Leaving busy Whyalla, it was good to get back into the open country again. Around the Eyre the fields are literally sand and in many places the paddocks actually merge with the sand dunes behind the beach.
Farming is mainly grain crops and every town has massive grain silos, visible for miles around. You also see sheep every now and then. Sadly, it is so dry at the moment that any grain is very stunted; I imagine there will be little to harvest this season.
I wandered down the east coast of the Eyre, exploring the local bays and walking along the peaceful beaches. Most towns here sit on a bay and all are complete with requisite jetty.
Crossing to the west side of the Eyre, I headed to Coffin Bay, which is actually very beautiful despite the rather morbid name. It was actually named by Flinders after a friend with the rather unfortunate surname of Coffin.
The main reason for coming to Coffin Bay is to sample the delicious local oysters, which are harvested fresh from the clear waters of the inlet every day.
Walking along the waterfront in the evening, rays were visible swimming gracefully in the clear, calm water and burrowing in the sand right near the water’s edge. Apparently these are sting-rays, which rather puts you off paddling…
Elliston is a sleepy little town on a sheltered bay, far enough from the big smoke not to be bothered by too many tourists. The bay is protected by a massive rock reef, so all the waves break out at the mouth of the bay.
The aptly named Camel Rock watches sagely out over the turbulent surf. A headland juts out into the waves and walking out here offers an amazing view of the waves. It was actually a little alarming to be that close to massive waves breaking over the rocks but it was certainly an impressive view.
Moving further along the coast, I came to Streaky Bay, another town on a bay with a jetty – they are all beginning to look a little bit the same to me. These coastal towns are supposedly havens for fishermen and there are lots of people around who obsess about fishing. So if, like me, you are not that interested in fishing, conversation can be a bit limited…
And I reckon I have heard every possible excuse if they aren’t catching any! It seems at every place, the tide is too high or it is too low; the tide is coming in or maybe it is going out; the water is too warm or actually it’s too cold… Or, my favourite, it is too windy – although no one can tell me why the fish would actually care about this?
As I get closer to the Great Australian Bight I am already seeing the coast is becoming wilder, with the sea cliffs rising higher and more impressive the further west I travel.
Some places have impressive caves carved into the cliffs by the pounding surf.
I know this is a preview of the amazing cliffs I will encounter when I get to the Bight itself, something I am looking forward to immensely.
