Yorke Peninsula

We had a week in Adelaide, or home as we now call it, but it was mostly run-a-round stuff. Including the usual doc visits, plus hearing aid repairs and new glasses for Peter. We also had to get the van assessed for a new awning, get the car in for a bit of body work, and look for a fridge repairer. One thing is sure in the world of us road dwellers; things will go wrong, and they will take a long time to fix.

We headed down the eastern side of the leg, and maybe Kangaroo Island has spoilt us, but we found this to be kind of ordinary. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty coastline, but not spectacular.

But then we made it to Innes National Park. We stayed at the Pondalowie Bay Bush camp, and this is a great place to use as a basecamp. From there we explored many beautiful areas, including Pondalowie Bay, just a short walk from our camp. This is a very protected bay, courtesy of the islands at the mouth of the bay, and it’s home to dolphins and stingrays.

Daly Head is another stunning stretch of coastline, and we had a rare sunny day to appreciate it. From there we drove to the lighthouse at Cape Spencer, on the southernmost tip of the Peninsula.

By the time we visited the West Cape Lighthouse, the weather was not quite so welcoming.  

We spent a particularly lovely day at Dolphin Bay and tried our hand at fishing. We felt like real pros, with a flask of coffee and some biscuits to keep us going. Good job we brought the biscuits, as we didn’t catch any fish. We did, however, have a lovely day out.

Stenhouse Bay/Jetty is an interesting place to visit. It used to be a gypsum quarry, and there are remnants of the old works clearly visible, including an impressive jetty. Oh, and while in that area, pop over to Marion Bay, there is a pub there that does great pizza’s.

We saw a variety of birds, a few kangaroos, and a lot of emus. We fished quite a lot, but with limited success. Though we did catch one good meal.

When we left Innes NP, we moved to Burners Beach at Point Souttar, one of the many council camp grounds. Again, we used this as a basecamp to explore the northern and interior areas of the Yorke. This was a great spot and here, we were able to leave the kayaks on the beach, so they were ready for action. Including some amazing sunset kayak adventures.

It’s true that most days are enjoyable, the odd one not so, but every now and then you get a day that is just pure magic. Today, 15 May (coincidentally mum’s birthday) was one of those days. We had planned to leave Point Souttar and Burners Beach today, but we woke up to a calm, balmy, almost summers day, and thought, Yeah, nah. We’ll stay one more night.

We got into the kayaks just after 10am and skated over the ocean. At least that’s what it felt like.

The water was incredibly calm, and oh so clear. Even at a depth of three to four meters, we could clearly see the sandy bottom, it was so enticing. The only thing that stopped me rolling off the kayak and going for a dip, was the sure knowledge that I wouldn’t have a snowflake’s hope in hell of getting back in. That, and the chilly water. It really was quite surreal.

By late morning, the wind had started to pick up. We had kayaked a long way down the coastline, so we started to make our way back. We arrived back at camp just past midday and decided that yes, we would leave the following morning. So, as Peter cleaned the kayaks, I decided to brave the waters and go for a dip. 

Was it cold? Yes!

Was it enjoyable? Surprisingly, yes.

Did I stay in long? Not surprisingly, no.

Tippara Rocks was a great overnight stay, and how’s this for a view? (Excuse the drying). I was looking for shells along the beach and came across this Semicassis labiatum. It was beautiful, but inhabited, so it went back exactly where I found it. I was thrilled to see it though, and the birds were cute too.

While we travelled, we saw quite a lot of dolphins, some big Stingrays, and some seals. Including one cheeky fellow who popped over to see us while we were in the kayaks. That was something that doesn’t happen every day, and one of the reasons we love travelling so much, seeing our native wildlife the way it should be seen.

Now, I know I’m a bit behind schedule, but May 1, 2023, was our official two-year anniversary since we packed away our belongings and hit the road on our big adventure. Peter’s working on a bit of a recap, distances, costs, highlights etc, and I’m sure he’ll get around to it…soon. 😊

Until then, we’ll keep to our holding pattern until our bits and pieces are fixed.

See you out there somewhere

On tow and on the go!