Whyalla, Fitzgerald Bay, Chinaman Creek

Whyalla, Fitzgerald Bay, Chinaman Creek
14 – 16 December

From Spencer Gulf

After we saw Asher off on the 6am bus to Adelaide, I paid up for a second night at the Caravan Park and set about camp duties – two loads of washing, shopping, and servicing the car. I had notbbeen able to find a mechanic who could service of Twiggy that week, but the Caravan Park Manager agreed to let me use his yard (you can't do mechanical work in caravan parks). I went and got new air, fuel and oil filters, engine oil, a few tools and a sump oil catcher and set about the service. A few hours later, the job was done, and the Manager rewarded with beer and the sump oil catcher to keep. It was free to dispose of the used oil at the local rubbish tip, but I had to pay $1 to tip the empty plastic container I took the oil in! Meanwhile the boys had fun bouncing on the huge air balloon in the playground and riding trikes for which the manager waived the usual hire fee. Although I had paid up for another night, there seemed little point staying in Whyalla as we had done all we needed to do, and were keen to keep moving. Well, except that Bro was keen to have a go at raking for crabs. So we hired some crab rakes (free again) and Bro headed out onto the Whyalla mud while Fabe and I packed up.

From Spencer Gulf

Eventually we all went out and managed to rake up some crabs but even the biggest was just under legal size.

In the late afternoon we drove up to Point Lowly which is a place you can catch snapper from land and is the breeding ground of giant cuttle fish. We were keen to catch snapper but the free camping area was pretty plain and already held a few campers. Heading further up, we checked out a couple of camps at Fitzgerald Bay and found a spot by ourselves on the edge of the bay. By ourselves, that is, until another cruiser and camper trailer arrived. They politely came and inquired if we minded them camping near us and weren't put off by the threat of some trumpet music in the evening. The next carload who arrived even later managed no such niceties and after spending an hour trying and failing to erect first a tent, and then a tarp in the failing light, all six of them piled into their troop carrier for what must have been a fairly uncomfortable night. At least they turned their music off before midnight. The wind was less merciful and kept our tent flapping all night.

Next morning, I was surprised by 4 claws waving at me as I passed our wash basin. The polite campers had departed early and left us the crabs they caught last night!

From Spencer Gulf

We kept the crabs in a bucket in the car and headed off around the Spencer Gulf, through the surprisingly pleasant Port Augusta, and out by mistake past Wilmington thinking we were heading for the campground of Mount Remarkable National Park. Realising our mistake, we backtracked to Wilmington and paid $4 to visit the Toy Museum, the creation of a man who appears to have managed to play with toys (and collect them) for his whole life. On a side track to Hancock's Lookout, we spotted some goannas apparently fighting beside the road. After watching them for a while, we realised it was more like nuptial cuddling.

From Spencer Gulf

Always keen for a fish, we dropped in on Chinaman's Creek which we had been told by a port Augusta Local was a place you could catch King George Whiting. It was deserted but nice enough, and we discovered had a basic camping area. Good enough for us, and while the wind blew and no fish edible fish were caught, there was noone around to disturb with the trumpet playing.