Wed.26/9.

Sad morning as we all part ways today – Ian & Joan head back to Melbourne, Sue & Mike carry on touring around the east coast & we start the trek home. It has been such a good experience camping with the Listers for all these past weeks & it was great to catch up with Ian & Joan for the last few days. We are detouring on our way though & our first tour is down the Yorke Peninsula. Luckily the howling gale that is blowing is not straight at us & when we start south is almost behind us. Cuppa stop is at Ardrossan – a small coastal town on the east side of the peninsula. Very surprised at the number of small towns in South Australia that are historic, well kept & tidy & that appear to be quite prosperous – Ardrossan is another one of these. Most of these coastal towns have jetties because in the day of sail they were all used as ports for the wheat & wool. Stop at a couple of other similar towns along the way before setting up camp in Edithburgh. Caravan park is situated right on the sea front. In the afternoon go for a drive along the coast. The town has one of the few rock sea swimming pools right at the end of the main street. Wattle Point Wind Farm is close to town – we can actually see a couple of the turbines from our caravan - & we drive through the farm. There are over 50 turbines & they are quite an impressive sight. Take the gravel road stopping at a number of pull-ins overlooking the coast. Have a cuppa at the Troubridge Point Lighthouse which had views back over the wind farm & out over the coast. Meander our way through farming country back to the caravan park.

The Jetty at Ardrossan.

 

Rock Pool at Edithburgh.

 

Old & New  - Wattle Point Wind Farm.

 

 

Thur.27/9.

Tour of the “toes” of the peninsula today. Go straight to Marion Bay & into the Innes National Park. Walked down to the jetty at beautiful Stenhouse Bay. Gypsum was shipped out of here for many years & the workings can still be seen. Drive on into the park & stop a few times taking in the lovely scenery. Walk out to the Cape Spencer Lighthouse which had great views over the coast & to Kangaroo Island. Similar in many ways to Esperance with islands off the pretty bays. Stop at the ghost town of Inneston where the gypsum was mined & packed. A few of the old buildings had been renovated & turned into holiday rentals. Next stop West Cape where we took a lovely walk out to the lighthouse. Stunning views over the coast. Pondalowie Bay was our next stop. Great spot with a couple of islands just off the shore & waves crashing into the small cliffs. Another stop around the bay to a boardwalk that went through lovely sand dune country to a surfing beach. Head out of the park with a last stop at Ethel Beach overlooking the Ethel wreck. Out of the park we head north with a couple of quick visits to Point Annie & Corny Point. A great trip & so good to breathe so much sea air!

 

Stenhouse Bay.

 

Chinamans Hat Island - Innes National Park.

 

Renovated Post Office & a ruin in Inneston.