We basically stopped at every visitable bay/cove/headland/beach/swamp and private driveway along the way between Ceduna and Streaky Bay. As we traveled we would see the odd small squall out to sea.
We started with Decres Bay which is just out of Ceduna on a goodish dirt road. If you are planning to camp/caravan in this area you could do worse than stop here. There were three people camping on the headland. A glorious little beach with amazing shells. We essentially shared it with a pacific gull, a pied oyster catcher an half a dozen plovers (could not get close enough to identify the precise species). The only downside was that we found a couple of bits of broken beer bottle on this otherwise pristine beach. Irritating, but we decided to be Zen and merely took the glass with us.
Next stop Laura Bay which was a grain embarkation point. Beautiful large bay on one side with some mangrove and swamp behind it, A lovely private (?) beach at one end, and a quiet sandy cove on the other side of Laura Point. More beer bottles. The little squalls were getting bigger.
Next stop Smoky Bay. This was actually a small holiday hamlet with a pier and a shop. People were fishing on the pier and we spotted some dolphins in the protected bay. People were heading off to the oyster beds with oyster paraphernalia. It seem that each of these calm bays has oyster beds and each town at least one oyster bar. The water is amazingly calm at many of these sheltered bays.
It was warming up (mid twenties) but we kept exploring. Point Brown had about 20k of dirt road to get to it, and the sign had been stolen/knocked down, but it was stunning. An amazing arc of white sand and turquoise water with the darkening clouds behind it. We assumed that locals had knocked off the signs to keep this place to themselves......all the better to smash beer bottles at when tourists don't visit. Unfortunately there were a few smashed and whole beer bottles. Nonetheless we had a picnic of boiled eggs and fruit salad which went down a treat. We descended to the beach and I could not resist a dip. It was icy and quite steep so I did not last long but it was very enjoyable.
On our way back we spotted a side road and tried it. Marjan though it might be private, but I convinced her to give it a go. We drove past a huge hole in the ground and around the next corner was a private house....we could hear banjos so Marjan backed out quick smart. We almost reversed into the hole in the ground (it is visible on Google Maps) and turned our car around and headed back to the main dirt road.......delivered from sagans (sa bogans).
Next we imagined (it was not there) a sign to the Acraman Creek Conservation Reserve and took that road. Mostly it looked like swamp and what they appeared to be conserving was particularly nasty pot holes. The road was very bad. Eventually we got to the sea on a beach piled high with sea weed. Mostly for fishermen and swamp enthusiasts methinks.
Next stop Haslam. Another fishing hamlet, where we ate a sangger and watched some rays swimming about. Whilst on the pier or jetty (what is the difference?) we saw people catch two squid and a Port Jackson Shark. We also spotted some more dolphins.
Perlubie Beach appeared to be an opportunity to sell some foreshore land, admittedly with quite nice views. The beach again was quite sea weedy.
Finally after a gruelling 111k trip on which we probably drove 250k (140k on dirt roads), we made it to Streaky Bay and our waterfront accommodation. A lazy afternoon is in order. Marjan is getting some antipasto ready, the wine is chilled, the dolphins and pelicans are putting on a show and the deck over the bay calls.
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