Exploring Yorke Peninsula

Continuing on with our touring of South Australia tale…

After a good shower and good sleep, we left early the next day and for the first time on the trip, we left the van behind.

We drove along the gravel South Coast Rd to Marion Bay and found the boat ramp and Marion Bay Jetty.

We had a good walk out on the jetty and, judging by the squid ink marks left on the boards, I’d say they caught some reasonable squid there during the day and at night under the lights.

 

From there we drove to the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

Before we left home, we had bought a week-long South Australian national parks pass online – it covered many of the parks around South Australia.

It’s a great idea and I wish Queensland had the same set up.

Once in the park, we stopped at Stenhouse Bay Jetty.

 

This was an old dolomite mine many years before the park took the whole area over.

Here we saw two friendly emus feeding on berries on the coastal shrubs.

From there, we went on to Cape Spencer Lighthouse – and wow, what a pretty spot.

You could look out from one lighthouse to another on an island offshore and in the background see Kangaroo Island.

 

Next was the Ethel Wreck Beach Lookout, then to one of the loveliest spots I’ve seen in years, Ponpalowie Bay.

It’s a little cray-fishing village tucked in the sand hills and is an awesome spot.

We spent some time there and then drove back out of the national park the way we had come in, as unfortunately it’s a one-way road.

Once out of Dhilba Guuranda-Innes, we took the Marion Bay Rd and followed it around the coast to Gleesons Landing – one of the better-looking fishing and squiding spots I’d seen on the peninsula.

 

We spent some time at Gleesons Landing as there were a heap of boats that had come in and, as they do at Waddy Point on K’Gari, 90 percent of the boats were launched and retrieved with tractors.

I chatted to one couple who had caught some lovely king george whiting, nannygai and a few squid.

From there we headed back to Warooka and to our camp. touring

The next day, because I was up before daylight, I went to Sturt Bay beach, which was about 1km away.

I had a squid along the beach, but the weed was horrendous.

There was not another person in sight, though I did notice a little paid campground, and quite a few Port Jackson shark egg cases that had washed up on the beach, as well as sea urchin shells.

 

Then it was back to camp to have breakfast.

Next, we drove north towards Port Moorowie and did the coastal drive, which takes you right along the coast.

It was spectacular, with wheat paddocks on one side of the road and coastal cliffs and a lovely calm ocean on the other.

In one spot, the locals simply swam off the rocks and were chasing crays because it wasn’t fenced off – I loved it, – more than the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

You could pull up anywhere off the road, all hop out and take photos without the crowds, unlike the national park where they fence visitors into small areas. touring

 

From there, we drove to the Troubridge Point Lighthouse.

Wow – a lighthouse built from what looks like normal house bricks, and so high!

Then it was on to the wind farm at Wattle Point and Yorketown, then back to camp to relax for the afternoon.

Until next month, be safe out there. touring