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Published: February 7th 2014
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Streaky Bay
Cooling down Arrived at Streaky Bay in wonderful weather very warm and little wind( the wind has been a feature along the SA coast).The caravan park is right next to the beach with some sites being on the beach edge.We tried for a beach site but were told we would have to wait a couple of days,we elected to move on to a site 1 row away from the beach and move again in 2 days to a beach front site.I noticed however the selected beachfront site was empty( I concluded it was to be taken that day for 2 days) When the next day came no one on the site so I inquired at the office and they realized the previous occupants had left without telling them,so we moved sites,we are now on a beachfront site.
Streaky Bay population 1,150 with a district population of 2,189 is the hub of a bustling agricultural district and is the major service centre for the surrounding district.Again we see large grain silos on the outskirt of town indicating to all that this is a grain growing area.Beef,sheep,pig and poultry farming are also strong here together with fishing and oyster farming.The town is well placed
Streaky Bay
Our van right on the beach to be a base from which to explore the surrounding countryside.
We settled in to our new beach site and take in the view and what a view,the water is also very inviting with the first couple of days temperature in the high 30's and low 40's.The weather continued to remain warm but occasionally dropping down to mid 20's,winds are variable with a couple of nights and days very high forcing us to put the roll out awning away for safety.
The town is small and easy to get around, it has the usual collection of essential shops and a pub.Boasting two museums one of which has over 200 working small engines from yesteryear.
In the local garage you can view a replica of the of the great white pointer shark that was caught by rod and reel. This massive shark was a world record catch, weighing 1,500 kilograms and more than five metres long. It was caught on a 24 kilogram line in 1990
The jetty again serves as a fishing platform together with the adjacent boat ramp.which has plenty of use this time if year.Once again we see a growth in new housing with
new estates taking shape,well planned and spacious they blend into the local scenery.
Outside of town there are three distinctive scenic loop drives which take in the headlands and beaches, many of the beaches are not accessible other than by boat.Some however have boardwalks and steps leading down to them,popular with fishermen and families alike they still remain relatively empty. These drives uncover some breathtaking coastal views and untouched beaches.The first drive we did took us on the Cap Bauer loop drive about 40ks round trip.Although the drive allowed us to see again the amazing coastline the highlights must be Whistling Rocks and blowholes where the force of the waves rushing to shore and meeting the rugged cliffs have formed blowholes on the surface of the cliffs were water is forced up from the bottom of the cliffs to form streams of water as if from nowhere,only visible at high tide this natural phenomenon is unique to this part of the coastline.The whistling rocks are what they are when the water hits them with all it's force a whistling sound can be heard.
Our second drive out was to The Westall Way Loop Drive a return of 31ks
and again we were privileged to see some magnificent coastal scenery with numerous vantage points at which to take photographs and gaze in awe at the vista. Surfing and swimming are popular along this stretch of coast with beach names such as Granite rocks and smooth pool.Before returning to Streaky bay we take a small detour to Yanerbie beach and gaze in wonder at the towering white sand hills which we are told are great for sand boarding,we left that to the young ones,not that there was any there at the time we were.
Our third scenic drive takes us to Point Labatt conservation park and Murphy's Haystacks a round trip of 70ks .Again we are privileged to see such magnificent coastal scenery along this route. The park is home to the only permanent colony of sea lions and one of Australia's most endangered marine animals and the worlds rarest sea lions.A viewing platform 50 meters above the colony allows visitors to view this colony undisturbed.Binoculars and cameras with telescopic lens are best required for a close up view as they bath on the sand and frolic in the clear pristine water,the colony is some 50 in number and
cohabitate with NZ fur seals although we did not see any NZ seals on the day we visited.What a spectacular view to see these creatures in their natural habitat unperturbed by those watching from above us and another couple, we spent quite some time there.
We moved on to another spectacular visitor attraction, the 1,500 million year old geological wonder known as Murphy's haystacks rising out of the ground to form huge granite boulders and pillars known as iselbergs. Weathered by time and erosion these rocks are now a delight for photographers as they give up their pink hue in the sunlight. Local legend has it that they acquired their name from a Scottish agricultural expert who saw the landmark from a distance and thought they were haystacks, the land on which they stand at the time was owned by a man called Denis Drinan Murphy and so they became Murphy's Haystacks.Today they stand on private land and a toilet and picnic area is provided and entry is by an honesty box at which a gold coin donation is appreciated to help maintain the site.
Time left at Streaky Bay is spent swimming and lazing in the water
Streaky Bay
View from the caravan just 10 paces from our caravan together with a little beach fishing and yes you guessed it no fish were caught. Our next port of call is Ceduna the gateway to the Nullamor and just past there is entry to Western Australia and a quarantine checkpoint so we need to check our fridge and food because the quarantine inspectors are very strict and adhere to the rules meticulously.
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