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Published: December 23rd 2009
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Day 238 - Elliston to Lincoln National Park (Memory Cove Wilderness Park)
As normal, we don’t hang around this morning. We were up pretty early and on our way before most other people were even awake! As we drove out of the caravan park we come across an unfortunate sight, a boat in the middle of the road. Not a good look and the chaps trying to pull it back onto it’s trailer didn’t look too chuffed either as the fibreglass marks on the bitumen told a sorry tale.
The journey down to Port Lincoln took a couple of hours. Travelling on a Sunday meant that the roads were really quiet and when we arrived we had no trouble parking up outside the visitor information place. I had eventually phoned them yesterday about the state of the roads through Lincoln NP and been given the semi-happy news that they’re not too bad! I hate risking a journey with the caravan where we might arrive at the other end with just a chassis and nothing else.
This morning however I uncover a whole heap of pleasing information! During the phone call yesterday the lady I spoke to said that
All set til Boxing Day
Where we left the caravan at Surfleet Cove, Lincoln National Park the grader had recently finished the first 7kms of the park roads, what she meant by that was they had just finished sealing the first 7kms of the park roads and that the grader had been working on the other 22kms. The roads are probably in their best ever condition, I’m so happy I could have hugged her but we’d only just met! Now our plan of action can really begin, we pick up the key for Memory Cove which is the wilderness section of the park, get given an Outback Pack full of who knows what but we’ll find out when we open it later and we purchase our 8 week National Parks pass for $52 which includes all camping fees! Hurrah, that’s going to be a big saving for us with all the plans we’ve got. Things are really looking up.
Off we go in the direction of the National Park and firstly head towards the camp site at Surfleet Cove which everyone has told us is gorgeous plus it’s the closest to the park entrance and therefore less corrugated road to traverse for the old caravan.
True to their word the first 7kms going into
the park are sealed and beautiful bitumen followed by not too bad dirt road followed by a bit of corrugation here and there. We’re hacking it though and the caravan isn’t making too many awful noises. When we arrive at Surfleet Cove we were just amazed, beautiful beach, beautiful camp spots and we got the pick of the bunch (in our eyes anyway). We’re so happy and really feel like we’ve found the perfect spot to spend our Christmas.
We’re not even sleeping in the caravan tonight as we have a spot booked at Memory Cove but we can’t take the caravan down there so we’ll need to sleep in the tent and get everything together to make our night nice and comfy. There’s a fire ban in place so we can’t cook outside which means salad for dinner so Darryl sorts out the food and I get the sleeping gear together and make sure that everything we need is in the car.
Within an hour of arriving at Surfleet Cove we’d set the caravan up and left it in the care of the locals (kangaroos and emus) until we return late tomorrow. Trusting aren’t we!
It’s
another 44 kms out to Memory Cove via the 4WD only track, it’s not overly rough but it is rocky in places and it’s the high clearance that you need from the vehicle more than anything else. Once we’ve unlocked the gate with the key obtained from the visitors centre it’s like coming into another world. Open plains of kangaroos and yet more emus followed by great views over the ocean and all hidden in miles and miles of coastal mallee. The last 19kms takes us an hour to get through as the road is rough and ready but what a prize at the end of it, a secluded beach and a great little camp spot.
The water looks beautiful so once we’ve set up camp and had a bit of an orientation wander we go for a swim. It’s freezing initially but once we’ve got used to it we’re in there for quite a while and it’s gorgeous. Sadly there’s not many fish where we’re swimming so there’s not much to see through the snorkels but just relaxing on the beach in the summer sun is good enough for us.
Dar had walked along the rocks while
I was getting on with making his Christmas Card. He came back with ‘bait’ for fishing with later - mussels or cockles that he’d blasted off the rocks.
Despite not seeing one fish whilst snorkelling we still thought we’d get out on the rocks and have a go. We got chatting to a chap called Coz who is pulling in fish after fish after fish! He’s very lively and we have a great laugh with him. He’s only come here for the afternoon, he lives in Port Lincoln and works on a prawn trawler but got word this morning that the owner of the boat had passed away so has come down here with his son to get away from it all. We’re astounded at the speed and number of fish he’s pulling in but he’s got a long line going out into the clear water past the weed and says he’s been fishing here since he was ten so it’s fair to say he knows what he’s doing. He offers us plenty to cook up tonight but we’ve got nothing to cook them on so he chucks the smaller ones back in and then heads off home leaving
us to have a go for ourselves. We of course get nothing, not a nibble, not a bite, not even a friendly chat from a passing fish! Our trouble is that we can’t get past the weed and that’s where all the lovely fish are hiding, in the clear non weed water.
Back at camp we tuck in to our very fine salad dinner and then set up the Rummikub on the picnic table. When darkness comes a draw is declared and we head into the tent for the night. There’s the odd snuffle from a kangaroo but other than that all we hear are the ocean waves crashing about 15 feet away from us, total bliss.
Dar and Sar
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Alec
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Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you both. Missing you loads and looking forward to seeing you mid 2010. And a very Happy Birthday. XXXX