April 7 2012 Mt Remarkable national park we do the hidden valley walk 18 km Josie keeps telling me to slow down but I have discovered Josie s volume control .If I walk fast Josie gets quieter and when I walk slow I can hear her again .Walking fast is my preference the tinnitus goes away .
8 April Point Lowly windy and there,s a fishing competition on campsite is crowded with fishermen oil refinery near by lit up at night like a city . Walked Wild dog hill a small hill off the highway in a desert like landscape that is of aboriginal significance Wyalla not a pretty town with a smelter, coal loading and power station .
9 April Pildappa rock South Australia s wave rock we did a night and morning walk of this rock Josie is getting worried when I go near the edge of the rock its all right I wont jump its not high enough I might survive . Gawler national park to view the organ pipe formations in rocks I feel like I am travelling with an old grey nomad Where ever we stop Josie checks out the toilets and gives ms a report on their condition and cleanliness . I think Josie should write a book on where the best and worst toilet stops around australia are I m sure women would buy that.
10 April Car trouble driving on corrugations and steering and brakes have changed jacked up wheels and wheel bearings are loose can t fix it here so I will leave it until we get to Ceduna to get bearings and tools .
11 April Were headed to Smoky bay to see Josie s friends Max Lyn and Brian crabbing off the jetty getting blue swimmers and squid . Went snorkelling in smoky bay not much to see but ribbon grass fishing in the afternoon and I caught a 34cm salmon yum .
12 April Drove to Ceduna car is wandering all over road and brakes aren t where they used to be with loose wheel bearings .In to Toyota for parts and tools a bit of grocery shopping and caravan park for repairs .Josie has afternoon to herself while I fix car .Got both wheels done before happy hour that was great or I would have had an audience of about 25 people .Up the road for a test drive and it feels like a new car stress levels falling now aaaah .Met James and his friends in caravan park on his return trip from WA with a group that had been to the max car and van show . Most had driven across from Melbourne .
13 April Out of Ceduna to Streaky bay took back roads to point westall nice day for a swim and snorkel in natural rock lagoon and lazing around in sun .
14 April Scaele bay to Point Labbat seal colony seals don’t do much just lay around like cats when there out of the water .Murphys haystacks a rocky outcrop in a field that have eroded into unusual shapes one rock had a beehive in it it smelt great .Lunch at port kenny town consisted of about 20 houses and the pub the shore is mostly limestone out to deep water .Across the water is Venus bay where we did the headland walk didn’t feel like staying here as two young men had died a week before after their boat capsized and the town was very quiet . Drove to talia cave which appears to have collapsed nothing to see there but wooolshed cave and the tub were within walking distance so we checked them out saw what we think was a baby eastern brown snake slide past our tent no tv here .
15 April Walkers beach another great day for a swim and snorkel Elliston headland drive with its artwork walked jetty met young couple with their kids that had done a lot of travel around oz two real characters they were a bit care free with kids but all three of them were healthy ..Locks weal beach and I caught a tommy surf was big and rough wouldn’t like to be in it .
16 April Sheringa beach ,point Drummond ,Coles point, Mt Greenly and Greenly beach Josie went for a swim here I chose to fish didn’t catch any thing .Have created new camping lingo are you having a coldie means hot shower or cold camping without showering after 3 days becomes campong Destinkify means removal of offensive odours from self ,clothing, bedding, car etc .
17 April Walked Farm beach watched boats being launched of f beach as we lead a very busy life admired tractor collection .Coffin Bay went to lookout and walked esplanade watched seal rubbing its nose and drifting past about 20 metres off shore in bay waters . Seal was holding back flippers with front flipper as he looked around watched him for about an hour another busy day .
18 April Coffin bay national park gunyah beach and I get bogged in soft sand Josie missed golden opportunity to get photo she has so much to learn .Point Avoid Yangie bay for lunch and swim at Jessie bay .
19 April Blacks springs well camp ground walked around rocks Josie went for a nude swim and scared of a yacht shes good this one . Sensation beach only sensation here is cold water not exactly what I was hoping for .Drove to whalers wells and hut circa 1800 s camped at point Sir Isaac .
20 April Coffin bay to pump up tyres with hand pump and Josie is helping training is going well she will make a good slave I mean wife for some one soon make payment to my account .Josie got blisters from using hand pump toughen up princess powder puff and don’t stop pumping up those tyres
21 April Lincoln bay national park and we wake up to rain so we decide to clean and work on computers .Just as im about to start on computer stranger stops and asks us about weather report and stays so we chat over lunch and coffee and he tells us his life story quite an interesting bloke .As we prepare to go for a walk I m thinking this is your que to leave but no Tony puts on his hiking boots and comes with us and stays for tea we do enjoy his company on this windy and rainy day .
22 April A Visit from Tony after breakfast we chat for a while and then we say our good bye and walk to Donington point light house and back . Saw a couple of shingle back lizards September beach was very nice . Josie is struggling to walk today not feeling energetic at all .Wallked approximately 20 kms and Josie looks like every step is an effort 4kms from camp and wind picks up bringing rain with it so cold it stings . During a break in the rain we admire the serene waters and sunset some fish feeding in the shallows and I say isn’t this great .Josie not talking world first and five minutes later it starts raining again now where completely wet and shivering with 2 kms to go get to camp and its dark tarp has blown down and Im so cold I cant get my fingers to retie ropes .We shower in rain water once your cold you don’t get any colder and sit in car with cuppa and have dinner .Food took Josies mind of feeling like crap she s talking again .Into bed with the tarp flapping in the wind and im not going out there to fix it I can sleep through that no problem . You just got to love camping in the rain in cold weather I think that’s our worst day yet .We really know we are in the land of high beam ,goose bumps, shivering and where the hell has my man hood gone much more of this cold weather and I think ill have to sit down to pee .
23 April Weather is sunny but still cold and blowing 30 knots and showers so we do the Wanna Sleaford bay dune drive seas are big and sand is being whipped of the top of the dunes scenery is great got stuck in soft sand again just reversed out no worries here .
24 April In to Port Lincoln to destinkify and do shopping weather is still overcast and cold even locals are rugged up and complaining .So I do the only smart thing and book myself on a swim with blue fin tuna . Fantastic feeding tuna in a sea cage then I jump in with them with snorkel set no wetsuit I went in first only to find out they supply wetsuits .So im the only one in there without a wetsuit . Having a great time they come in close and take pilchards from your hand . I put a pilchard in front of my mask in water and they come straight up eat it and swim away with out touching me .Their mouths open up big enough to swallow a soft ball .Spent too long in water because I was having so much fun with the tuna that I was still shivering an hour later Adventure bay tuna tours Flicka 24 april for photos of my tuna feeding im the goon without a wetsuit ,.Drove to lipson cove to camp and its windy dark and cold Josie gets out of the car and puts up tarp and tent makes our beds all the while im in the front of the car drinking beer . What a champ some times women can be really useful I still had to open my own beer though she didn’t get too carried away .
25 April Tumby bay and its still overcast , cold ,breezy and I would really appreciate some warm hands in the mens room and Josie who I might remind you wasn’t born with any man bits wants to go snorkelling .All I can think about is sunny queensland weather .I think this is some sort of pay back for last night .Some how I convince Josie swimming today is a bad idea I don’t think ill ever be able to pee standing up again .
