South Australia - End of the Odyssey

Having crossed the border, this time pre-empting the confiscation of fruit and veg for quarantine purposes and feeling very self righteous for having had the foresight to pre-cook all remaining carrots, kale, tomatoes & onions, we continued on our journey across the Great Australian Bight

The view from the top of the cliffs afforded a spectacular panorama, which brought to mind the song “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”.  The cliffs appear to go on and on into the distance, and once again the water was crystal clear and as blue as blue.  The gale was still blowing though, evidenced by the dishevelled hairdo in photos, so not really appropriate for a picnic.

Unfortunately the road to the actual “Head of the Bight” was inaccessible, in that the caretakers close the gate at 4.30pm, so being a few minutes later than that, we passed by without visiting.  However there was a sign saying 0 Whales Today.  We feel very blessed that when we visited the spot a few years ago we saw some 150 odd whales and their babies.

Continued on to Streaky Bay, where we spent a couple of days with some old friends, feasting on snapper, squid & oysters, fresh from the Bay.

Seafood heaven !!

So now we are back in Aldinga, close to Trev’s Mum, and having spent time in Mannum & Keith on the way, where we caught up with cousins, we really are on the last leg so to speak.  The next few weeks will be taken up with spending time with rellies and friends, as well as cleaning up the van & getting the car serviced in readiness for their storage for the next however many months?  There is still a bit of red dust to extricate from little nooks & crannies, especially in the car.

We have had a wonderful time, enjoyed every second, and thank our God for safety on the road & continued excellent health.  It has been a trip of a lifetime and we wouldn’t change a moment.  Thank you all for following our journey, your encouragement and many prayers.  We are blessed indeed !!!

So until next time the STOCKS-ARE-ON-THE-ROAD,    Bye xxxxxxx

Esperance - Nullarbor

Well here we are again after a slight hiccup in the blogging process, I am here to finish the story.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Esperance, as apart from the magnificent beaches we found it to be a friendly and relaxed town with more of a holiday atmosphere than Albany, which we always considered to be the southern WA holiday spot.  Certainly a lot of people from our old farming area used to go there for their annual holidays.

The journey across the Nullarbor bore no resemblance at all to the original trek from Adelaide to our new home on the farm in Beverley some 45 years ago.  Then, we travelled in a convoy consisting of a truck loaded with our furniture & other farm gear, a car and trailer & car and caravan.  It was late January and stinking hot, and to make matters worse most of the road was unsealed & corrugated.

This time the weather was very pleasant, and although the scenery wasn’t exactly riveting, it was interesting to travel the road again.  Our first camp spot was off the road, tucked in amongst the trees and soon there were another two vehicles joining us.  An older couple & a young family with 3 delightful boys.

After we’d all set up, we gathered firewood and soon had a couple of small fires going on which we cooked our meal, and later when the kids were bedded down the six of us gathered around our fire.  The older guy produced a piano accordion and was soon entertaining us with songs & poems from times long past.  It was THE most enjoyable night we’ve had at a camp spot yet.

I would love to give you a detailed description of the scenery along the way, but to be honest there wasn’t any !! Mile upon mile of flat nothing land.  I was going to drive the “longest straight road in Australia” (from Balladonia to Caiguna – 146.6kms) but there was such a strong SE wind blowing there was no way I was going to take the wheel – not with 24’ of caravan hanging on the back!! No way !!

As you can see, there isn’t really a lot to see, and there weren’t too many bends in the road even to break the monotony, but at least you could make a cup of tea and know that you weren’t going to tip it all over yourself  !!









So my dear husband has driven all 22,000+ kms and has encountered more than his fair share of head winds.  We thought at least driving from west to east we may get a bit of a tail wind, but no – it didn’t happen.

It was quite a momentous occasion when we crossed the border into South Australia, because in effect it was marking the end of our “holiday”, and meant we seriously were at the tail end of our trip.  A bitter sweet feeling really.

However, we still have a few enjoyable weeks with friends and family in SA,  so it’s just a new chapter.

More soon  xx