Ashley with the bronzed Norseman the Horse
Ashley and the Norseman Tin CamelsMonday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Port Augusta to Esperance
So last I left off we were on our way to Port Augusta and well we didn’t there for long but it was a great place to catch up on doing some much neglected laundry and a chance to sleep beside a salt lake. I’m not sure if it was the salt lake or not but there was a very unpleasant smell all night after the winds changed direction and we ended up closing all the windows.
We passed through Whyalla stopping only to purchase a few necessary items such as a fishing rod for Francis. He bought a smaller rod used for fishing off of a jetty. Now he just needs a longer one for beach fishing. We figure we spend so much time by the water that it was a good investment. He rigged it up to hang inside the truck and has slowly been acquiring different lures to go with it. We also found a tiny roof rack for $30 a scrap yard that is perfect for carrying what we need for desert drives. We spent the night in Port Gibbons right on the water at a free campsite (not that we ever pay for camping).
We moved on to Port Lincoln which was our last bigger town until now. We spent one night at Lincoln National park which required a long drive down a very bumpy 4x4 road which was not a lot of fun. We stayed at September Beach which Francis told me was really nice but unfortunately I was rather ill that morning so I skipped the beach.
Next was Coffin Bay which we LOVED. We spent two nights there. One in Coffin Bay National Park at Yangie Bay campground and once in the parking lot of the dock area. We met a really nice French couple there that shared oysters with us and gave some bait to Francis to try out his new rod. He only got an hour in with no luck that time, but it was still fun. We drove down a road filled with oyster farms and found a place that was still open. We bough two dozen oysters at 50 cents a piece which is super cheap. They were super delicious and Francis is now a master shucker. I even bought him a shucker so now he’s really fast and we are both addicted to raw oysters. It was a really nice small community with a beautiful bay full of small fishing boats. We highly recommend it.
On our way back up the coast we passed through Elliston and did their coastal drive which was really hard to locate and then was pretty much a big bust. We kept going and visited the Talia caves which was pretty awesome. There was a big cave called the Woolshed that Francis climbed his way through. There was also a place there that was called the Tub which was a gigantic hole in the ground which has a small passage at one end that lets water in and out with the tide. It was empty when we where there so of course Francis climbed in there as well and explored everything.
Point Labatt was well worth the drive. We showed up about an hour before sunset and were totally stoked to see about 30 sea lions laying around on the beach. There was a bunch of mothers with their babies. Most were sleeping but some were slopping about and waddling into the water. We were watching this all from above at a balcony and as soon as the coast was clear of other people I’m sure you can guess what Francis did. Yes, he climbed down the cliff side to get a close up of the sea lions. I was totally jealous watching from way up above but he brought back some pictures and videos so I got over it. We watched the sunset there and it was quite magical.
That night we thought we could sleep at a rest area in Sceale Bay but that did not happen. The coordinates in the camp book where wrong and at first we couldn’t find the place. We found a caravan park that was pretty dismal and decided that we hadn’t paid yet so we weren’t going to pay there. We had to eat though as it was seven thirty so we found some picnic tables by the water and started cooking. All of a sudden the caravan park guy pulls up with one of his buddies and starts telling us we couldn’t camp there and blah blah so we told we were well aware of that and were using the public area to cook our dinner. Then he asked if wanted to pay for our caravan site now or later. We told him again we weren’t staying and finally he left. The whole thing was very creepy and unsettling so we slept in Streaky Bay instead.
Before leaving Streaky Bay we decided to check in at a local seafood shop and bought some more oysters. We decided that we wanted to taste oysters from all over the Eyre Peninsula. While in the shop Francis discovered they were selling Shark and since its on our “animals to eat” list we decided to buy some. It was only $10 for a package big enough for two meals for each of us so why not. It was super delicious. Sort of the texture of chicken but very good. I wanted to buy some Abalone but it was $18.00 for a tiny 100gm package. Maybe another time.
Ceduna was our last stop before heading across the Nullabor. We spent the night there and the next day the entire morning was used to prepare for the trip across the desert. We invested in a jerry can and a water jug and strapped them to the top of the roof rack. We made sure we had plenty of water, fuel, cash, and food. On the way out of Ceduna we made one last stop… to buy oysters. Well come on, it’s the oyster capitol of Australia so we had to. Then I took a photo in a giant oyster and we were on our way.
Our first stop into our desert trip ended up being at a repair shop in Penong where the owner was not really interested in helping us but we found the part we needed in his wreck area and so we only ended up paying $30 there because Francis did the labour himself. Thank god Francis is so handy because it was really not the place to be dependant on the kindness of strangers.
It’s crazy how fast the price of gas goes up when you’re in the Nullabor. The first place we went the price was $1.71/ltr and the highest of all was $1.77 when on average we have been paying $1.33. We didn’t stray from the road to often on this drive. Once to visit some caves, a blow hole, Bunda Cliffs, the Great Australian Bight, the Dog Fence and of course to take pictures with crazy road signs.
You never know what you will see in the desert. Rocks dressed up like snowmen. Trees decorated with different things. One underwear, the next appliances, then shoes. Very strange but also amusing on a drive like that. We drove along the longest straight stretch of highway in Australia and crossed the dog fence which is the longest fence in Australia used to keep dingoes and other vermin away. We also had to pass through a quarantine check point where our garlic was confiscated. Poor garlic, I wonder where it ended up.
We stopped in Norseman to take some pictures. This town was named after a horse that got a piece of quartz with gold in it stuck in its hoof. The owner found it and it started a gold rush in the area. I’m hoping the horse got some really nice hay out of it. We took pictures with the bronzed statue of Norseman the horse and with the tin camels in the town roundabout. After that it was straight off to Esperance.
We woke this morning here in Esperance. We slept by the fishing docks beside a small little bay. This morning as I was making breakfast Francis was at the end of the jetty beside us when he got really excited and started yelling for me to look up. I glanced up just in time to see dolphins jumping out of the water and swim by right in front of Francis. It was the coolest thing ever. I ran to get the camera from the truck and filmed them swimming past him again. He said it was the first time he’s ever seen them in real life and that they were so close that he could see one looking at him. Once again I was totally jealous but happy for him once I saw how lit up his eyes were in excitement. Its been pouring rain all morning which isn’t the best thing when you are in the place that boasts the most beautiful beaches in all of Australia but the dolphin sighting definitely helps make it a lot better. Francis used the rain to wash the truck while I typed this out and I think we will spend the day catching up on laundry, groceries and posting to the blog. I have a backlog of about 40 pictures picked out to post.
We passed through Whyalla stopping only to purchase a few necessary items such as a fishing rod for Francis. He bought a smaller rod used for fishing off of a jetty. Now he just needs a longer one for beach fishing. We figure we spend so much time by the water that it was a good investment. He rigged it up to hang inside the truck and has slowly been acquiring different lures to go with it. We also found a tiny roof rack for $30 a scrap yard that is perfect for carrying what we need for desert drives. We spent the night in Port Gibbons right on the water at a free campsite (not that we ever pay for camping).
We moved on to Port Lincoln which was our last bigger town until now. We spent one night at Lincoln National park which required a long drive down a very bumpy 4x4 road which was not a lot of fun. We stayed at September Beach which Francis told me was really nice but unfortunately I was rather ill that morning so I skipped the beach.
Next was Coffin Bay which we LOVED. We spent two nights there. One in Coffin Bay National Park at Yangie Bay campground and once in the parking lot of the dock area. We met a really nice French couple there that shared oysters with us and gave some bait to Francis to try out his new rod. He only got an hour in with no luck that time, but it was still fun. We drove down a road filled with oyster farms and found a place that was still open. We bough two dozen oysters at 50 cents a piece which is super cheap. They were super delicious and Francis is now a master shucker. I even bought him a shucker so now he’s really fast and we are both addicted to raw oysters. It was a really nice small community with a beautiful bay full of small fishing boats. We highly recommend it.
On our way back up the coast we passed through Elliston and did their coastal drive which was really hard to locate and then was pretty much a big bust. We kept going and visited the Talia caves which was pretty awesome. There was a big cave called the Woolshed that Francis climbed his way through. There was also a place there that was called the Tub which was a gigantic hole in the ground which has a small passage at one end that lets water in and out with the tide. It was empty when we where there so of course Francis climbed in there as well and explored everything.
Point Labatt was well worth the drive. We showed up about an hour before sunset and were totally stoked to see about 30 sea lions laying around on the beach. There was a bunch of mothers with their babies. Most were sleeping but some were slopping about and waddling into the water. We were watching this all from above at a balcony and as soon as the coast was clear of other people I’m sure you can guess what Francis did. Yes, he climbed down the cliff side to get a close up of the sea lions. I was totally jealous watching from way up above but he brought back some pictures and videos so I got over it. We watched the sunset there and it was quite magical.
That night we thought we could sleep at a rest area in Sceale Bay but that did not happen. The coordinates in the camp book where wrong and at first we couldn’t find the place. We found a caravan park that was pretty dismal and decided that we hadn’t paid yet so we weren’t going to pay there. We had to eat though as it was seven thirty so we found some picnic tables by the water and started cooking. All of a sudden the caravan park guy pulls up with one of his buddies and starts telling us we couldn’t camp there and blah blah so we told we were well aware of that and were using the public area to cook our dinner. Then he asked if wanted to pay for our caravan site now or later. We told him again we weren’t staying and finally he left. The whole thing was very creepy and unsettling so we slept in Streaky Bay instead.
Before leaving Streaky Bay we decided to check in at a local seafood shop and bought some more oysters. We decided that we wanted to taste oysters from all over the Eyre Peninsula. While in the shop Francis discovered they were selling Shark and since its on our “animals to eat” list we decided to buy some. It was only $10 for a package big enough for two meals for each of us so why not. It was super delicious. Sort of the texture of chicken but very good. I wanted to buy some Abalone but it was $18.00 for a tiny 100gm package. Maybe another time.
Ceduna was our last stop before heading across the Nullabor. We spent the night there and the next day the entire morning was used to prepare for the trip across the desert. We invested in a jerry can and a water jug and strapped them to the top of the roof rack. We made sure we had plenty of water, fuel, cash, and food. On the way out of Ceduna we made one last stop… to buy oysters. Well come on, it’s the oyster capitol of Australia so we had to. Then I took a photo in a giant oyster and we were on our way.
Our first stop into our desert trip ended up being at a repair shop in Penong where the owner was not really interested in helping us but we found the part we needed in his wreck area and so we only ended up paying $30 there because Francis did the labour himself. Thank god Francis is so handy because it was really not the place to be dependant on the kindness of strangers.
It’s crazy how fast the price of gas goes up when you’re in the Nullabor. The first place we went the price was $1.71/ltr and the highest of all was $1.77 when on average we have been paying $1.33. We didn’t stray from the road to often on this drive. Once to visit some caves, a blow hole, Bunda Cliffs, the Great Australian Bight, the Dog Fence and of course to take pictures with crazy road signs.
You never know what you will see in the desert. Rocks dressed up like snowmen. Trees decorated with different things. One underwear, the next appliances, then shoes. Very strange but also amusing on a drive like that. We drove along the longest straight stretch of highway in Australia and crossed the dog fence which is the longest fence in Australia used to keep dingoes and other vermin away. We also had to pass through a quarantine check point where our garlic was confiscated. Poor garlic, I wonder where it ended up.
We stopped in Norseman to take some pictures. This town was named after a horse that got a piece of quartz with gold in it stuck in its hoof. The owner found it and it started a gold rush in the area. I’m hoping the horse got some really nice hay out of it. We took pictures with the bronzed statue of Norseman the horse and with the tin camels in the town roundabout. After that it was straight off to Esperance.
We woke this morning here in Esperance. We slept by the fishing docks beside a small little bay. This morning as I was making breakfast Francis was at the end of the jetty beside us when he got really excited and started yelling for me to look up. I glanced up just in time to see dolphins jumping out of the water and swim by right in front of Francis. It was the coolest thing ever. I ran to get the camera from the truck and filmed them swimming past him again. He said it was the first time he’s ever seen them in real life and that they were so close that he could see one looking at him. Once again I was totally jealous but happy for him once I saw how lit up his eyes were in excitement. Its been pouring rain all morning which isn’t the best thing when you are in the place that boasts the most beautiful beaches in all of Australia but the dolphin sighting definitely helps make it a lot better. Francis used the rain to wash the truck while I typed this out and I think we will spend the day catching up on laundry, groceries and posting to the blog. I have a backlog of about 40 pictures picked out to post.
Port Augusta to Esperance
So last I left off we were on our way to Port Augusta and well we didn’t there for long but it was a great place to catch up on doing some much neglected laundry and a chance to sleep beside a salt lake. I’m not sure if it was the salt lake or not but there was a very unpleasant smell all night after the winds changed direction and we ended up closing all the windows.
We passed through Whyalla stopping only to purchase a few necessary items such as a fishing rod for Francis. He bought a smaller rod used for fishing off of a jetty. Now he just needs a longer one for beach fishing. We figure we spend so much time by the water that it was a good investment. He rigged it up to hang inside the truck and has slowly been acquiring different lures to go with it. We also found a tiny roof rack for $30 a scrap yard that is perfect for carrying what we need for desert drives. We spent the night in Port Gibbons right on the water at a free campsite (not that we ever pay for camping).
We moved on to Port Lincoln which was our last bigger town until now. We spent one night at Lincoln National park which required a long drive down a very bumpy 4x4 road which was not a lot of fun. We stayed at September Beach which Francis told me was really nice but unfortunately I was rather ill that morning so I skipped the beach.
Next was Coffin Bay which we LOVED. We spent two nights there. One in Coffin Bay National Park at Yangie Bay campground and once in the parking lot of the dock area. We met a really nice French couple there that shared oysters with us and gave some bait to Francis to try out his new rod. He only got an hour in with no luck that time, but it was still fun. We drove down a road filled with oyster farms and found a place that was still open. We bough two dozen oysters at 50 cents a piece which is super cheap. They were super delicious and Francis is now a master shucker. I even bought him a shucker so now he’s really fast and we are both addicted to raw oysters. It was a really nice small community with a beautiful bay full of small fishing boats. We highly recommend it.
On our way back up the coast we passed through Elliston and did their coastal drive which was really hard to locate and then was pretty much a big bust. We kept going and visited the Talia caves which was pretty awesome. There was a big cave called the Woolshed that Francis climbed his way through. There was also a place there that was called the Tub which was a gigantic hole in the ground which has a small passage at one end that lets water in and out with the tide. It was empty when we where there so of course Francis climbed in there as well and explored everything.
Point Labatt was well worth the drive. We showed up about an hour before sunset and were totally stoked to see about 30 sea lions laying around on the beach. There was a bunch of mothers with their babies. Most were sleeping but some were slopping about and waddling into the water. We were watching this all from above at a balcony and as soon as the coast was clear of other people I’m sure you can guess what Francis did. Yes, he climbed down the cliff side to get a close up of the sea lions. I was totally jealous watching from way up above but he brought back some pictures and videos so I got over it. We watched the sunset there and it was quite magical.
That night we thought we could sleep at a rest area in Sceale Bay but that did not happen. The coordinates in the camp book where wrong and at first we couldn’t find the place. We found a caravan park that was pretty dismal and decided that we hadn’t paid yet so we weren’t going to pay there. We had to eat though as it was seven thirty so we found some picnic tables by the water and started cooking. All of a sudden the caravan park guy pulls up with one of his buddies and starts telling us we couldn’t camp there and blah blah so we told we were well aware of that and were using the public area to cook our dinner. Then he asked if wanted to pay for our caravan site now or later. We told him again we weren’t staying and finally he left. The whole thing was very creepy and unsettling so we slept in Streaky Bay instead.
Before leaving Streaky Bay we decided to check in at a local seafood shop and bought some more oysters. We decided that we wanted to taste oysters from all over the Eyre Peninsula. While in the shop Francis discovered they were selling Shark and since its on our “animals to eat” list we decided to buy some. It was only $10 for a package big enough for two meals for each of us so why not. It was super delicious. Sort of the texture of chicken but very good. I wanted to buy some Abalone but it was $18.00 for a tiny 100gm package. Maybe another time.
Ceduna was our last stop before heading across the Nullabor. We spent the night there and the next day the entire morning was used to prepare for the trip across the desert. We invested in a jerry can and a water jug and strapped them to the top of the roof rack. We made sure we had plenty of water, fuel, cash, and food. On the way out of Ceduna we made one last stop… to buy oysters. Well come on, it’s the oyster capitol of Australia so we had to. Then I took a photo in a giant oyster and we were on our way.
Our first stop into our desert trip ended up being at a repair shop in Penong where the owner was not really interested in helping us but we found the part we needed in his wreck area and so we only ended up paying $30 there because Francis did the labour himself. Thank god Francis is so handy because it was really not the place to be dependant on the kindness of strangers.
It’s crazy how fast the price of gas goes up when you’re in the Nullabor. The first place we went the price was $1.71/ltr and the highest of all was $1.77 when on average we have been paying $1.33. We didn’t stray from the road to often on this drive. Once to visit some caves, a blow hole, Bunda Cliffs, the Great Australian Bight, the Dog Fence and of course to take pictures with crazy road signs.
You never know what you will see in the desert. Rocks dressed up like snowmen. Trees decorated with different things. One underwear, the next appliances, then shoes. Very strange but also amusing on a drive like that. We drove along the longest straight stretch of highway in Australia and crossed the dog fence which is the longest fence in Australia used to keep dingoes and other vermin away. We also had to pass through a quarantine check point where our garlic was confiscated. Poor garlic, I wonder where it ended up.
We stopped in Norseman to take some pictures. This town was named after a horse that got a piece of quartz with gold in it stuck in its hoof. The owner found it and it started a gold rush in the area. I’m hoping the horse got some really nice hay out of it. We took pictures with the bronzed statue of Norseman the horse and with the tin camels in the town roundabout. After that it was straight off to Esperance.
We woke this morning here in Esperance. We slept by the fishing docks beside a small little bay. This morning as I was making breakfast Francis was at the end of the jetty beside us when he got really excited and started yelling for me to look up. I glanced up just in time to see dolphins jumping out of the water and swim by right in front of Francis. It was the coolest thing ever. I ran to get the camera from the truck and filmed them swimming past him again. He said it was the first time he’s ever seen them in real life and that they were so close that he could see one looking at him. Once again I was totally jealous but happy for him once I saw how lit up his eyes were in excitement. Its been pouring rain all morning which isn’t the best thing when you are in the place that boasts the most beautiful beaches in all of Australia but the dolphin sighting definitely helps make it a lot better. Francis used the rain to wash the truck while I typed this out and I think we will spend the day catching up on laundry, groceries and posting to the blog. I have a backlog of about 40 pictures picked out to post.
We passed through Whyalla stopping only to purchase a few necessary items such as a fishing rod for Francis. He bought a smaller rod used for fishing off of a jetty. Now he just needs a longer one for beach fishing. We figure we spend so much time by the water that it was a good investment. He rigged it up to hang inside the truck and has slowly been acquiring different lures to go with it. We also found a tiny roof rack for $30 a scrap yard that is perfect for carrying what we need for desert drives. We spent the night in Port Gibbons right on the water at a free campsite (not that we ever pay for camping).
We moved on to Port Lincoln which was our last bigger town until now. We spent one night at Lincoln National park which required a long drive down a very bumpy 4x4 road which was not a lot of fun. We stayed at September Beach which Francis told me was really nice but unfortunately I was rather ill that morning so I skipped the beach.
Next was Coffin Bay which we LOVED. We spent two nights there. One in Coffin Bay National Park at Yangie Bay campground and once in the parking lot of the dock area. We met a really nice French couple there that shared oysters with us and gave some bait to Francis to try out his new rod. He only got an hour in with no luck that time, but it was still fun. We drove down a road filled with oyster farms and found a place that was still open. We bough two dozen oysters at 50 cents a piece which is super cheap. They were super delicious and Francis is now a master shucker. I even bought him a shucker so now he’s really fast and we are both addicted to raw oysters. It was a really nice small community with a beautiful bay full of small fishing boats. We highly recommend it.
On our way back up the coast we passed through Elliston and did their coastal drive which was really hard to locate and then was pretty much a big bust. We kept going and visited the Talia caves which was pretty awesome. There was a big cave called the Woolshed that Francis climbed his way through. There was also a place there that was called the Tub which was a gigantic hole in the ground which has a small passage at one end that lets water in and out with the tide. It was empty when we where there so of course Francis climbed in there as well and explored everything.
Point Labatt was well worth the drive. We showed up about an hour before sunset and were totally stoked to see about 30 sea lions laying around on the beach. There was a bunch of mothers with their babies. Most were sleeping but some were slopping about and waddling into the water. We were watching this all from above at a balcony and as soon as the coast was clear of other people I’m sure you can guess what Francis did. Yes, he climbed down the cliff side to get a close up of the sea lions. I was totally jealous watching from way up above but he brought back some pictures and videos so I got over it. We watched the sunset there and it was quite magical.
That night we thought we could sleep at a rest area in Sceale Bay but that did not happen. The coordinates in the camp book where wrong and at first we couldn’t find the place. We found a caravan park that was pretty dismal and decided that we hadn’t paid yet so we weren’t going to pay there. We had to eat though as it was seven thirty so we found some picnic tables by the water and started cooking. All of a sudden the caravan park guy pulls up with one of his buddies and starts telling us we couldn’t camp there and blah blah so we told we were well aware of that and were using the public area to cook our dinner. Then he asked if wanted to pay for our caravan site now or later. We told him again we weren’t staying and finally he left. The whole thing was very creepy and unsettling so we slept in Streaky Bay instead.
Before leaving Streaky Bay we decided to check in at a local seafood shop and bought some more oysters. We decided that we wanted to taste oysters from all over the Eyre Peninsula. While in the shop Francis discovered they were selling Shark and since its on our “animals to eat” list we decided to buy some. It was only $10 for a package big enough for two meals for each of us so why not. It was super delicious. Sort of the texture of chicken but very good. I wanted to buy some Abalone but it was $18.00 for a tiny 100gm package. Maybe another time.
Ceduna was our last stop before heading across the Nullabor. We spent the night there and the next day the entire morning was used to prepare for the trip across the desert. We invested in a jerry can and a water jug and strapped them to the top of the roof rack. We made sure we had plenty of water, fuel, cash, and food. On the way out of Ceduna we made one last stop… to buy oysters. Well come on, it’s the oyster capitol of Australia so we had to. Then I took a photo in a giant oyster and we were on our way.
Our first stop into our desert trip ended up being at a repair shop in Penong where the owner was not really interested in helping us but we found the part we needed in his wreck area and so we only ended up paying $30 there because Francis did the labour himself. Thank god Francis is so handy because it was really not the place to be dependant on the kindness of strangers.
It’s crazy how fast the price of gas goes up when you’re in the Nullabor. The first place we went the price was $1.71/ltr and the highest of all was $1.77 when on average we have been paying $1.33. We didn’t stray from the road to often on this drive. Once to visit some caves, a blow hole, Bunda Cliffs, the Great Australian Bight, the Dog Fence and of course to take pictures with crazy road signs.
You never know what you will see in the desert. Rocks dressed up like snowmen. Trees decorated with different things. One underwear, the next appliances, then shoes. Very strange but also amusing on a drive like that. We drove along the longest straight stretch of highway in Australia and crossed the dog fence which is the longest fence in Australia used to keep dingoes and other vermin away. We also had to pass through a quarantine check point where our garlic was confiscated. Poor garlic, I wonder where it ended up.
We stopped in Norseman to take some pictures. This town was named after a horse that got a piece of quartz with gold in it stuck in its hoof. The owner found it and it started a gold rush in the area. I’m hoping the horse got some really nice hay out of it. We took pictures with the bronzed statue of Norseman the horse and with the tin camels in the town roundabout. After that it was straight off to Esperance.
We woke this morning here in Esperance. We slept by the fishing docks beside a small little bay. This morning as I was making breakfast Francis was at the end of the jetty beside us when he got really excited and started yelling for me to look up. I glanced up just in time to see dolphins jumping out of the water and swim by right in front of Francis. It was the coolest thing ever. I ran to get the camera from the truck and filmed them swimming past him again. He said it was the first time he’s ever seen them in real life and that they were so close that he could see one looking at him. Once again I was totally jealous but happy for him once I saw how lit up his eyes were in excitement. Its been pouring rain all morning which isn’t the best thing when you are in the place that boasts the most beautiful beaches in all of Australia but the dolphin sighting definitely helps make it a lot better. Francis used the rain to wash the truck while I typed this out and I think we will spend the day catching up on laundry, groceries and posting to the blog. I have a backlog of about 40 pictures picked out to post.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
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