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Published: June 28th 2023
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Port Augusta lies at the northern end of Spencer Gulf. Matthew Flinders in his ship the Investigator, explored the northern Spencer Gulf area in 1802, searching for the legendary Australian inland sea, and water supply in general. In the 1840s pastoralists settled in the Flinders Ranges. A port was needed to cart wool and wheat to England, and Port Augusta had a fine natural harbour. After several droughts, many of the pastoralists gave up, and the importance of the port faded in the early twentieth century. Fortunately, the government decided to build the Transcontinental railway across the Nullarbor to Perth, and established the railway headquarters in Port Augusta. The town has benefited from the railway ever since.
Our first destination was to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, taking the opportunity to visit the Matthew Flinders Lookout at the Red Cliffs overlooking the tail end of Spencer Gulf, with the Flinders Ranges in the distance. This is the exact location where Flinders looked out and later wrote to Sir Joseph Banks, “Nothing of particular interest having presented itself to detain us at the head of the Gulf, we got underway”.
Being just one hour’s drive away from Whyalla, I
was aware that these waters host one of the world’s most unique and spectacular wildlife events, an event highlighted by none other than Sir David Attenborough. Between May and August each year, more than 250,000 Giant Cuttlefish migrate to the cool, clear waters around Whyalla to breed and die, an event that is unique in the marine world. I googled “Are there Great White Sharks at Whyalla”, and the result was “Whyalla has recorded the highest number of White Shark sightings in South Australia, but the Conservation Council says there are reasons more sharks are being seen there”. Playing it safe, I checked for boat tours, and selected Cutty’s Glass Bottom Boat Tours, and booked in. We met the boat at Point Lowly and was amazed at the number of giant cuttlefish and their everchanging myriad of colours as they sought to attract and mate.
As we exited from the boat, there were a number of divers entering the water in full thermal thick winter wetsuits including hoods, gloves and booties to view the cuttlefish first hand. I weighed up my chances with the great whites and biting cold water, and decided to go in anyway with just my
board shorts, rash vest, snorkel and mask. The amazing underwater sight was awesome to watch and worth every minute. I braved the cold water for around twenty minutes, finally succumbing to head pain. My underwater Go Pro was able to capture many cuttlefish of varying and instantly changing colours, which also have an ability to instantly to shape shift their body to match their surroundings. Their predators are Long Nose Seals and Bottlenose Dolphins, however, their predators are guess what!
After drying off, we headed into Whyalla, which I only knew of as a large industrial city, having a large Steelworks owned by an Indian Tycoon. As we drove up to the lookout at Hummock Hill, to the left is the steelworks and its associated industries, pumping out steam and pollution. To the right is a clear blue sandy tropical paradise that would not be out of place in North Queensland. An amazing contrast.
With Port Augusta being our last city before heading into the outback, we ensured that we were topped up with water, gas, fuel and groceries. The city is located at a major crossroads, with a sign on the outskirts stating left to Perth, right
to Darwin. We chose to turn right.
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