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We woke late at Gibbon and finally were ready to get on the road. Last thing to be checked everytime we move off are the lights on the van. Nothing. We used Dave's trick of spraying WD40. Nothing. We had to proceed without lights again.
It was weird, we know they were working when we arrived at the site. The road was gravel but had JUST been graded and was in perfect condition. Better than the tarred roads in Brinkworth. We travelled straight through to Tumby Bay where we knew there was an auto electrician and the problem was fixed. Apparently one wire had come loose, but he did some more magic and all is well again. From what we can gather speaking to other vanners lights are generally the biggest problem.
We booked into the caravan park and headed off to check out Tumby Bay. This is where we were supposed to come for a croquet tournament last year and had to cancel because Graham got Shingles. We are very impressed. It is a lovely town, about 2,000 people apparently everything is very neat and tidy. It reminds me of Esperance in WA. Same sweeping bay, same Norfolk
pines lining the reserve along the bay and same piles of seaweed.
This is also where we found out we did not win $50 Million.....
We headed off and did some sightseeing. First check out the croquet greens then we walked out along the jetty. There was a very brisk wind blowing and when the birds took off they were actually being blown backwards. The majority of the birds were not seagulls but pigeons, I think they are pigeons because the coo but I have not yet managed to identify them in my bird books. The only gulls we saw were Pacific Gulls which can be as big as 25 inches.
After walking around the town centre we headed off to the lookout to check out the Joseph Banks Archipelago, a string of 17 small granite islands just off the coast. They have been used for grazing in the past but are now part of a Marine Park, though they can be visited.
Because we had the time we decided to travel out to Koppio where there is a museum run by the National Heritage bods. The drive out through the Koppio hills (you need to
take the southern road) is stunning especially the views of the sea. I saw some but Graham couldn't turn his head and look as he was driving.
Koppio was a real find. Unlike many of the other museums run by volunteers which are shabby, run down and very dusty this one was spotless, well signposted and chock a block with really interesting things. We only had two hours and barely scratched the surface.
The first was the store which was also the office. It was packed with bygone products, the fellow even had a packet of caps for the old cap guns boys used to play with when we were kids. Next we visited a heritage display based on the possessions of a german family named Jerico who settled the area. They were hoarders and threw nothing away. Alan, the stamped envelopes would send you crazy and there are hundreds of stamps just in a pile in a display case. A treasure trove I am sure. A huge collection of greeting cards some of which date back to the late 1800's. Coins, handiwork, bibles, clothing, photos, letters, account books just so much, really worth a look.
We
went into an exhibition of images and art works about the fires on the peninsula "Burning Issues" I personally found it very confrontational but worth a visit. I came away feeling very uncomfortable simply because of the suffering displayed in a couple of the images.
Then the inevitable vehicles including a tank. Apparently it had been used in the desert against Rommel and then as war surplus sold to farmers who used them as scrub bashers! There was also another tank but when we looked closely at it, it was a replica. There were horse drawn vehicles, tractors (so many makes I had never heard of) agricultural machines, and also a collection of stationary engines all of which are beautifully restored and in working condition - and spotless.
One of the things which caught out eye when reading about this place was it had one of the best collections of barb wire in the world. Now how could that not pique your interest. Well we were gob smacked. The man who collected the wire Bob Dobbins began collecting in 1984 when given a display box of wire by a friend (there is a photo) within a short time
he had over 700 examples of different barb wire and became famous all over the world for his collection. He traded all over the world as well and was inducted into the United States Barbed Wire Hall of Fame, the first non-American citizen to receive such award. Well we didn't know what to expect and it was worth a look. All the wire is beautifully presented and labelled. Hundreds of different bits. There are memorials to things like the Berlin Wall and war sites like Ypres. The most unusual collection of anything I have ever seen.
The Koppio School House has been brought to the site and a display of school based items are there some of which I remember using especially the readers. There is also a display of indigenous spears etc on the wall.
The Brennand Cottage is set up as it would have been in the 1890's as so many are.
The Smithy is where it was originally built and was restored in 1968. It looks like you could go in there today and light the fire and start work.
There was even a thatched cottage made out of logs. Very picturesque.
The grounds were beautifully kept and all this is done by the caretaker and his wife. It is one of the nicest local museums we have visited. It was closing time and we needed to leave we could have spent a whole day there.
Back in Tumby Bay it was late so we decided to go to one of the local pubs for dinner they were having a pasta and pizza special night for $12 a head. I went off to the shower and had the whole place to myself as there are very few vans currently here. I was really enjoying the hot water when there was a very insistent meow outside the shower stall I was in, it kept getting repeated, so when I turned off the water I went and opened up the door. In strolled a large, fluffy tabby cat who headed straight for the shower recess and began to lap up the water. I dried myself packed everything up and still the lapping was going on. When I picked up my things I was escorted off the premises.
Ratbag used to sit outside the shower waiting until you had finished and he would
take over the shower stall and drink just the same. When he died I really missed not seeing the large black and white blob waiting on the bath mat for his turn. Next day I enquired about the cat as to whether it was a stray or not to discover her name is Sarah and she is the park cat.
At the Sea Breeze hotel the lamb pizza sounded weird and the pasta didn't inspire us either so we had food from the al la carte menu. Graham's Fillet Mignon was apparently perfectly cooked and very nice but he did declare that the mushroom sauce was not as good as Clare's from the Koolunga Hotel. I had the salt and pepper squid and there was too much to eat, but it was nice. Our first dining out by ourselves since we left home, we did go out with Dave and Shirley in Katherine one evening.
The weather reports are predicting winds and showers over the next 4 days especially along the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula where we are heading. We decided to stay here in Tumby Bay for two more days and do the washing (again)
and then head overland missing Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay joining on to the west coast road just south of Mount Hope and Sheringa thus missing the really bad weather on the south coast.
On Thursday it started out with a little rain then cleared and everything was lovely. Next we knew we were getting wind gusts of up to 50 kph and some heavy rain. The wind was so severe it was rocking the van alarmingly. We wished that the caravan park was full and we had a 20+ foot van on each side to offer a buffer. Today Friday it has been cold with only a very little rain and the occasional bit of breeze, so we will head off tomorrow via Cummins. We will look out at the Sheringa Roadhouse in case Shaun Mills' vehicle is there.
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We loved Tumby Bay as well. Did you see the quaint little octagonal building on the foreshore - it was fully muraled. We checked out the Croquet Greens as well. Thought you would approve. Glad lights are fully operational once again. How's the COLD temps? When do you intend to arrive in Perth. Which park are you heading for. The one close to Judith has a great rep. Lynley's friends or relies were managing it at one stage but have moved on now. It's a Discovery Park I think. Keep on keeping on. Rob & Barbara. Ps. Still loving the Oakleys blogs as well .