Day 4 – Port Lincoln to Ceduna

It is warm where we are!!  How nice when I think of all our family and friends in cold, wet, windy Melbourne!  We woke up this morning to a condensation soaked van, but it was warm outside so we had porridge and sunrise for breakfast – and then off into Port Lincoln for the obligatory morning cappuccino, walk along the pier, grocery update, quick stop at McDonalds for some free Wi-Fi download and then on the road again – long ribbons of road that stretch from one horizon to the next through incredibly dry land.  The place is vast!   

Here are some key highlights from Rich’s perspective:

-          Long wooden piers in every town that jut out into the most beautiful, clear, sapphire blue sea

-          The country side is very arid and stony all over the Eyre Peninsula – it makes you realize how optimistic the early settlers were

-          We were taken aback at how well developed and tidy the little towns like Ceduna and Streaky Bay are – we always think of Warragul as not too remote as Melbourne city is only 1.5hr drive away. How do the people living in Ceduna see the world? Their closest city is Adelaide over 800 km away and most towns on route are no bigger than Ceduna. Is Ceduna the centre of their universe?

-          Chatted to a store keeper today at Venus bay (between nowhere and nowhere). He remarked that the day was quiet (must be only 30 permanent residents in this holiday/fishing village), as everyone from Elliston was playing Saturday footy against Streaky Bay. But he did not support either as he was not from around there – he was from further inland at Wudinna (did not even know there were any people actually living inland as there were few enough living on the coast).  Just goes to show the differing perspectives depending on your point of reference.

-          The coastline around here is stunning, with craggy limestone cliffs and caves, very clear seas, many protected bays, islands, and scores of small fish in the shallow waters of the bays. A combination of no run-off due to dry climate and low population seems to have kept these waters pretty clean.

-          Every town seems to have large grain silos and Ceduna has the biggest, with a railway line bringing in grain from the interior to the port for shipping. Never thought of Ceduna as either a major grain region or port.

-          Listening to podcasts on the iPhone, downloaded thanks to McDonalds. My daughters think I am nuts, but while I love the driving and seeing the countryside, I cannot face 16,000km just looking out the window. The mind is a muscle and needs as much exercise as the rest of the body. So I downloaded a bunch of science podcasts to keep me entertained.

The highlight of Kim’s day was arriving at the Ceduna Caravan Park and seeing a gentleman walking his cat!!  It was on a leash just like a little dog – a large and stunning cat, of Abyssinian and Siamese origin – he and his wife are travelling around Australia in a combi with Ferdinand, their green-eyed feline!!  I had a cuddle with Ferdinand which scratched the itch somewhat – I am missing my animals!  I resorted to a photo with Makybe Diva this morning!

Studying on the road is hard!  I thought I would struggle with car sickness, but that is the least of my troubles – iffy technology, bumpy roads that make note-taking a joke, too much to look at out the window, working out a book crate and in the backseat of the car – whew – this part is harder than I expected.  We have decided to spend two nights at Ceduna so that I can have a study day tomorrow!  Self defence on Rich’s part I think – he is getting a bit tired of tears when things don’t go my way!