Eyre Peninsula Easter Camping 2010

The four day break is one many Australians look towards to “get away”.

Keeping the thread of reports on Easter in this diary is as follows.

In 2007 I was still finding my place at Newcomb in New Mexico and the most vivid memory of that time was a sunrise service on Coyote hill or Blue Mesa.  2008 was in Carolina visiting the Congaree Swamp National Monument and attended a “Sunrise Easter service” in a Southern Baptist black Afro American church; we being the only whites in the congregation. An unforgettable experience. 2009 back at the farm at Utunyah (my daughter and fiance visited) and then to Pt Lincoln fishing. 

The 2010 "get away" was special also with a choice of heading to the beach if hot or the Gawler Ranges if cooler. With idyllic weather proved the beach was the destination and a new area for me was explored between Venus Bay and Pt Labatt the home of the famous seal colony near Baird’s Bay. To keep the fishing spot in tact we will use the term Tyringa beach loosely. I will post pictures as they will tell the best story and highlight some unique differences of this West coast to the gentler gulf waters of the East coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Where we camped had totally different rock structures jutting into the sea of red granite that you can find inland towards Minnipa and Wudinna. This provided a huge colour contrast to the white sandy beaches and the limestone cliffs with their calcareous capstone. Camp was set looking across the sea to Point Wayland being one of the headlands into Venus bay. This high cliffed area picked up the different sun light of yellows and oranges to the blue and purple shadows of the coastal indents.

The beaches had very course granite type sand which as the waves broke and moved up the beach disappeared into the sand rather than retreat. I also tried to capture the clarity of the water as you could see right through as the waves broke. Along this coast  are many rock pools and one the non fisherman used was shaped like a huge saucer where the mums sat and the kids used a creative watering system to add interest to the day. An Osprey or sea eagle came in for a brief look then glided away for better prey. As twilight settled six pelicans made their flight across our location as did shags to their own special rock. 

It was great to relax with a good book and hear the laughter of the children of two local families and extended family I camped with. The camp formed a base with several other 4WD loads of visitors having lunch or staying on for dinner, typical west coast hospitality. Fresh fish for breakfast over the camp fire, tomatoes, bacon and eggs and even Nan’s  chocolate fudge with  a good coffee was nearly as good as Easter eggs an Australian chocolate Bilby on Sunday morning. Lunch, BBQ and salads, or cold meat washed down with whatever was in the esky or from the kettle being kept on the boil. At night a camp oven roast chicken, curry and rice, apricot crumble or apples with sultanas and honey baked in foil, red and white wine beer, coffee, tea (Lady Earl Grey), soft drinks or water “city dining eat your heart out”. Beach Volley ball or squidding at night added to a fantastic weekend. Sunday the families gathered to read from the Missal, prayers, the gospel readings, about Jesus rising from the dead, what a natural way to enrich the Easter camping week end.

Coming home I drove past Murphy’s Haystacks again some interesting granite formation in the middle of a farmers paddock. These large boulders would be 30-40 ft in height, obviously over time the surrounding land has been eroded way, quite unique.