Day 31 - Saturday 28 January - On to Tumby Bay

DAY 31

SATURDAY

28 January 2017 –  Wildcats  73 v Melbourne 71 – A good win, thankfully for Damian Martin's 250th game

Coffin Bay – Port Lincoln – Tumby Bay (Camps 8 SA#502)

Here we go again, on the move from this beautiful spot. Paul had done most of the packing away last night, so it was just a matter of hooking on the car and picking up last minute things, while securing everything inside. It was all done by 9.45am and we made our way to Port Lincoln again; our destination, Bunnings. With the gas bottle replaced and some bits n bobs bought we made it into the town centre for a grocery shop.

With Tunarama in full swing, we were conscious of parking, but managed to find a couple of parallel bays on a side road we could pull straight into behind the supermarkets. You beauty.

We collected the supplies we needed for the next few days, returned to unpack them into the van, grabbed the camera and made our way to the foreshore. People were already making themselves ready for the street parade, taking up prime positions along the route. We continued on to the beach, checking out what was left of the sand castle competition held earlier and the plywood boats built for the race later in the day.

The One and All Ship was floating in the middle of Boston Bay. It was offering various sailing adventures to one and all over the weekend. Another group of intrepid teens were making their way out in the rubber dinghy as we watched from the jetty.

We moseyed on back to the parade route, taking up a position in the shade. A large media scrum was making its way down the opposite sidewalk. Turns out our esteemed PM, Malcolm Turnbull was in the middle of the heaving throng. JOY! Where was my pocket full of stones when I needed it? He was ushered upstairs of the building opposite where he could watch with the civilised set.

The parade started at 12.30pm with many and varied floats put together by different community groups within the region making their way down the street. We enjoyed watching as they passed by throwing lollies and giving out freebies as they passed.

When the last of the classic cars, old tractors, fire trucks and participants had moved by we said a goodbye to the lovely family we had struck up a conversation with during the parade and navigated the crowd back to the van, driving onto the Beer Garden brewery.

We ate our rolls outside before returning to the venue so Paul could enjoy another crème brulee ale. There were a few more patrons about today which was good to see. Once he satiated his beer craving we set our course and headed north onto Tumby Bay.

Tumby Bay, is yet another seaside, summer tourist spot about 40min north of Port Lincoln and on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula. We found a place to park in the centre, then it was off to explore.  First of all the two pubs to see if they were running fox sport. Neither had stickers in their windows, bugger. Guess it was basketball by phone updates.

We wandered along the foreshore, another lined with Norfolk Pines and out onto the jetty. One person was fishing with a little success, while another group were busy jumping into the waters below. A sign at the start of the jetty informed us that the leafy sea dragon calls the area home.

We walked up to the caravan park to enquire on prices and internet, but at $36 and no wifi we made the decision to go elsewhere. We continued our walk through the park intending to make it to the lookout tower I could see, but we were foiled, when the channel crossed our paths and it was a windy way to the access bridge.

We wandered back through town to our van and then out to the self contained RV park 1km out of town and opposite the cemetery. There were a couple of other travellers already parked up, enjoying the quiet. We found a suitable spot and joined them, glad to stop for the day.

After our dinner we wandered across the road to the cemetery. It was fascinating read the gravestones, some more recent that others. Some were in serious disrepair with large gaps in the capping visible.

The night was still, but not too warm. While it would have been perfect conditions for night pics, I was just too exhausted. The cats were playing tonight, but my phone was telling me I had chewed through my monthly allowance of data. GRR. I will have to look in to upping my plan when I get wifi coverage again. So knowing we couldn’t check the cats score, we retired early to read and then it was off to the land of z.