BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Murphy's Haystacks And Baird Bay

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Murphy's Haystacks And Baird Bay: A few hours drive from Elliston, and just 40kms short of Streaky Bay there is one of the most unusual geological formations that one would w...

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Murphy's Haystacks And Baird Bay

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Murphy's Haystacks And Baird Bay: A few hours drive from Elliston, and just 40kms short of Streaky Bay there is one of the most unusual geological formations that one would w...

Murphy's Haystacks And Baird Bay

A few hours drive from Elliston, and just 40kms short of Streaky Bay there is one of the most unusual geological formations that one would wish to see.

Murphy's Haystack's, listed as a free camp, but on private land is where we aimed to stay a night and ended up staying 4 days.  Wonderful sight to see and photograph and while staying there we met so many lovely people that stopped and had  a chat.  Many on there way to the rally, like us.

Murphy's Hay Stacks were weathered and sculpted into their present form about 100,000 years ago. Geologists say the Hay Stacks are composed of pink granite from the Hiltaba suite of rocks whch were laid down some 1500 million years ago. Amazingly these beautiful pink granites were formed at a depth of 7 to 10 kilometres below the earth's surface. Today when we look at Murphy's Hay Stacks we see these Hiltaba granites exposed on the surface. Clearly a very great deal of erosion has occured since the granite's formation.

Local legend says that Murphy's Hay Stacks acquired its name from an Irish agricultural expert who saw this landmark in the distance whilst travelling on a coach. Apparently the learned Irish gentleman was very impressed and informed his fellow passengers that the farmer must have harrowed his land to produce such a great abundance of hay! Well, by now you must have guessed it! The original farmer of the land was a Mr. Murphy and to this day the landmark is known as Murphy's Hay Stacks.

At Murphy's Hay Stacks the traveller can see a variety of inselberg formations including boulders and pillars. Upon entering the viewing area a unique and magnificent Tafoni structure can be seen towering above the walkway. Elsewhere within the viewing area a variety of wave forms and flared rock structures can be seen. These are indicative of ancient physical and chemical weathering processes occuring when soil levels were several metres higher than now.

The day we arrived was just photographic perfect with the clouds just layering over the formations.  Being there for the four days, gave me to opportunity to photograph them at different times of the day...and evening and with some great results.   There is a $2 entry fee into the property, and having camped there for a few days, we could not believe the number of people who were too stingy to put some money in the box.  The owners, The Cash family clean the toilets every day and provide a lovely picnic shelter for visitors, and we were too happy to put a few dollars in for each day we were there.

Lovely family, and at their invitation we got invited down to photograph the shearing which started while we were there.  Their generosity, so typical of country hospitalilty.  They see over 20,000 visitors go through each year.

Bairds Bay Seal Lions

At Bairds Bay, a short drive from Murphy's haystacks we took a trip out on  a boat to see the dolphins and sea lions.  We were lucky enought o have the boat to ourselves and enjoyed a 3 hour trip out on the crystal blue waters of Bairds Bay.

While we were waiting for the boat, we noticed a small chick on the road, and found it to be a baby lapwing. The parent birds were flying around frantically and it was then that I noticed not 1 chick, but several and managed to pick them up and get them off the road. The photo is not great, but will probably never get another chance of photographing one of these.

Lapwing Chick

Dolphins At Play

Ready For A Dip

What a Terrible Job - but Someone Has To Do It!

Baird Bay

Had such a wonderful day at Baird Bay, interacting with the seal lions and dolphins, and if it had been about 10C warmer, would most certainly have been in there swimming with them, which is a added extra with the tour.

On the way out of the Bay went for a bit of a drive around and looked for the free camps that are supposed located around about.  Well, let us say, they are a joke and it made us all the more appreciative of the free camp at Murphy's Haystacks.

Barry Trying Out One Of The Sand Dunes

This was just to the side of one of the free camps, listed as being able to get a big rig in there????  Just $5pnpp - but for what??  Have crossed these ones off the list.  Streaky Bay is the next town and there is no free camping anywhere, and it appears our days of free camping for a while are going to be limited...oh for those wonderful days we had down on the Murray River at New Residence..

From Streaky Bay we head to Ceduna, so stay tuned for our next blog.

  

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Elliston and Venus Bay

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Elliston and Venus Bay: Elliston is a wonderful little sea side town of just over 300 people, which swells to over 2,500 during peak times. With just the basic faci...

Elliston and Venus Bay

Elliston is a wonderful little sea side town of just over 300 people, which swells to over 2,500 during peak times. With just the basic facilities in the way of shops, it makes up for in its beauty and pristine beaches, and magnificent coast line cliffs.  A walk along the beach at sunrise is something special, and one just has to take the opportunity to see the wonderful colors in the sky and I was lucky enough to capture this image with the moon still setting in the distance.

Elliston Beach At Sunrise

The Elliston Jetty is one of the only steel framed jetties in the world and the posts are embedded into the sea floor, some 140 metres down, a true engineering feet of its day.  The jetty was used to load wheat, which was loaded by hand from the beach, and the bag handling machine, such as it was, is still there today.

Without a doubt, one of the most outstanding features of Elliston is the view from the cliffs.  The huge sand stone cliffs rise from the sea and create a color sensation.  The waves crashing in gives off a mist that continually rises around the coastline, with an almost seemless endless fog.

Elliston Coastline

Waves Crashing In

'Dutch Clogs'

These little Dutch Clogs, are pre-historic stones, found all round the coast, and are caused by some sort of a weevil, that has existed for thousands of years.  We found them for sale in a couple of shops along the way for over $20 each!! We have a couple with us and our little birds like playing with them in the bottom of their cage.

Ellsiton Jetty

But for those with an artistic slant, one of the many reasons to visit Elliston is for it's Sculptures on the Cliffs.  A 12 km drive takes one around some of the most spectacular coastline one would wish to see, and along the way there are a number of sculptures.  The sculptures are created every two years, and another one appears along the cliff top.  To many to show, here now, but some of the more unusual ones are shown here. 

'The Thongs'

'The Surfie'

A short drive from Elliston to Venus Bay, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  Would loved to have spent more time there, expecially at sunset or sunrise, but just to walk around the lovely beaches and enjoy some fresh fish and chips on the beach was joy enough.  The pelicans (my favourite birds) were plentiful and it was just a wonderful to be able to get this photo.  Nature is an amazing thing, and not often do you get to share a moment like this.  A baby pelican feeding off its mother.

Brekkie Time

More, More

 Along the road, you come across a old ghost town of sorts, Colter - with just some ruins remaining, an old church and a a really interesting cemetery. But a really unique feature is a road side hot bread shop, where you can buy just about any sort or bread, or rolls for just $3.50 all for an honesty box.  Realy worth the visit and nothing like sitting back, later that night and heating it up in the oven and having it with slathers of butter and vegemite.  The sticky buns, were pretty good too.  The Old Church (below is just a wonderful piece of early german architecture.

Colter Church

George North's Grave

A little further up the road is the cemetery, which is entered via an avenue of olive trees.  In the cemetery is buried George North (not his Greek name) who was the first Greek to settle in South Australia,  He came here at age 22 and made it is home and went on to have 11 children.

Snail decimating a flower

The jetty at Venus Bay is one of the few jetties in Australia that has a bend in it.

Venus Bay Jetty

 If you time your visit right, the fishing boats offer fresh seafood straight off the boat. Just near the jetty is a free camp, and there were quite a few motorhomes camped there.  Amongst them, some friends from Leeton, so its a small world.

The Cliffs Of Venus Bay

When we are out and about driving around we see some strange things, but this would have to be out there with them.

Anyone Need A Tinnie?

Driving back towards Elliston we called in at Talia Caves. What a sight it is and one of the truley remarkable places we have visited.

The Stairs Down To The Caves

The Entrance To The Woolshed Cave

The Beautiful Colored Rocks Outside The Caves

The Woolshed cave was just spectacular and with the tides the waves crash on in creating huge echo's and the noise is just amazing, like nothing we have heard.  The second cave called 'The Tub, wasn't quite as spectacular, but we later found out that there is a way down into it, and that would have been worth while. Still all in all an amazing geological phenomenon, as certainly worth the visit.

It was a great visit to Elliston, but Venus Bay will be on the list for a re-visit at another time, but for now it was time to hit the road and head on further west and over the Nullabor.

Newlands Conservation Park

One last photo - this one of Newlands Conservation park, found on the drive out from the caves. The sand has a pink coloration caused by carotene, and just makes a spectacular scene.

Hope you have enjoyed our visit to Elliston and keep tuned for our ventures across the Nullabor, which I am endeavouring to catch up, now that we are in Kalgoolie and have access to decent internet.

Take care all.

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Eyre Peninsula

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Eyre Peninsula: Eyre Peninsula As most know we have been house sitting, on the Eyre Peninsula at a small place called Cowell. We were very lucky gettin...

Eyre Peninsula

Eyre Peninsula

As most know we have been house sitting, on the Eyre Peninsula at a small place called Cowell.  We were very lucky getting our first house sitting job, since joining Aussie House sitters, and it just seemed to fall into our laps, when these lovely people contacted us asking us if we would like to house sit their lovely 100 year old property, along with 2 dogs, 5 chooks, with the bonus of 4 camels on the 8,000 acres property.

Old Middlecamp Homestead

'Jess'

One Of The Four Camels Living In Retirement At Middlecamp

The Eyre Peninsula is a jewel in the crown of South Australian Tourism, however we have found that tourism in this area of South Australia, is way behind so many other areas of Australia.  The roads are dreadful and make it very hard taking the bus anywhere, and travel is slow, not that we are in a hurry to get anywhere much these days.  Total lack of sign posting makes it difficult for us to find the type of things we like to visit. 

Have got on my soap box this morning and written to SA Tourism and had our say – nothing will get fixed, unless people let them know, so will be interesting to see what the have to say in response.

The Eyre Peninsula,  is serviced by three major centres, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, and Port Augusta.  We didn’t have much time to stop in Port Augusta, and as we had both been there a number of times before, we needed to head onto Cowell.  We stayed overnight in one beautiful free camp – Point Lowly.  Everything there we could possible want, and a photographers dream at sunrise.

Just behind the camp site is the huge Santos refinery, which processes, both oil and gas, from the Moomba gas fields much further north.

It was a wonderful overnight camp, and so many others there and some of the way to the rally in Kalgoolie, as we are.  Will certainly be marking this one on our map for stays in the future.

Onto Cowell and our first house sitting job and meeting with the owners, Jo and Ian Sampson and their lovely dogs, Jess and Ruby.  We have had a ball looking after this beautiful property, and have soaked in its history, with the original homestead ruins still standing along with the old shearing shed.

The shearing shed on the main property is leased out, but offered some great photo opportunities.

Old Shearing Shed

The Days Work Is Done

Up the back of the property are 4 camels, the remains of an old local fellow who used the camels for camel rides at local events, but now they are retired and live out their live here on the property.

The wild life is amazing with so many native quarrion around, along with Port Lincoln Parrots, honeyeaters, and the like.  Incredible rock formations line the valleys on the property and you can almost imagine dinosaurs roaming around in days gone by.

Port Lincoln Parrot

 Cowell has a motorhome reserve, where they ask you pay, for a bit of grass to camp on, but you are required to be self sufficient, as there are no toilets or showers provided.  Down the road here a bit at Cleve, the recreation grounds provide powered sites, showers and toilets for the princely sum of $a10 pn.  Good on you Cleve and interesting to note, that there were 4 vans there the day we were there, but in the 10 days we have been in Cowell, have seen no one at the motorhome reserve. 

Cowell is home to what use to be Jade mining, but it has now been reduced to just selling souvenirs (at fairly expensive prices) and it is interesting to see black jade, in comparison to the normal green jade.

Jade was discovered here in 1856 and the ‘nephrite jade’ is recognised as one of the oldest and largest deposits in the world.

Big Lump Of Jade

The whole of the Peninsula is home to some of the best fishing in Australia, and blue fin tuna and the likes are commercially farmed in many areas, including Arno Bay, where there is quite and aquaculture industry.  Oysters are plentiful and are to be tasted to be believed.

Along the road to Cleve is a memorial to May Gibbs, famous for her Gumnut Babies.  Believed to be the area in which gave her the inspiration to write her famous stories and drawings, was where she is believed to have spent her early child hood years.

May Gibbs Memorial

Old Crossville School

Cleve is mainly an agricultural town, with a wide variety of crops, including, wheat, barley, canola and pea crops.  It was established in the 1850’s when the McKechnie brothers established Wangaraleednie (meaning ‘hill of the west wind’) – why don’t I find that heard to believe!!!!

Welcome To Cleve Sign

 Yeldulknie Weir is located 5 kilometers east of Cleve and here we discovered another free camp spot.  A bit of dirt road in, but certainly not difficult.  The old wheel house is heritage listed and the wall was completed in 1912, to supply water to the Arno Bay and Cowell area. 

Yeldulknie Weir Pumphouse

In the abundant array of tourism brochures, we saw the Wharminda Soaks listed as an area of interest. 

I quote “Approximately 125 kms long, this interesting drive showcases extensive panoramic views of agricultural landscapes and the Wharminda Soaks over the blue range that rises to 170 metres above sea level”.  Have yet to find out how these soaks came about, other than to be fortunate enough to find a little sign that states that travelling stockmen used the soaks as a watering hole.  The various Soaks in Tasmania, are interesting for their geological formation, and how they actually came about – but we drew a blank here???

The Information Board About The Soaks???

Barry Soaking It All Up!

The Soaks Picnic Area

Arno Bay

All along the coastline are pristine white beaches, and Arno Bay is no exception,  With a population of just 270, I was once a major port, with grin being shipped out and super phosphate being shipped in.  Now home to a huge kingfish and aquaculture industry.

Fishing Fleet At Arno Bay

Old Fence Line On A Tidal Bay At Arno Bay

Port Neil

A stop over for lunch at Port Neil at the one and only local pub, this little town is in peak season a hive of activity.  Hard to believe on the day we were there with the weather just atrocious.

The perfect holiday destination, from all reports.

Port Neil Jetty

Carrow Wells

The Old Well At Carrow Wells

Windmill at Carrow Wells

 Carrow Wells was really worth seeing. Seems strange to see a windmill so close to the beach.  A waterhole used by the aboriginals in days past, and then the new settlers discovered them and they came for miles around, to carry water back to their farms - some the journey taking days at a time.

Hard to believe, that none of the local galleries and craft shops, were not open on a weekend – we otherwise might have been that little bit poorer.

Home to The Australian Eucalypt Collection, I would have loved to have seen their selection of jewellery and giftware.

Port Gibbon

Off the main highway we diverted off down a dirt road to Port Gibbon – not hard to miss the sign!!!

This is where we have been taking the dogs for a swim, but is also home to the Milford Crouch, a ketch which sank here in 1959.  A friend, whose father was one of the ones that lost his life, had asked us to visit the plaque and give it a polish, but guess who forgot the polishing gear???

Plaque - Commemorating the Sinking Of The Ketch

The Red Cliffs Of Port Gibbon

 Continuing along the back road towards Cowell, we found one of the most amazing sites we have seen on this part of the trip.

Towards the end of the second world war, these Bomb Shelters were built, along with two towers.  Then peace was declared, and the shelters no longer needed and the towers were sold off at the princely sum of $10.  A small sign, gives a little information about the site, but such a shame SA Tourism hasn’t done more with it, or the Department of defence who now owns them.

Old Bomb Shelters

The day had been freezing with frequent showers passing overhead and when I took this photo a rainbow could only just be seen in the background.

Well tomorrow our home owners return and our time here at Cowell has come to an end, and we have really enjoyed it.  House sitting is to be recommended, and we just hope that this wonderful place has not spoiled us for any future ones.

And so we will begin our trek across the Nullabor, and hope this wind does not follow us, as it is just the worst driving in this bus with strong wind – can be quite frightening at times!!!

We aim to be in Kalgoolie on or around the 7^th October ready for the rally, and looking forward to catching up with David McGeoch.

Lots of other Highway Wanderers already making the trek across and looking forward to meeting them all when we get there.

Cheers for now everyone. Hope you enjoy the read.