Talk about Profiteering

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DAY 153

We wonder if there is a conspiracy between Maui/Britz/Big 4 and all the other vehicle rental people and the campsites.

We were talking about how many free campsites we have stayed on since we purchased camps 5, which was on or around the 1st March. We worked out that we have stayed on 15 free camps (or small fee National Park campsites). We always base the cost of a camp site on $30.00 bucks, some are more, some are less so $30.00 bucks is about right, so all together we think we have saved in the region of $450.00 bucks, which over the coming months will add up to a considerable sum of money. Camps 5 has more than paid for itself, a worthy addition to being cost conscious travel.

We were reminiscing about our 2007 trip when we hired our Maui Camper van, and one night got caught without a site in Port Stevens, so our only alternative was to park on the side of the road, well, sort of, it was a parking space at Soldiers Point in Port Stephens which was not busy and quite secluded.

Now we weren’t smart then but we are smarter now and are aware of just how many free campsites are available, when I say free I do mean at a very low cost, last night was $5.00 and it was paradise, the view was just amazing.

Don’t fool yourselves, its all fur coat and no knickers though, the view might be amazing but you don’t have any facilities except for long drop toilets, and I just cant use them, let me pee up a tree and I’m far happier.

So back to the thieving b*stards, why don’t they put a copy of Camps 5 in the campers and motors homes, I’ll tell you why so the campsites can stiff ya! We phoned a big 4 in Ceduna today and they didn’t have a place for us, I only want a square of grass or soil to park our little camper trailer on but they still reckon the site was only big enough for a small combi van. Caroline then phoned a Top Tourist park who said we had a place but you had to book for 4 days minimum, of course being Easter. However this is a country that should be used to people “just passing through” and to be able to accept someone for one night should be easy for them, after all, when we vacate tomorrow, someone else will be “Just passing through”.

We packed up this morning after the most beautiful sunrise, after quite a cold night, the flaps were open and the sun just burst in. We had tea then a healthy fruit and yoghurt breakfast, and then we were away.

Heading as far as we could towards Ceduna today as we would like to get on the Nullarbor by Saturday morning. Nullarbor “Nullus Arbor” more commonly means “No Trees”.

The Nullarbor is a road that basically crosses the Nullarbor plain, it is only 40Kms long but people class the complete road that goes from Ceduna to Norseman, which is 1404Kms as the Nullarbor, which is also the Eyre Highway.
Many years ago the “Nullarbor” was just a track but it became bitumen up to the South Australian Border when in 1969 the Western Australian government surfaced it, and in 1976 the South Australian Government followed suit and surfaced their side of the eyre Highway.

The Eyre highway from Adelaide to Perth at a distance just over 2700 Kilometres, is not much less than the distance from London to Moscow, and crosses the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain.

Caroline has had a desire to drive the Nullarbor, which is what we intend to do, and expect it to take us about 6 days, who knows it may take us longer. The original explorer John Eyre the first European to make the East west crossing took 5 months in 1841.

Today’s route took us along the B100 virtually following the coast, our plan was to stop at Walkers Rocks camp ground Camps 5 Reference (South Australia 593) page 286 just 10 Kms North of Elliston.

We were going to stop at Coffin Bay, however, we did say that we could not stop and look at everything, it is impossible with so many beautiful sights to see and I know that everyone will say again at some point “did you stop at….” And we will say “No”.

The journey was quite uneventful we stopped for lunch in a rest area, taking the lunch kit out of the car and making sandwiches with the remainder of the steak from last nights dinner. It was a lovely hot day today.

We stop along the way at Cummings Lookout (Camps 5 Ref, 588 South Australia), where a young lad, Leo Cummings, had lost his life on 29th June 1959 when their fishing cutter hit a reef due to problems when the craypot line got caught in the propeller. The view from here was astounding but you are warned not to walk to close to the cliff edge because the edge overhangs and could give way.

We stop at Elliston to refuel at a cost of $1.28 per litre. We also check out Tourist Information, this lady was so proud of the area and I might say good at her job, she told us just about everything we needed to know about Elliston and what to see and do, we did not want that much information, but hey, we would have grumbled if she had not been helpful. She also mentioned that the place we were looking to stop at was empty yesterday, however it is the night before the Easter break and things change quickly.

We arrived at Walkers Rocks, Camps 5 reference 593 South Australia, page 286, at 3.30 as we have now made a rule that we want to be parked up between 3 and 4.00pm and dinnered by 5.30, as it now gets dark by 7.00pm due to daylight saving finishing.

Though the area is quite busy we find a pitch and set up, a family came over to introduce themselves, we think she had entered the holiday spirit early, with a can of beer in hand slurring her words, then in no time at all their kids were crawling all over our gear.

You can’t knock her for being friendly but she said that they were noisy and intended to make a racket; I said, “I don’t care as I am not taking the trailer down now, Its too late”. She also mentioned how early they will be up in the morning and they hope their generator did not disturb us. We said that we are sure that it wouldn’t worry us.

We sat drinking a cup of tea and soaking up the late afternoon sun when a tall guy came over and introduced himself as Mark, and asked if he and his boys could crash near our pitch as they were interested in taking over ours when we moved on in the morning. They said that all they would do is roll their swags out tonight, as his wife, his oldest lad and some other relatives were all meeting at this site tomorrow so they would pitch the tent in the morning when we leave.

We said “yea no worries”, so in they came, with a Nissan Patrol and a Tri Axle trailer with some of their gear on, you know, important things when your camping like a Quad, the BBQ, the swags, generator, freezer, eskys, chairs etc.

What nice people they were, the boys were all very polite, and were loving every minute of being away with their dad. Thomas was the oldest boy of 18 who had driven to Walkers Rocks helped his Dad unload some gear and went back home again, leaving Scott and the twins, Tim and Cain, poor Cain had just broken his leg last week and was in plaster, so that was the reason they had brought the quad along so Cain could be mobile. Marks wife Corina was driving herself down on Saturday morning. We were disappointed not to meet Corina.

While we were cooking our evening meal, they guy from the “noisy” campsite came up to us and offered us some “Butter Fish”, however we think he was offended when we turned him down as most of you know I am allergic to fish and it would only have gone to waste. If it had been Oysters Kilpatrick I am sure that Andy would have indulged. It is a shame, I hope we did offend, but it would have been sacrilege to have accepted it and then not eaten it.

After our evening meal we went down to the beach to see the sunset, it was quite spectacular, Caroline got some really good pictures. We walked back to the trailer and went and had a cup of tea and a chat with Mark and the boys.

Mark is a real outback guy and loves the bush; he seems to have installed this into his kids who equally love this outdoor kind of life. Mark wears Akubra, a little bit different to Andy’s; it does suit him as an out and out Aussie Guy!

The family live in Lock Mark is a diesel mechanic, and speaking to him about their home life just seemed idyllic, he said there was loads of space for the boys to play, horse ride, shoot and just do what boys should be doing. They never lock their house or vehicles, as it would not be touched in Lock a town with a population of 110 people.

The boys were starting to wilt, it was also cold, so we let them get to bed, and Caroline and myself went and played cards. We sat in the truck and played in the warmth, but partly only because we had not set up a light in the tent and it meant moving the truck closer and that meant disturbing people, including the “Noisy” campers who it appears have gone to bed as all is very dark and very quiet.

I beat Caroline at cards tonight, although I cannot say I anhilated her as she went down fighting. We were in bed by 10.00. It really is a very cold night tonight.

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Photos

Sunrise
Port Lincoln National Park

Wiggle
Have not found out what these birds are yet, but when they tweet to each other they wiggle their tail feathers quite violently

Twins
Just two of I don't know how many baby Emu's at Port Lincoln National Park.

Salt Lagoons
It is hard to do this landscape justice with a single picture.

Our Camp
Walkers Rocks

Fingertips
Andy has the world at his fingertips, well the moon really!

Red Sky at Night
Shepherds Delight

Step Up
Caroline trying to get a better shot