Nomanville with Friends

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On a glorious autumn day and being afforded the luxury of not having to share the road with all the others escaping city life for the Adelaide Cup Holiday Long week end we hit the road early Friday morning. Expressway after expressway and with a coffee stop in Willunga we arrived in Normanville at midday.



After setting up the caravan what better way to celebrate the start of our Limestone Coast break than with fish and chips and a beer. Isn’t this what you do at the beach? And we know … this is not the Limestone Coast but first we were to spend the weekend with our friends, Sheila and Brian in the Normanville Caravan Park. We were glad we got there early as by the end of the day the place was packed.



With dinner on its way, a chicken roasting in the Baby Q, we could relax with a drink while we waited for Sheila and Brian to arrive.



During dinner Sheila demonstrated how not to pour salad dressing as she showed us how one of her children pours reluctant sauce from a sauce bottle. The salad dressing got its revenge and we all got a good laugh. Dinner done we took a stroll down to the beach finishing up at Sheila and Brian’s block where they are soon to start building their dream retirement home. It was clear we would have to visit again in daylight hours to get a better picture but it all seemed pretty impressive … even in the half dark.



Saturday we drove to Deep Creek National Park which offers a range of bushwalks, some clearly more challenging than others. We opted for the medium difficulty walk to Deep Creek Cove aiming to be back for a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful walk along a somewhat stony path that wound its way through shrubs and grasses on its way to the beach. The blackened stems and trunks eluded to a not so distant passed bushfire. Glimpses of the sea could be seen at regular intervals as the path rose before descending into dips and finally the steep descent to the beach. With good excuses Joan and Sheila watched as Brian and Greg disappeared into the distance, finally making it to the beach. As Sheila and Joan waited they were entertained by the groups that passed them by wondering how many of them would make it to the end. High heeled boots seemed hardly appropriate attire.



Greg and Brian returned huffing and puffing, reassuring the girls they had made the right decision to bail when they did. Back at the car park we found a picnic table and shared a refreshing lunch of wraps provided by Sheila and Brian. As we dined a group of blue wrens flittered around on the ground and in the bushes nearby.



We stopped by the house site on the way home … yes it was still there and will make a lovely place to build a home being both close to the town centre and the beach.



Dinner was another beautiful meal prepared by Sheila and Brian. A Salmon noodle salad and a roast pumpkin, feta and rocket salad was the perfect way to finish the day.



Breakfast Sunday morning was a bacon and egg sandwich at the Surf Life Saving Club conveniently located at the edge of the caravan park. Then it was off to the Cape Jervois Market. A stall of locally made knives did not temp Greg but the local produce stall with jams, sauces and other titbits did attract a purchase or two.



Having seen the end of the Heysen Trail on our Flinders Ranges Trip last August it was fitting to see the start here at Cape Jervois. In fact together with Saturdays walk, a walk along the trail for some distance seemed an appropriate way to negate our food indulgences for the weekend. As the trail wandered along the cliff edge it gave us a wonderful view of Kangaroo Island. The sea was very calm so anyone making the ferry trip to the island would have had a smooth journey, something you cannot always rely on.



Back at camp we made lunch while Sheila and Brian headed into town to purchase items for a team effort dinner. BBQ steak by Greg, salad by Joan and Sheila and BBQ corn by Brian. A true team effort and dammed delicious.



The weekend was done all too quickly and before we knew it Sheila and Brian were heading off. We had shared some great times and chatted a lot … we did have a lot to catch up on. The caravan park emptied as quickly as it had filled and soon our caravan was standing alone … but not for long.

Not leaving until Tuesday and not being familiar with the area, we decided to explore the immediate coast a little more. Second Valley and Rapid Bay were delightful finds and places we would like to explore some more, especially with the kayak.

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Comments

[Sheila]

Normy
A fantastic weekend with great friends bush-walking & fine dining. What more could one want!

[SilverLinings]

Normy
Had a great time and will have to do it again.