Where the desert meets the sea.
After moving from the lower Eyre Peninsula, we made our way along the South Australian coast towards the West Eyre Peninsula, taking in some epic coastal vistas and having some wonderful adventures.
Elliston
On the drive up to Venus Bay, our first stopover on this part of the journey, we decided to pay a visit to the coastal town of Elliston where we checked out the lovely Waterloo Bay and did a clifftop drive around the spectacular Cape Finniss. It was a great start to the Essential Eyre journey. There was some fabulous stone sculptures adorning the cliffs, created by local community artists.
Venus Bay
The calm and tranquil waters of Venus Bay is a popular spot for locals and holiday-makers, especially those who like to catch a fish or two! We stayed at the caravan park with lovely views of the bay and had fun chatting to fishermen who had come from all over Australia to test their skills. The setting sun created very picturesque colours and reflections over the shallow waters. A beautiful short walk to "Needle Eye" point was also accessible from the caravan park. We certainly experienced some interesting weather conditions at Venus Bay, with thunder, lightning, winds and rain all happening in a spectacular 24 hour downpour - some whilst we were packing up to depart for our next destination. Ahhh - the joys of living the outdoor lifestyle!
Whilst at Venus Bay, we visited Talia Beach and Caves and some amazing granite rock formations called the 'Woolshed' and the 'Tub'. These are large caverns carved into the granite by wave action. The pinkish hues of the granite are very beautiful. The diversity of scenery in this part of the peninsula is fantastic.
Streaky Bay
Our next stop on the Odyssey was the coastal village of Streaky Bay. It was a delightful place to stay for a few days with an enticing mix of sandy beaches, surf breaks, natural wonders, rugged coastline and a charming, friendly sea-side village atmosphere. We visited nearby Cape Bauer with its turquoise and sapphire waters, 'whistling rocks' and blowholes.
Streaky Bay - Westall Way
Another scenic drive on the Westall Way took us to Tractor Beach, the Granites, Smooth Pool and Speeds Point. The Granites is a spectacular surfing beach where lots of keen surfers were hanging out and hanging ten. Brave people indeed! The orange coloured lichen on the rocks at Smooth Pool were also interesting and reminded us of the east coast of Tasmania.
Perlubie Beach
Perlubie Beach is reputedly one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. The aquamarine colour of the shallow waters was truly lovely. This is also a popular beach camping spot for many travellers and lots of shade structures have been made available for campers. Unfortunately, it was a bit too shallow for a swim at the time of our visit.
Baird Bay
One of the best adventures we had on this trip was a snorkelling experience with wild sea lions and dolphins at Baird Bay. We spent around 30 minutes in the water watching the sea lions swim, jump and play all around us. The dolphins glided past in deeper water within metres of our group. Jim was able to get some fabulous action shots of jumping sea lions from the boat whilst Lauretta continued swimming, trying to get some underwater shots of these playful creatures. It was a magical and unforgettable experience. Kudos to the operators of Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience who organise and run this professional and ethical eco-friendly trip.
Ceduna
We were lucky to be in Ceduna for Christmas Day with a chance to enjoy the local sights and feast on a sumptuous Christmas Lunch at the Ceduna Hotel. An entree of king prawns and oysters was followed by a range of roast meats, vegetables and of course, some glorious desserts. The festive season has begun! A swim in the bay was also a must-do after a short siesta.
Fowlers Bay
The last leg of our epic journey along the Eyre Peninsula was a stopover at Fowlers Bay. Once the site of a whaling station, Fowlers Bay is now a great place for whale watching in winter as Southern Right Whale populations slowly increase. It's now a peaceful fishing spot, surrounded by lovely beaches and massive sand dunes. A drive out to the turquoise waters of Scotts Beach and Mexican Hat Beach took us through some interesting salt lake terrain, surrounded by gold and white sand hills. We also had some great photography opportunities with different types of light including afternoon light on the beach, storm clouds drifting overhead and a beautiful sunrise. It's at Fowlers Bay that you really get the sense that you are in the desert!
Point Sinclair and Cactus Beach
A visit to Point Sinclair and Cactus Beach was definitely on the cards before we ended our Eyre Peninsula journey. Cactus Beach is a world-renowned surfing mecca and it was spectacularly wild and beautiful. The drive in took us through Lake Macdonnell, a massive salt lake surrounded by sand dunes, where salt crystals literally sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. A fabulous end to our Eyre Peninsula journey.
Next adventure - crossing the Nullarbor.
Comments