We drove a short distance south of Ceduna, about 110 kms, in order to visit a place that I had heard much about, namely Streaky Bay.
And where did Streaky Bay get its name from? Captain Matthew Flinders. in 1802, named the bay Streaky Bay, when examining the coast in his ship The Investigator. He named it because of the streaks, caused by the reflection of light and seaweed, in the water across the bay. And so the name stuck.
Walter checked out the caravan parks the night before, just in case they were booked out, and found a fantastic place, 6 kms north of Streaky Bay, called Islands Caravan Park. This was a resort built by a couple from Perth, who were determined to build a perfect caravan park, and they most certainly achieved their aim. And what was more they charged the same price per night as every other caravan park, but you certainly got value for money there. The park was also only three years old. But more about the caravan park later.
We visited the town of Streaky Bay twice, once for coffee at the bakery and a walk around the foreshore, and the second time for coffee at the cafe, where we sat outside and talked to the people sitting having coffee and those walking past. Piper was a great ice breaker.
It would appear that Streaky Bay is a very popular holiday destination as well as a retirement place for us older people. There is certainly a building boom going on there.
There was plenty to see in the town, but not everything was open on the Sunday and Monday, so no photographs of the renowned giant shark jaws. Not sure if I really wanted to see them anyway. Too scary.
I really liked the well maintained cycle/walking tracks which ran for quite a distance on each side of the town, and wished that we still carried bicycles with us. One of the downsides of owning a small caravan.
The view from the gardens on the foreshore. My apologies as I could not find any information about the poles in the foreground of the photograph. They look very effective.
A shark proof swimming enclosure which abuts the jetty. These enclosures appear to be popular in the towns on both York and Eyre Peninsulas. And difficult to see in the photograph below, but there were pelicans sitting on the fence.
The lovely old pub on the corner.
We went on a couple of scenic drives,. Westall Way Loop had dramatic rock formations. We spent time time walking on the flat granite boulders, and looking at the tiny fish in the deep pools of water. The surf was pounding against the rocks further out, but the rocks protected us and a large smooth pool where it was possible to swim safely. A popular spot to snorkel apparently. We were not tempted as it was a little chilly. Luckily we had left our bathing suits at home.
The area is very popular with surfers, as there are big waves out there.
Walter and Piper posing on the smooth granite rocks.
The Bauer Loop contained spectacular views of the rugged coastline. We stopped at Whistling Rocks and the Blowholes. After walking down very easy steps and across a walkway over what appeared to be a desolate volcanic floor, we arrived at the focal point of the walk.
This was a very noisy spot, luckily we were well fenced in otherwise it would have been even scarier. And it was low tide, and no strong wind. The noise of the surf crashing onto the shelf was scary enough, without the whistling sound as it moved through the cavern.
We walked along another walkway where we saw the magnificent coastline.
The white limestone roads were in very good condition.
And back to the Islands Caravan Park. There were two tiny islands which I guess is why the caravan park was named Islands. It was possible at low tide to walk to one of the islands, which I did but the sand was very soft and difficult to walk on.
Piper loved being on the two beaches, especially when the ball was thrown along the beach. The sand on the second beach, photograph below, was considerably harder and easier to walk on. The water was very shallow, and great for dogs, and for people paddling.
Piper waiting for me to pick up the ball.
The caravan park had a desalination plant for their water supply and a bank of solar panels, so were very eco friendly.
The ablution blocks contained individual bathrooms, which I have only seen once before, at a Caravan Club site in Cornwall.
The swimming pool was a little on the tiny side, more a plunge pool really, but then the sea was just a few minutes away.
The sites were all large, with shrubs and trees bordering each site. There were brick paved walkways between shrubs with access roads running throughout the site. The landscaping was superb.
The road in the photograph below, ran between the office and the amenities room and laundry. The amenities room contained comfortable couches and chairs and rugs on the floor. Very comfortable. This was where we could access the wifi.
And I forgot to say about the barbeque areas, and the camp kitchens. All top quality. We opted to have our own ensuite, which only cost a few dollars more. A little bit of luxury and made a change from the portaloo at night.
My only complaint about the area was the lack of a telephone signal for us, as Aldi sim card users. Now Aldi use Telstra, and we normally do not have a problem getting a connection. But in Streaky Bay Telstra was not going to allow other providers to use their mast, which was very high and right in the middle of the town. There was also another very high mast, which we presumed belonged to Optus. So those of us on cheaper packages went without a telephone connection. Ah well, it does not always pay to go for a cheaper option.
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