Port Lincoln to home.

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Still at Port Lincoln in the break between Christmas and New Year and we get the good news that Jeremy,
Michelle and Lucy will be coming direct to our campsite for 24 hours on their way to the Tamworth Country
Music Festival, so we were able to see the New Year in with part of our family, also Michelle's mum and
dad Bill and Rita and Michelle's Grandma Zidra. We sat in our chairs under the stars looking over the
Southern Ocean watching the few fireworks that were set off, a real no - no as there was a total fire ban.
As this is a fishing port a few people over in the town of Port Lincoln, 10 km away, decided illegally to
set off some emergency beacon flares. Everyone watched as they decended to the ground in a huge red flare,
but it was soon obvious that one had started a fire in bushland. Five fire engines worked all night to
bring it under control and there was no loss to life or property but a very silly thing to do in a country
that is tinder dry and prone to bush fires at the best of times.
January 2nd and we took possession of our new caravan, there was a howling gale blowing as we removed
everything from our old van, put everything in or near Pat and John's van, then put everything back
in the new van when it arrived and we felt like we had been pulled through a hedge backwards. A delicious chinese meal that
evening meal was a real reward for all our hard work. We now have a much more comfortable van, with queen size bed,
big kitchen and a small toilet and shower.
We took off from Port Lincoln two days earlier than we had planned as the wind would not let up and everything
was covered in a blanket of dust, and we made our way up the west side of the Eyre Penninsular to Streaky Bay,
passing through Elliston for lunch, a beautiful bay with snow white beaches.
We spent two days in Streaky Bay before setting off across the Nullarbor and while we were there we visited
the huge granite outcrops called Murphys Haystacks which were very imposing against an otherwise flat landscape.
We took a drive out to Cape Labatt and watched dozens of sealions playing in the ocean and sunbathing on the
rocks, completely unaware of the awe of the onlookers.
Those of you who have traveled over the Nullarbor will agree that although it is a unique experience there is
not too much to see on an hour by hour basis so you will realise how delighted we were to come across two camels
in the wild one day, and a beautiful but lean dingo another day. Huge eagles circle overhead all day looking
for a fresh meal of unfortunate animals killed by the traffic.
Again most people will say that one of the things they remember about crossing the Nullarbor is the huge number
of trucks passing you or coming the other way causing gusts of air to nearly pull you off the road.
There were big bush fires raging in the Kalgoorlie area out of control at this time and the main Great Eastern
Highway was cut off to through traffic, so we had the unique experience of crossing the Nullarbor with only a
handful of trucks which had decided to go through Esperance as a detour.
We spent two days at Pink Lake caravan park before heading on our last leg home and Pat's son David and his wife Kay
came to see us as they were holidaying in Esperance too. We arrived in Esperance in 41 degrees, having left our
last stop 8 hours earlier in 17 degrees. We all felt like we were going to die, especially as we had been given a
difficult caravan parking bay which took much manourvering to get in.
There were more bush fires in the Fitgerald River Range as we passed some distance away. Our last night out was at
Broomhill and we had a BBQ and called it our Last Supper, sad our holiday was over but pleased to be seeing our homes again
and to get our cat Archie and Lucy's cat Nemo out of the cattery where they had been so well looked after.
Our holiday has left us with many happy memories and a desire to do it all again, there is so much to see and do
in this wonderful country and it all out there waiting for us all.

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Photos

Breakfast time with Lucy.
Precious time spent with Lucy before she takes off on her trip around Australia.

Michelle, Lucy and Marilyn.
Us all outside Michelle, Jeremy and Lucy's new caravan, now home for the next few months.

Family photo.
The family just about to leave on their trip around Australia.

New caravan.
On the road with our new caravan.

Murphy's Haystacks.
Huge granite outcrops on the Eyre Penninsular that resemble haystacks.

Sealion colony.
The fantastic sight of sealions in their natural habitat.

The WA/SA border.
Not an inspiring sight but the defining point between WA and SA, hundreds of kilometers from anywhere.

Back home.
Our caravan parked safely back home again - until the next time................

Comments

[necbennett]

See you soon!
Well done on a fantastic travel blog. Can't wait to see you again this weekend and hear all your stories! love from El, Nic and Calvin xx