Chris n Shirley's 2025 WA Trip: Chapter 3

Day 6 – Tuesday 3 June – Cowell to Port Lincoln - 210 km

After 5 days of lovely weather and great driving conditions our good luck ran out. The rain started over breakfast and continued for an hour or more, ensuring that I got wet during the pack-up process.

When the rain eased the wind took over ensuring head and/or side winds for the entire trip south.

We started with a look around Cowell, but the rain and the chill wind dampened our enthusiasm. We bought fuel and headed south. Arno Bay and Port Neill were visited on the way, with neither changing our mood.

Tumby Bay changed all that. First we had a great coffee and a superb carrot cake muffin.

By now we had seen two signs that indicated how quirky was Tumby Bay. Give both some thought.

A sign on the cafe toilet door

A sign on the back of the door in the toilet cubicle

We then saw another sign that added to the amusement.

A sign on the carport of a private house

Then we strolled around town for maybe 45 minutes taking photos of the art in the town.

Two of the Tumby Bay art trail murals

Click here if you wish to see the entire collection of the photos taken.

Tumby Bay Jetty

As we left Tumby Bay we spotted another example of silo art.

Tumby Bay Silo Art

We finished the journey for the day at Port Lincoln (estimated population of 26,500) stopping at the Port Lincoln Tourist Park, a spot we last visited in January 1995. Camp was established. It was windy and chilly. The park continued a SA theme of using the last 5 digits from my mobile number for the boom-gate code - a handy system.

After a cuppa we went for a drive and visited Winter Hill Lookout to get a good 360-degree view of the local surrounds.

View from Winter Hill Lookout

We did some shopping and then relaxed.

Day 7 – Wednesday 4 June – Port Lincoln

After our best night of sleep for the trip to date (rocked to sleep by the buffeting wind) we had a slow start to the day. A couple of neighbours were up in the very early hours putting down their awnings.

We had some excitement over breakfast as a departing traveller went over a hump near our site and his caravan jumped off the ball. Thanks to secure chains there was no damage - apart from his pride. 'Experts' came from everywhere and we soon had him on his way. I suspect that he copped an ear bashing from his embarrassed wife before they had left the park.

Washing was completed and extra pegs were needed to secure it to the line. Fingers were crossed. Exercises were completed, although some are not 'caravan-friendly' exercises. Some modifications were made.

View from our caravan, looking east

Not content with doing exercises we drove 20 km to Lincoln National Park, where we had a 3 km return nature walk, spotted a New Holland Honeyeater, walked along another beach and chatted to two emus.

The walk to Woodcutters Beach

Two beach going emus

New Holland Honeyeater

Flowers on our walk

Woodcutters Beach [Beach 3, Walks 4]

Lunch was missed so we had a more substantial afternoon tea.

It was 13 degrees at 4pm and still very windy. Not much happened after that.

Day 8 – Thursday 5 June – Port Lincoln

The duo of wind and cold was joined by rain this morning. However we were able to get a quick stroll on Shelly Beach before the rain moved in. I saw a few more New Holland Honeyeaters, but they were too elusive. I settled for a photo of the beach and the Native Apricots (Pittosporum angustifolium).

Shirley wondering whether Shelly Beach should be called Pebble Beach
[Beach 4, Walks 5]

Native Apricots (Pittosporum angustifolium)

The weather forced us indoors so we turned it into a culinary day. Morning tea was spent at L'Anse French Café & Croissanterie over a great coffee and strawberry croissant. We were able to watch them make more croissants.

Morning Tea (Strawberry Croissant) & Lunch (King George Whiting)

After a regulation break we had lunch at The Fresh Fish Place, both of us enjoying the superb King George Whiting. Dinner will be a quiet affair.

In between those feeding frenzies we visited the Marina and admired the memorial to lost sailors and the families who waiting at home in vain for them. It was a sobering experience as the wind and white-caps rolled in. We thoroughly enjoyed our King George Whiting but many have paid the ultimate price along the way.

Memorial to lost sailors and the families who were waiting at home in vain for them.
The feature/central sculpture (on the seaward side) has faces anxiously looking outwards for returning seamen.
The faces on the back (facing the camera) are looking to the ground in despair and sorrow. Very moving.

Surrounding the above monument are granite stones with the names of around 50 men who never returned from the sea and sadly on average, one name is added to the granite each year.

At 2:30 pm it was 12 degrees, windy and raining, so caravan-based relaxation was in order.

Dinner was pea & ham soup while we watched the ABC news on the laptop. Nothing much has changed................ The usual stuff - Aussie politics, the A$, Trump, Gaza, death cap mushrooms.

Day 9 – Friday 6 June – Port Lincoln to Coffin Bay - 45 km

It was a short drive to Coffin Bay after being successful at avoiding the showers whilst getting ready to depart. We arrived in Coffin Bay too early to check in and went for a drive around town - stopping for a coffee.

Mural opposite the coffee shop

We checked in at 11 am and had an early lunch, as our aim was for a walk along the foreshore - called "The Oyster Walk". It was a pleasant 3.5 km return with plenty of birdlife on view.

Hide tide made for a small beach [Beach 5, Walks 6]

Pied Cormorant

White Faced Heron

New Holland Honeyeater
[Seemed to have just had a bath]

A view of Coffin Bay from across the water

On our way back to camp I did something that I have never done before - bought oysters from a vending machine - $18 for a dozen opened. For some unknown reason the vending machine gave verbal instructions - in Spanish. I know that because the lady in the queue behind me was Spanish.

Vending machine and entree for dinner

Ten minutes after arriving back at camp the sun disappeared, the wind strengthened and the rain restarted.

We went for a drive to see a woolshed museum, but it was closed. So we came home and I waited for dinner. The oysters were excellent. Shirley had homemade lasagna.

The gale force winds kept on coming. The sun was gone but the rain came in fits and bursts.

Day 10 – Saturday 7 June – Coffin Bay

It was just like being home in Melbourne.

By 10 am we had experienced sun, sun/wind, heavy winds, gale force winds, rain, heavy rain - and we did not get out of bed until 9:15 am.

By 11 am the above cycle had repeated itself.

Still we got our exercises completed - Shirley in the privacy of the caravan, and me on public display in the camp kitchen.

A park entry fee was paid and we set off for Coffin Bay National Park. The weather was still on an hourly cycle of wind, gale, rain & sun.

I stopped for a photo at Clayton's lookout. The wind was so strong Shirley could not open her car door. Luckily it was an onshore wind, as an offshore wind could have blown us off the beach side cliff. We did not stop for long.

The view from Clayton's lookout

We moved on to Point Avoid and again struggled with the wind - as we watched the large waves crashing.

Rough seas at Point Avoid

A short time later we braved the best beach of the trip to date at the Golden Island lookout. [Beach 6, Walk 7] It was OK walking with the wind but the sand stung our faces when we turned around. On a good day this beach could rival the best in Australia.

In the background of the photo below you can see sand-dunes.

Above: Wind-swept beach at Golden Island lookout. [Beach 6, Walks 7]
Below: Golden Island from the above beach.

If you look closely at the above photo you can see (on the left side of the photo) waves coming to the beach from the back of the photo and (on the right of the photo) waves moving from right to left, parallel to the beach - on a collision course. One wonders what happens when they meet.

Shirley chickened out, but I had to check out Almonta Beach. [Beach 7, Walk 8]

The beach was similar to the above beach, but the weather got me. Check the difference in the sky from the above photos. I had barely walked 100 metres and took a photo when a gale storm swept over me. The sleet hurt through my jeans and my bottom half was soaked in seconds. The raincoat protected my top half. By the time I got back to the car the sun was out.

Almonta Beach [Beach 7, Walks 8]

We will leave Coffin Bay knowing that the weather did not allow us to fully take advantage of what the area can provide, but we now better appreciate what the area has to offer.

Day 11 – Sunday 8 June – Coffin Bay to Streaky Bay - 302 km

It was sunny while we showered and rained while we had breakfast. The rain stopped long enough to pack and connect the car & caravan. As we started the engine the rain re-started.

Like yesterday the weather was cyclic sun, sun/wind, heavy winds, gale force winds, rain, heavy rain. It was hard work driving - for most of the day.

We timed our arrival in Elliston with a sunny patch as we admired the rugged cliffs, huge seas and cliffside artwork. Erosion is a serious issue in this region.

Rugged cliffs and wild seas

We detoured slightly and visited Venus Bay where we bought a pie and pastie for lunch and took a photo of the metal pelican.

Venus Bay Pelican

We slowed down long enough to take a photo of Murphy's Haystacks and were in Streaky Bay soon after.

Murphy's Haystacks

Our camp site was around 20 metres from the water. Despite the temperature being 14 degrees we needed a walk - and the beach was it. [Beach 8, Walk 9]

Beach around 20 metres behind the caravan

The pelicans are clearly fed by the local fishermen and were very friendly.

The sunset was OK, but not quite good enough for this scribe.

The rain seemed to have eased as had the wind. We settled in for the night.

Day 12 – Monday 9 June – Streaky Bay

For the first time in seven days the day started without wind and rain. It was a pleasant change. The water behind the caravan had barely a ripple. Filtered sun broke through the clouds.

It was 9:45 am by the time we had showered and had breakfast - cereal & fruit.

A spot of shopping, a bit of lunch, then replacing the button battery in the Engel fridge - for the fourth time in 19 years. It took longer than expected as I dropped the old battery into the bowels of the fridge. Not a smart move.

It was then time for a 35 km drive around the 'Cape Bauer Loop'. The main feature was rugged cliffs and a walk on the lovely Hally's beach. [Beach 9, Walk 10]

Above: Hally's Beach
Below: Hally's Beach panorama from the carpark

A Pacific Gull in flight

Next was the 'Whistling Rocks and Blowholes', a phenomenon caused by erosion of passages within the rocks and heavy seas forcing air through those passages/blowholes. The noise was similar to the whistle on a steam train in slow motion. Very impressive. We were showered with a salty spray.

Left: Waves crashing onto the lower part of cracks, fissures and blowholes.
Right: A sample blowhole

Above & Below: More rugged coastline

We saw a pod of dolphins but they were too far away for a quality photo. However Shirley insisted that one photo be provided so I offer the photo below.