Jetty Tour Day 8 - Port Germein to Moonta Bay

Sunset at Moonta Bay

Short drive today, with a few stops.

We had some thoughts of a couple of nights at Port Germein but we felt we had seen all it had to offer last night. A deciding factor was the standard of the toilet block at the caravan park.

Our first stop was Port Pirie, just to top up on a few groceries and then on to Port Broughton. We hadn't expected much but it was a delightful little town. We had tea at the Baker's Bear Cafe, sometimes known as the bakery but it wasn't the drinks that were the feature, it was the table of locals we chatted with. Lovely folks, who's company we really enjoyed. As with most of the small towns we have visited down the west coast of the Yorke Peninsular, there are many fine old building made from local stone and Port Broughton has there share. Perhaps the finest example is the Port Broughton Hotel, built in 1910.

Moving on, we drove the longest leg of the day to Kadina, where we topped up the petrol tank. Fuel is getting cheaper every day, which is good because this trip I am using premium unleaded and the difference to fuel consumption is marked.

Moonta Bay was only a short distance further on and we settled in comfortably beside the bay. Fantastic campsite with breath taking views. During the afternoon we walked to the end of the hooked shaped jetty, which has a netted swimming area attached. As the afternoon progressed, so did the incoming tide, gradually filling probably 400 metres of sand flats.

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We finished the afternoon watching another fine sunset and then ate alfresco under our new shade structure, which we used for the first time.

Pretty cool day.

Another two nights at Moonta Bay before we move south.

Jetty Tour Day 7 - Broken Hill to Port Germein

Barrier Highway dessert

Tired and cranky and a little hard to get along with tonight after more than 400kms today. All of which is a pity after seeing some great things today. As a result, photos will be a lot better than the words.

Short hop into Broken Hill, fueled up and left by 9:00am and crossed the border at Cockburn.

Further down the road at Olary, Sue had a stretch while I went across the road to look at what remains of a block of the town ... make that village ... which was burnt down in 2015. The fire started in a sailor's cottage - he was home on shore leave (I kid you not) - and soon razed two other empty cottages and a bakery and delicatessen to the ground. Men from nearby properties raced in and eventually put the fire out and yes, you guess it, they saved the pub.

200kms down, we did a roadside in Yunta for lunch. A bit of shade, a place for Sue to walk and lunch in the van. The spot is used as a free camp. The toilets were so/so. If you ever intend passing, bring a black texta and feel free to share your sexual perversions on the walls.

We finally were checked at the quarantine at Oodla Wirra, 210kms inside the border. It was bit of a non-event: one question and a look in our fridge. That far inside the border? Believe me, there was no need to do so earlier!

Sunset at Port Germein

At this point we decided to go on past Peterborough, which had become our selected spot for the night and instead, cross the Flinders Ranges and stay in Port Germein. The first 280kms of the trip was dessert - low scrub, no trees, red dirt, road kill and lots of straight road. What a contrast beyond Peterborough! The broad valley across to Wilmington looked to be prime cropping country and indeed, has been since the 1870's. Willy Willys or Dust Devils were everywhere, picking up the soil and throwing it about in spirals. After Wilmington, we climbed up to Horrock's Pass to make our way over the Flinders Range. It was a spectacular twenty minutes, climaxed by sighting the Spencer Gulf.

Not long after we turned south onto Highway One and did the relatively short run done to Port Germein. Our caravan park is right behind the shoreline and the famous Port Germein Wharf. Currently 1586 metres long, it has been shortened by storms and at one stage it was the longest wooden wharf in the southern hemisphere. There are some good information boards at the start of the wharf. After drinks, we walked out on the wharf and watched a wonderful sunset and then took a stroll through the town.

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One night here and then south to Wallaroo.

(Sorry if there typos ... too tired to check)