We left Port Lincoln Sunday morning and headed west, stopped at Venus Bay look out on our way through.
Booked into Streaky Bay Foreshore Discovery Park. Nice park and we had an excellent camp site right on the beach, actually a little too close to the high water mark for my liking but I trust it’s not good for business if too many vans float away at high tide.
Washing day in paradise. Our little twin tub works a treat.
Fishing on the pier followed by French champagne and beer at the pub on the walk home. There’s quite a big and deep shark proof swimming enclosure off the pier, if it hadn’t been so windy we would have gone for a swim.
A sand sculpture, no information about it anywhere.
There are several sites worth seeing not far out of Streaky Bay and our caravan park manager was very helpful in directing us on the best route to see them. They are The Sea-lion colony at Point Labatt, Yanerbie, Murphys Haystacks, Smooth Pool and The Granites. We took a packed lunch and coffee as it’s a full days outing and there are no shops along the way.
Murphy’s Haystacks. The road to these is all bitumen from Streaky Bay. There is a toilet and camping is allowed in the car park for $10 a night.
We then headed to the Sea-lions Colony at Point Labatt, which is the reason we stopped at Streaky Bay. The roads are not sealed from Murphy’s Haystacks to the Sea-Lions but they are wide and well maintained, no corrugations, a van could be towed quite comfortably. There were road works happening which could have made passing with a van a bit tricky.
Binoculars are definitely needed when visiting the Sea-lion colony. The viewing platform is on top of the cliff and this is the view when you look down. Can you see all the sea-lions on the rocks?
“Found in no other country in the world, The Australian Sea-lion is one of Australia most endangered and rarest mammal. Point Labatt is the only place on mainland Australia where the pups can be seen learning to swim, play and rest on the beach.” There were a couple of seals on the rocks amongst the sea-lions. (Sea-lions are lighter in colour, walk on their flippers and bark loudly; Seals are darker and wriggle on their bellies because their flippers are too small)
When you get woken from your nap by the tide coming in, the best thing to do is move to higher ground.
We then headed to the Westall Way Loop Drive. Again all dirt roads and an easy drive, but a little too rough for a van like ours. The loop follows some amazing rugged coast line.
First stop. Yanerbie and Speed Point.
Second Stop. Smooth Pool, a popular swimming area apparently. Lots of dried up rock pools had crystallised salt in them.
Third stop. The Granites at Corvisart Bay is a popular surf spot, there were a couple of people out and a couple more turned up in the car park while we were there.
It has been fun exploring Streaky Bay. The town is small and quiet but has a school, a number of shops, a pub, post office and everything you would need for a longer holiday here.
Today we head west again, as do quite a number of other campers from here who are also doing the trip around Oz. So no doubt we will be seeing familiar faces along the way.
Next stop, somewhere on the Nullarbor.
Cheers for now. Helen and Tim.
THe long paddock 