Southward we drove......for about 10KMm to a place called Woolshed Cave. There were a couple of things to look at so we skipped past the Woolshed Cave car park....we would check it on the way back. So off to a place called the tub. The sandstone we had seen at the end of Mt Camel Beach was much more pronounced and colourful here. Really beautiful.
The large beach and dunes and the salt lake behind them is a conservation park, and a great place for 4WD beach drivers. We however stayed on the gravel.
Back to Woolshed, where the empty car park now held 6 4WD cars, 6 caravans, 12 people sand a dog. We had been ambushed by the ravening hordes of grey nomads. We have got used to having most places to ourselves out here so this was a bit of a shock. Woolshed was as lovely as The Tub and it had some Nankeen Kestrels nesting near the top lip of the cave. We clearly obeyed the signs.
At the other end of this sandy bay, we stopped at this amazing camping spot called Walker's Rock. Again 4WD beach lovers fantasy, but very nice to look at and to use to stretch our legs around the rocky headland. On the way out we spotted a black shouldered kite.
Next stop Elliston. It is a quiet, clean and quite lovely little town, nestled at the bottom edge of Waterloo Bay. Most stunning of all are the cliff edge/top drives both north and south of town that are mind blowingly beautiful. We did the north drive first and spotted some Wedge tailed Eagles and Nankeen Kestrels. The islands off the coast looked amazing and the water was sparking and clear.
We parked by Waterloo Bay in town and had a picnic lunch with some fresh Elliston bakery bread and pate. After lunch we had a look at the cliffs at the southern end of town.
Back on the road. The landscape changed considerably. It was very rocky, scrabbly sheep country. Lots of remnant dry stone walls and the odd limestone ruin. It looked like fairly poor agricultural land. A few salt lakes appeared along the way. Towards the southern end of one of the lakes. Lake Hamilton we turned off to have another look at a cliff.......and we had been advised that some Ospreys nested there. To our surprise they did, and we had an enjoyable time watching them and checking out some wildflowers on the cliff.
Somewhere south of here the country started to change again........It looked like it was wetter. There were floodways and lo and behold a creek, with water mind you, that looked like it actually ran for a few kilometres from a lake to the sea. There were mountains and in one of the floodways some river red gums. Very different country to the drier areas we have been. Grain was again being grown.
We got to Coffin Bay and checked in. The woman who ran the place was quite disconcerted when she realised we were not fisher people.......Coffin Bay is a fishing town..............and also because we did not have a 4WD........You'll be able to see some of the national park I suppose.........but she let us check in anyway..........the local cop will probably drop by a few times to make sure we are not trouble makers.
We went for a walk along the shore. Spotted some ne holland honeyeasters, and lots of new wildflowers......kennedias, thryptomines, happy wanderers, correas, cocky's tongue.......but no camera, so no more photos.
See ya!
No comments:
Post a Comment