2013 # 3 Port Lincoln

We are having a rest in Port Lincoln on the southern part of the Eyre Peninsula. Population 14,000, very laid back because their nearest city is Adelaide, which is 700 km by road (less if you take the ferry) or 300 km by air.  So, it is quite isolated.   Loaves and fishes are the currency here – the biggest wheat silo and export port and the biggest fishing fleet in the Southern hemisphere.

The drive last night around the marina showed off the fishing fleet, very impressive.  The old song came to mind – “Summertime and the living is easy”, sung by a beautiful young negress as she waited in vain for the fishing fleet to return…….  Who can remember that opening scene and that movie

No rain or wind today – just to give us a break – the sun even shone briefly this afternoon.  What a change!  Today (Thursday) we followed the Whalers Way, South East of Port Lincoln and reaching out into Spencer Gulf.  The Whaling station was about 1830’s, but was not successful and eventually closed, fortunately.  We did not see one whale today, though we did keep scanning the ocean.  The only tyre tracks there were our own from coming in to exiting.  No maddening crowds here!  We did see some interesting land falls and coastline, a blowhole and several crevasses and some very old rocks, though nobody can explain where they came from.  We saw four Emus today. All the driving was on sandy roads or tracks, often with lakes of water from recent rains.

Port Lincoln Tourist Park is a wonderful caravan park. It is like a beautiful gentle beginners ski slope.  Everyone has their own space and each has concrete platforms for van and annexe.  We have pipe fences for privacy and the vans are staggered, so everyone has wonderful views of the ocean, islands and the boats coming and going, with two piers where you can fish for tea and come home with a good feed and only $32 per night.  It’s quite a modern town with good facilities and shops. One downside here is the Razor Fish which will cut your feet to pieces if you step on them, cut your toes off even! They are shellfish, shaped like a raindrop. They bury the pointy end in the sand and leave the rounded top just above the sand.  They are not everywhere fortunately, but you have to watch out for them.

There is a marvellous heated pool here, but we haven’t made it in for a swim as yet, but sure we will before our time is up. There are plenty of luxury houses and no shortage of money here, it seems. The folk are friendly and do not seem to hanker after anything that they may not have.

Last night I watched Graeme spend more than three hours trying to figure how to upgrade the firmware to allow emergency calls to 000 or 112  on his Satellite phone before we cross the Nullarbor.  It needed upgraded USB drivers for Win7 64-bit before it would work. 

There is plenty to do here. You can swim with the sharks in a shark cage or you can swim with the Tuna in a big circular pond and these are being farmed.  Apparently they are very large fish – as large as a person. You can also swim with the Sea Lions and the Great Whites. There are also plenty of sea sports, yachting, fishing charters and surfing.