The Last Leg Home...

After giving the car and trailer a MUCH needed clean at a car wash in Port Augusta (we are talking up to 3 inches of mud now set like concrete!) we started our journey towards the Eyre Peninsular, the Nullarbor Plain and home!

Our first quick stopover to break up the driving was Kimba – the town’s claim to fame is being halfway across Australia (that is via the road between Perth and Sydney), the other claim is a giant galah and the mining of black jade.

Our view at Streaky Bay - right on the beach!

Given the really windy weather, we decided to skip Coffin Bay and with it the southern Eyre Peninsula, missing our oyster fix and planned beach side break. We decided to chill out at Streaky Bay for a few days instead, as it was sheltered from the prevailing winds. We had been told by several people that it was paradise, and it turned out they weren’t far wrong! We scored a campsite just 20 metres from the water in a peaceful inlet AND the weather shined for us – hallelujah! Stuart enjoyed sitting on the beach fishing while being close enough to camp that beer, snacks or cups of tea were only a call away. (He deserved the spoiling; he hasn’t had too much good fishing weather!) We had visits from flocks of pelicans, gulls and even a beautiful stingray with brilliant blue strips! We tried fishing off the nearby jetty one night, but spotted more crabs swimming around sideways than any fish. The next day Stuart bought a crab net and took the kayak out to try his luck. When he retrieved the net there was not only no crab in it, but all the bait was gone and something had chewed a big hole in the netting! We figured maybe a seal ate it? Could it have been a stingray? Anyway, we bought some King George Whiting and scallops to eat and had a very relaxing 4 days!

As we were still to satisfy our South Australian oyster fix, we hunted out the ‘Oyster Bar’ in Ceduna; A little shack on the side of the road that only sells oysters and wine and has a roof top dining area with ocean views! We ate half a dozen kilpatrick oysters on the rooftop, and then purchased another dozen shucked natural oysters to have with dinner that night. But as we were about to drive off we went back inside and bought a dozen more unshucked oysters to share with Stuart’s parents we were due to see in a few days! Cholesterol raising feasts! Lucky no one was due for a blood test!


A Koonalda Station classic


Our Nullarbor adventure included multiple side trips to the coast line along the Great Australian Bight. The endless dramatic cliffs are quite impressive! After the first day’s driving, we picked the closest campsite within the Nullarbor Plain National Park and to our surprise it was an old abandoned homestead called Koonalda. The outside walls of the actual homestead building were constructed out of old railway sleepers, as was the surrounding fence and shearers kitchen nearby. In its day, the homestead served as a type of early roadhouse, with a petrol bowser and mechanical repairs. As it turned out, most of the cars never made it any further and there now lies a car graveyard with wrecks of old classics, including just about every model of Holden as well as a little Fiat 500 among others. Either the mechanic was useless, or you just couldn’t get parts out there I suppose! Stuart was in photographer’s heaven and went exploring with his camera at sunrise before the overnight mist cleared. And once again, he captured some magic shots!

Back on the road the next day it was time for the reality of crossing into West Australia! YIKES! It was good having the long straight Nullarbor crossing to talk and think about coming home and how we felt. And I think we were feeling pretty positive and excited. Our first night in WA was to be spent in Esperance meeting up with Stuart’s parents (Rob and Diane), who were on holiday and getting ready to start their month long stint as DEC Campground Hosts at Stokes Inlet. We took a short cut to Esperance via the Balladonia Road. It turned out to be the bumpiest ride, possibly of the ENTIRE trip!! I was silly enough to buy a hot chocolate at the Balladonia Roadhouse, (this also was a trip first!) and it was impossible to drink and I spilt it everywhere! The road was so rough and corrugated that the front forks of Stuart’s mountain bike bounced right out of the clamps holding it onto the camper!! ANOTHER first for the trip!! You would think that this close to home, there would be no more surprises!!

We snuck up on Rob and Diane at the Esperance Caravan Park and it was lovely to see family again that we hadn’t seen for 11 months! We spent the rest of the day and night catching up, spoiling ourselves with nice beer and wine, sharing yet more Ceduna oysters and hearing the latest news from home!

Black bream for dinner!

We followed Rob and Diane a day later to Stokes National Park where we stayed for three nights, easing our way back into reality. It really was the perfect way to end the holiday! In between Rob and Diane’s host duties, we had numerous cups of tea, ate, played cards, and Stuart finally got stuck into some fishing with plenty of bait! The Inlet is extremely salty (twice as salty as the ocean), so the only surviving fish were Black Bream, but they were thriving! Besides catching a decent fish on the first cast, Stuart rigged up with two hooks, and twice caught two fish at once. He also managed to catch one fish that had taken both baits and got hooked on both hooks! After Stuart had sussed out which size hook to use he continued with the single hook and was joined by Diane and me, poor Rob was left behind on campground duties, but we did bring home five size fish that day! Even I fished AND I caught an size fish! Diane caught two and Stuart caught two! Over the three days, we had fish sandwiches for lunch one day, baked fish with lemon and onions for dinner and thai fish cakes for another lunch! YUMMO! Rob loved it but was ready for a big steak by the time we left!

With only a little trepidation we said good-bye and started the very last leg of the journey. Our plan was to head to Wave Rock and stay the night at Hyden, but when we arrived at Hyden it was still early in the day, and it was so hot and DRY! You certainly all have had a different year from us! So we decided to bomb it home to my parent’s house! As we had been so undecided about our own plans, Mum and Bruce only got the call from York! Mum was chatting away, then asked ‘so which day are you going to be home?’....um, how about dinner time Mum? This was at about 4pm in the afternoon mind you! She did well and had the cars moved, dinner ready and had invited my sister over, so our arrival was really lovely and exciting! Well done Mum!

After lying low for a couple of days, we then completed our Round Oz trip by arriving in the driveway of our beautiful new home!!! WHOO HOO!!

How are we really feeling now?? I was like an emotional rollercoaster the day we were driving home, going from giddy excitement to tears and back again! But that’s pretty normal for me!! Ha. But since that day we have been pretty good, and taking it all in our stride! The excitement of a new house definitely helps! We can’t wait to catch up with everyone and have you over to the new house for a swim in the pool and a bbq! Yay!

The house seems enormous after living in the camper! And Stuart has said that he had already had the urge to move on the next place! But we will be here for a while yet!

Also a very special thank you to all our lovely friends who had us to stay around the country –

• Emma and Sandor for showing us around the Red Centre (NT),
• Aunty Dot for the welcomed use of your nice dry unit in Merimbula (NSW),
• Caroline, Richard, Elsie and Emily for sharing your house with us in Thornbury (Vic),
• Brenda and Elliot in Diamond Creek (Vic),
• Rob and Sue in Healsville (Vic),
• Paul and Carol in Rosevears (Tas).

You added so much to our experience and we have lots of great memories of sharing your homes and company! (Thanks also to Luke in Brisbane for allowing us to store the bikes and kayaks after Stuart broke his hand!)

Thank you everyone for all the support and contact! Hope you are all well and look forward to SEEING YOU IN PERSON SOON!! 11 months on the road together, and for all you jokers out there.... we are still happy and can’t wait to get married later this year!

Love Michelle and Stuart