:  13km/15mins FROM PORT LINCOLN TO PARK ENTRANCE  

ENTRY FEE:  $11 per vehicle payable at the gate  

September Beach is approx another 20mins onwards

The Lincoln National Park never ceases to amaze me - so many beautiful hidden beaches.  One of those is September Beach.  It is at the end of Natinoal Park, just south east of Donnington. 

Map - Lincoln National Park 

 

Fishery Bay

SELF DRIVE:  25mins ex PORT LINCOLN

 

Well, what can I say?  Fishery's is one hell of a nice beach.

If you have a 4WD you can drive it down onto the sand and set up for the day.  NOTE: You probably need to let you tyres down.  I got stuck here in my Dad's car - a Subaru Outback.  We made it all the way down and along the beach but just as we were edging up the hill, off the soft sand we got stuck.  Stuck for about 20minutes, without mobile phones and the smell of a burning clutch.  I managed to grab the one other person on the beach at the time (who was thankful that I had relieved him of his jog along the beach) for a bit of local advice.  Apparently Dad just wasn't 'givin' it enough guts.'  Sure enough with a bit more pedal to the metal, we were off and away.

If the wind's blowing in the right direction Fishery is a popular surf spot for beginner-intermediates and great bay to go stand-up paddle boarding at. It's also great if there's a northerly wind and you find the main beach in Port Lincoln too windy.  Just head to either end of this beautiful bay and you should find it a bit more protected.

Getting ready for a surf up on the cliffs to the left of Fisheries.

 

 

 

 

The Swimming Cage - Port Lincoln Jetty

Do you like swimming?  Swimming without the fear of a Great White?  I sure do.  The Lincoln town Jetty has an enclosed cage off to one side.  The water here is good and deep.  There's a platform you can dive off and jetty jump!  The kids have great fun on it (and so do the adults).  I like the view watching folks fishing and wandering up and down the jetty.
Now a few months back my husband and father had different opinions on the length of the cage.  One thought 25 metres, the other thought perhaps 50.  Thinking they were both wrong and wanting to prove it, I tried to Google and find out but there was no record.  I took my handy measuring tape down to the jetty to find out just how long this cage is.  Have you had your guess?  The answer's at the bottom of the page...

Kids having fun jumping off the ledge

Drum roll please...
The cage measures just over 50 metres.  Dad, you were closest!

Glen Forest Park

15MIN DRIVE FROM PORT LINCOLN
$12 ENTRY FEE

Glen Forest website
Something fun for the kids, or the kid in you! This little animal park has enough to entertain for a few hours. The highlight for me were the Kangaroo's. They're extremely tame,  allowing you to feed and pet them.
If you are considering a visit, be sure to check the feeding time for the Koala's. I won't tell you anymore to allow for some suprise!

Sleepy Kanga

Feeding time - You can purchase bags of grain to feed the animals

Albino Joey

Ostrich