I was once one of the many travellers who, upon driving down the eastern shore of South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, would pass the Port Clinton turn-off without a second thought.

That was my mistake.

And theirs.

Because it’s only 90 minutes from Adelaide, it’s a great base from which to explore many of the FAAAAABULOUS upper Yorke Peninsula’s attractions AND it gives great chill-out.

So why haven’t more people discovered Port Clinton South Australia?

Beats me. Especially when it’s got these HOT FIVE things to see and do! Sit back and take a tour – then tell me you don’t want to see them for yourself!!

The Scenery

Port Clinton’s location on the Yorke Peninsula and nearly at the northern tip of Gulf St Vincent means splendid coastal scenery. But to really appreciate the beauty of its setting amidst fertile farmland, take a drive to the lookout point up in the low range behind. This is classic South Australia!

In the town itself, it’s hard to miss the long line of low RED cliffs rising above the mangroves at the southern end of the great curve of the bay around which the township of Port Clinton has evolved. Just a touch of the sun and they GLOW.

An unusual mixture of red and white, the cliffs are great fun to explore and VERY photogenic!

But watch out for the tides

The Tides

At low tide Port Clinton’s shallow bay recedes so far from the water’s edge it almost looks like it’s been tele-transported inland. That’s the same view Matthew Flinders, first European to explore the area, saw in 1802 when he apparently waded ashore through the mudflats.

But if you’re wearing clothing that wouldn’t benefit from a liberal coating of the type of mud that hangs on for grim death and leaves a nasty stain when it finally and reluctantly lets go, you’d be advised to leave mudflat-wrangling to the explorers.

Or wait for high tide when the Port Clinton foreshore becomes a different place!

It’s hard to believe the bay’s shallow waters once held a deep (ish) water port where smallish ships berthed – yes, that’s why it’s called PORT Clinton! Of course it’s possible the almost-hidden plaque marking the site of the long-gone jetty at the northern end of the bay is a fake …

After all, it doesn’t say how many boats were beached at low tide while the jetty was operational!

The town’s position on Gulf St Vincent also means it’s in one of only three zones in the world (along with the Torres Strait and Gulf of Mexico) to experience the Dodge Tide phenomenon. But while it’s a thrill to think of watching something that most of the rest of the world hasn’t seen, the reality is that watching a dodge tide is almost as boring as watching water almost not moving.

In fact, it’s EXACTLY as boring as watching water almost not moving because that’s what a dodge tide is – although South Aussies are the only folk to call it that)! But don’t let me spoil your fun – check it out for yourself!

The Coastal Walk

It’s 6.6 km (4.1 miles) via the coastal walking trail from Port Clinton to Price, next town south along the Peninsula’s eastern shore. The track’s more than just a tiring walk for the less fit – it’s an intriguing habitat hike and it’s part of Walk the Yorke, a network of ~500 km of trails and roads connecting the whole of the Yorke Peninsula!

From above Port Clinton’s awesome RED cliffs the track winds between remnant coastal scrub and farmland before descending via a 78-step staircase onto a wombat-burrow-ridden plain and following one of Australia’s best Samphire salt marshes into Price.

If a 13.2 km hike ( total return distance – 8.2 miles) seems a bit too much for one day, break it into two legs by walking from Port Clinton to the top of the staircase and back on one day; and from Price to the bottom of the staircase and back on another!

The Birds

Q: What’s the common name for a low-lying, marshy area of land with pools of water?

a) Swamp

b) Salt Marsh

c) Wetland

If you answered a), relax. You’re a regular person.

If you answered c), you probably already know you’re a birdo.

Not everyone visits Port Clinton for the birds. Actually, hardly ANYONE does. That I know of, anyway!

But every summer, Port Clinton is the end of a gruelling journey – a round trip of up to 25,000 km – from the Arctic Circle for thousands of shore birds who spend the northern winter feeding on these southern mud flats to fatten up so they can fly back to the northern hemisphere to breed.

How do I know?

Pilchard and I regularly count the shore birds at Port Clinton for Shorebirds 2020, a Birdlife Australia initiative. Data us counters provide is used to monitor shorebird numbers and lobby for protection of threatened habitats for shorebird conservation.

By itself, our count data from Port Clinton might not be significant – but it’s helps inform the national shorebird conservation project.

And if we weren’t involved, I’d never have seen Red Knot changing from its standard drab, greyish colouring into brick-red breeding plumage right here in Port Clinton.

I hope our data helps to preserve its southern feeding grounds – northern habitat degradation have put Red Knot at risk.

So if you’re in Port Clinton and you see birds feeding on the shore, don’t ignore them! They just might be from the other side of the world.

Oh, and if you answered b)? You’re just a slightly more pedantic regular person.

The Club

One of the most attractive things about Port Clinton South Australia is its strong community spirit. Especially when that flows over from the excellent community caravan park managed by one-man-powerhouse Dusty, into an awesome recently refurbished Community and Sports Club – with its own bistro!

The community knows what it’s doing by sometimes issuing free drinks vouchers to caravan park guests – it got them two club meals in a three-night stay from us! But we were the REAL winners – this meal of two giant fish fillets was only $AUD10! And the house champagne only $3:50 – unless it’s happy hour, when it’s cheaper!!

Do yourself a favour

Of course there are plenty of other things to do at Port Clinton, especially if you’re not just there for a family bonding weekend to show your kids how excessive drinking and smoking negatively affects health, well-being and social interactions.

Or for a bird survey.

There’s fishing, swimming (high tide!!!) and crabbing (during months with an ‘R’ in them) to keep you busy. Check out the lookouts above the bay and on top of the cliffs, especially at sunrise and sunset. Drive up into the hills behind Port Clinton for fabulous views over the town and the Gulf. Explore the Clinton Conservation Park at the northern end of town. Hit the Club on Friday night for the great raffles.

AND use it as a base to explore the upper and/or central Yorke Peninsula – use these FIVE suggestions as a starting point:

• Get the good stuff from the FINE Ardrossan bakery just down the road (15 minutes drive) then go fishing from the Ardrossan jetty
• Go through the centre of the Peninsula to Barley Stacks Winery via Maitland (30 minutes drive)
• Visit the historic Moonta Mines area (3 walking trails) and/or the Wallaroo Heritage and Nautical Museum (also a town heritage walking trail) on the western side of the Peninsula (30 minutes drive)
• Drive across to Port Victoria (45 minutes), last windjammer port, and visit the Maritime museum or take a walk along the coastal Geology Trail (3 km)
• Spend a day on the beach at Tiddy Widdy near Ardrossan, or Moonta Bay near Moonta

Or if all else fails, just hit up the Scenic Loo just outside the caravan park – it’s a national loo superstar because it’s in MY BOOK!

Want MORE?

• Port Clinton South Australia
• Tide and Marine Information for Port Clinton
• More RedzAustralia adventures on the Yorke Peninsula
• Red’s Scenic Loo Book
• MORE TOP Aussie Towns!
• MORE Photos of Port Clinton, Scenic Loos of the Yorke Peninsula AND Yorke Peninsula on Flickr

The post Why Port Clinton is a TOP Aussie Town! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Road-tripping around Australia isn’t always easy. Long distances with lots of nothing-much between attractions. Hazardous heat, dodgy roads and limited phone coverage. And – unless you’re an exhibitionist who loves squatting by the side of the road in full view – a LOT of leg-crossing between amenities!

But it’s almost impossible to swing a long-tailed lizard – or drive more than a few kilometres – without hitting a scenic loo OR stunning landscape when you tour the Yorke Peninsula!

And in MY opinion, South Australia’s distinctive boot-shaped leg of land with over 700 km (~420 miles) of stunning coastline scattered with towns, beaches and superb natural attractions also boasts the highest concentration of scenic loos in Australia!

Some scenic hotspots even have two. Or more! That’s why they’ve got their own special chapter in my book, Aussie Loos with Views!

You won’t need to be a dunny detective to tour the Yorke Peninsula and discover my favourite Scenic Loos AND the attractions that go with them.

Read on!

From Adelaide, it’s only an hour’s drive north to Port Wakefield, and from there, you’re not too far from loo-lover heaven!

1 Port Clinton

From Port Wakefield, it’s only a few more minutes down the Peninsula’s eastern side to Port Clinton and its superbly decorated loo next to the foreshore Caravan Park. Port Clinton’s also got unusual red cliffs at the end of the excellent crabbing beach, a longish cliff-top walk overlooking the mangrove flats to Price, and in summer, masses of migratory shorebirds who flew thousands of kilometres from Siberia to get here!

Well … that gives ME a thrill!

2 Ardrossan

Another 15 minutes, another scenic loo near the Ardrossan Jetty with its awesome RED cliffs! Other Peninsula towns may well dispute Ardrossan’s claim to be home of the Blue Swimmer Crab, plentiful in the tidal shallows below during months with an ‘R’ in their name. But no one’s disputing Ardrossan as home of the Stump-Jump plough, a natty little invention which made harvesting the world’s best barley much easier!

Enjoy a little something from the bakery at the vantage point above the jetty and loo – you might just see us there too!

3 Port Vincent

Half an hour further on and you’re spoilt for scenic-loo-choice in picturesque Port Vincent, its long, curved bay and beach, jetty and marina making it a favourite spot for fishing, boating, swimming and crabbing.

The loo nestled at the base of the cliff-top at the trail head isn’t visible from above, but it’s one of the most scenic on the Peninsula from the jetty.

And it’s hard to get a loo-free shot of the foreshore … so I didn’t even try (see top)!

4 Wool Bay

It’s only a few minutes further south to Wool Bay – you’ll never guess what was once its main export! Although it wasn’t all about the wool – the restored lime kiln nearby stretches to the top of the cliff where there’s a superb view to Port Giles long jetty from which grain is shipped all over the world.

Snorkel from the Wool Bay Jetty and you might just see South Australia’s Marine emblem – the Leafy Sea-Dragon – floating amongst the seaweed around the pylons.

This tiny town once made a liar of me when I featured its temporary loo, superbly situated by the jetty after the original was destroyed in a landslide. The day after I posted that story, I returned to Wool Bay to find a more permanent – but far less scenic – structure, and NO SIGN of the temporary loo!

5 Edithburgh

It’s only another 15 minutes from Wool Bay to the historic port of Edithburgh where the scenic loo above the tidal swimming pool gives great view over a classic Aussie seascape. Above on the cliff top, the golf course has a better than average selection of hazards!

It’s also part of Walk the Yorke, a combination of ~500 km (~300 miles) of walking trails, roads and beaches stretching right around the Peninsula. Walking the ~8 km (one way) section connecting Sultana Point, Edithburgh and Coobowie (site of another scenic loo) is a great way to experience the area’s natural attractions, and a visit to the historic museum a fascinating glimpse into the area’s history of salt mining and shipwrecks.

On a nice day, there’s a better than average chance we might run into one another!

6 Port Moorowie

The cliff-top loo with its lovely garden of local plants at the western end of Port Moorowie marks the access point to a cliff-top walk around the bay to McEachens Beach, and the series of superb beaches and reef (visible at low tide) along the way below.

7 West Cape, Innes National Park

Of all the loos in Innes National Park, West Cape is the most spectacular – and for my money, it’s one of Australia’s best. The vast panorama of (generally) deserted beach, off-shore islands and lonely lighthouse above the wild, rugged rocks of the cape makes an awesome amenities setting!

The rest of Innes National Park isn’t bad either. Magnificent coastal scenery, walking trails, seasonal wildflowers, fishing spots, beaches and sites of historic significance, this little gem has something for everyone.

And if you don’t see an emu or a kangaroo, DON’T buy a lottery ticket because you’re quite possibly the unluckiest person in the world!

8 Corny Point

There’s no loo near the lighthouse at Corny Point – the most north-westerly point of the spectacularly scenic drive north from Marion Bay, nearest town to Innes National Park.

Back in the small township, however, you can’t miss the sports ground loo with its brightly coloured wraparound mural.

It’s the perfect stopping off point before another dose of superb scenery – if you’re up for sandy beaches, dunes and coastal scrub – along the coast road to Point Turton!

9 Point Turton

Just before you get to this two-loo town from the west, there’s a new loo on the block at the Point Turton bathing area. At least it’s newly decorated! A stunning shower block/conveniences combo atop the cliffs it overlooks the swimming baths below – and further over the stunning colours of Hardwicke Bay.

You could take a walk along the foreshore, or go fishing from the jetty, but if you want my advice, RUN, don’t walk to the Point Turton Tavern where both food and views are superb.

And yes, on a fine day you might see me here as well!

10 Port Rickaby

You might have noticed by now that the towns on the westerb side of the Yorke Peninsula are smaller. But if anything, the loos and their settings are even more spectacular!

Take Port Rickaby, for example.

Water almost tropical in clarity and colour, Norfolk Island Pines lining the road to the beach, white sand and rocks make this a picture-perfect loo setting.

But that’s not all! There’s a walk down the coast to Barker Rocks AND a massive white-sand dune just down the road out of town.

And if my MIL could climb it at age 80+, then so can you!

11 Port Victoria

Half an hour north, and the setting of the loo at the last windjammer port vies for your attention with the superb mural showing the town’s history.

Offshore is Wardang Island, famous for the shipwrecks that make this a divers mecca – and infamous as a release point for the calicivirus to control a plague of rabbits!

It’s difficult for a little old public loo to successfully compete with the fascinating maritime history museum, geology trail, diving hotspot and magnificent scenery that makes Port Victoria an attractive destination.

But this one does quite well!

12 Moonta

The church actually has nothing to do with the public loo in Moonta apart from being visible from it. But it makes a nice change from the mile after punishing mile of staggering scenery I’ve subjected you to so far, yes?

Although Moonta Bay, a few kilometres away on the coast has more of the same if you’re having withdrawal symptoms.

But copper-mining town Moonta, full of influences from the Cornish miners who emigrated to work the mines, is an intriguing place to visit, especially the Moonta Mines Museum and the Kernewek Lowender, world’s largest Cornish festival held every two years.

And the bakery

It’s a relief (in more ways than one) to combine stunning scenery with a lovely loo, and no one does it better than the Yorke Peninsula! So if my previous posts haven’t yet convinced you to tour the awesome Yorke Peninsula, then perhaps this one will!

Want MORE?

• Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
• Innes National Park according to RED
• Red’s previous Yorke Peninsula Adventures
• MORE Australian Scenic Public Toilets
• MORE Yorke Peninsula Scenic Loos on Flickr!
• MORE Yorke Peninsula Photos on Flickr!

The post Tour the Yorke Peninsula via its BEST Scenic Loos! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Sand dunes and shipwrecks.  A wild and windswept heli-pad. Magnificent cliffs, an old wooden railway transport line and exotic lighthouses. Historic ruins and a sailor a long way from home.  None of these are visible from the entrance to Innes National Park.

And you can’t see them from the ~30 km of road winding through the park.

To discover the history, see the sights and uncover the mysteries you’ve got to go behind the scenes and take one or more of the 7 sensational walks in Innes National Park.

Although the superb view from almost any vantage point along that road is SO distracting you’ll be tempted to keep driving from lookout to lookout, take the walks for an even better chance of scenic overload!

AND as well as the attractions above, there’s wildlife, spring wildflowers, history and some of South Australia’s most spectacular coastal scenery – including Public Loos so scenic some of them are in MY BOOK!

SO … take the trails teaser tour TODAY!

1 Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk (2 km circuit)

On a fine day the view over the Stenhouse Bay jetty takes some beating in the scenic stakes. That’s why it’s usually our first stopping off point after entering the park a few kilometres south-west of Marion Bay.

From the park entrance it’s only a short drive to the jetty – and the town that the Waratah Gypsum Company built in 1900, although there’s not much of it left.

It’s also the trailhead for the Lookout Walk – a 2 km circuit that shows off what IS left and the track passes rusting machinery; interpretive signs explaining the bay’s historic significance; and 9 lookouts showcasing the spectacular views to the islands in Investigator Strait and the Rhino’s Head (see above)!

Which has to be one of Australia’s most OBVIOUS place names!

But the most memorable thing for me on this walk isn’t the scenery, wildflowers or wildlife. It’s the grave of a sailor buried in this lonely outpost far from home.

Rest in peace, Dao Thanh.

2 Cape Spencer Lighthouse (600 m return)

This is the shortest of the walks in Innes National Park.

The track from the car park to the lighthouse on the Cape runs along a ridgetop with massive cliffs on one side and exposed slopes running down to the pounding seas below on the other. I didn’t need the signs warning walkers not to go too close to the edge – it’s a sheer drop off way Way WAY down to the water.

No photo is worth taking the fall!! Does that mean I’m not a REAL photographer??

Directly across the strait from the lighthouse are the Althorp Islands, site of several shipwrecks and another lighthouse – a stunning two-lighthouse view! And with a coastline THIS rugged in all directions, the lighthouse/shipwreck thing starts to make sense.

3 Inneston Historic Walk (2km circuit)

If you’ve already walked the previous two trails, the historic township of Inneston (you’ll NEVER guess the name of the bloke who founded it was William Innes!), provides a welcome break from the relentlessly staggering coastal scenery.

Although it’s got it’s own attractions …

Tragically, while the town that once supported the budding gypsum mining industry was at one stage big enough to support its own bakery, neither are operational today. But the walking track shows off the town’s highlights, including restored buildings, Inneston Lake, spectacular spring wildflowers – the freesias are particularly fabulous – and wildlife such as emus, malleefowl and kangaroos.

You’ve probably realised by now you won’t be able to complete all these walks in one day. So if you’re looking for a cool place to stay, try Inneston’s heritage accommodation – if you can live without TV or mobile access, that is!

4 Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster Trail (7.6 km)

Once upon a time, the walk from the trailhead at Inneston – an extension of the historic trail (above) – meant getting to Rhino’s Tavern at Stenhouse Bay 3.8 km away in time for lunch before returning along this old wooden railway line that once connected the two towns.

Sadly, the tavern has now closed so carry enough food, water and supplies for a 7.6 km return trek. But it’s an easy walk through the trees and along the embankment upon which the railway line was built, with fragments of the gypsum cargo lying among the leaf litter – and spring orchids – where they fell many years ago.

Not much of the railway track remains today, but there’s a sense of the past that lingers along the line where horses once drew heavy loads of gypsum from the mining sites to the Stenhouse Bay jetty.

Other than glimpses of the sea near Inneston and Stenhouse Bay, this walk is another opportunity to escape the superb coastal scenery – if you need to!!

5 West Cape Headland Hike (1 km circuit)

If you were still wondering about the lighthouse/shipwreck thing first encountered at Cape Spencer, West Cape will leave you in no doubt.

The stretch of (almost) deserted beach stretching out below the long, wooden stairway down to the sand many metres below is an impressive sight. But the view’s even better from the top of the Cape, where a trail to the lighthouse goes just a little closer to the cliffs than I’m comfortable with, especially when the wind is strong!

Hold on to your children – unless they happen to be particularly noisy, naughty or nasty – it’s sometimes hard to stay fully upright when the wind’s up. There probably won’t be many days when a helicopter could land on the heli-pad next to the unusual lighthouse atop this windswept spot (see first photo above), but it’s nice to know it’s sometimes possible.

But the sight (and site!) of one of Australia’s most scenic public loos, with beach views in one direction and the scenic splendour of Pondalowie Bay in the other make braving the wind worthwhile.

6 Royston Head (4km return)

If trails along the top of high cliffs with no barriers between you and the sea a LONG way below make you nervous, then the Royston Head walk isn’t likely to make you feel any better. But swallow that fear, if you can – this is one of the most spectacular spots in the park.

In my humble opinion.

The walk winds up from Dolphin Beach through the dunes before reaching the exposed cliff tops of the Head – an interesting range of habitats, vegetation and wildlife that you’ll promptly forget when faced with the awesome view at the end of the hike!

That’s why this is one of my favourite walks in Innes National Park!

7 Gym Beach (11 km return)

Although it’s part of Innes National Park, Gym Beach isn’t accessible via the main road through the park. The alternate route from Marion Bay gives access – but then there’s no direct road access to the rest of the park without returning to Marion Bay.

Luckily, the hike starting near Browns Beach along the back of the dunes is an introduction to the varied coastal vegetation habitats as well as providing access to Gym Beach. Although it’s a LONG way to go for a swim!

Strangely enough, the walk can be done without laying eyes on either beach – although doing that would deprive you of two of South Australia’s BEST beaches!

Walks in Innes National Park are suitable for most people – and if I can do them all, then so can you! Enjoy!!

FAST FACTS:

WHERE: Innes National Park is at the south-western tip of the Yorke Peninsula, and is around 300 km south-west of Adelaide

WHAT to do: Walking trails, Beaches, Surfing, Fishing, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Camping, Historic Ruins

WHEN: All year round

COST: Park entry fees ($10 per car/$8 concession as at April 2015) and Camping fees apply, and must be pre-booked and paid online HERE

STAY: The park has several camping areas. Heritage Accommodation is also available at Inneston. Nearby Marion Bay has a range of accommodation, including a caravan park.  Other Yorke Peninsula Towns also offer accommodation.

Want MORE?

• RedzAustralia does the rest of Innes National Park
• Innes National Park
• Yorke Peninsula
• MORE Innes National Park and Yorke Peninsula Photos on Flickr

The post 7 Wonderful Walks in Innes National Park appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Visit Innes National Park on a fine day and if you don’t end up with a photo that looks close to the one above, you’re just not trying!

But joining the ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ photo club isn’t the only reason to visit this smallish 9400+ hectare National Park.  It’s around 300 km from Adelaide on the toe of the ‘ill shaped leg’ (take the link to see it on the map) that is South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

Although I’d been here several times over the last few years, we had never actually stayed there until now. We left the camper trailer at home and stayed in the restored Engineers cottage in historic Inneston for a few days, right inside the park with entry fees included in the tariff.

If only I could say that this meant getting up early for sunrise shots, but alas …

However, being on site made our exploration MUCH more leisurely!

So let me give you my updated insider’s TOP 7 things to do – a true traveller’s teaser taste of all that’s GREAT about this FAAAABULOUS spot!

1.  The Wildlife

Thanks to a close encounter at Inneston, I know EXACTLY what to do if attacked by an emu! Just raise your hands above your head, and walk backwards until you get to a place where you can run like hell!!

You might have to forget the photo …

Getting a little too close to an emu with chicks during spring hatching season isn’t recommended. In a civilised gender role reversal rarely seen elsewhere in the animal kingdom, it’s the male who sits on the eggs and cares for the young – the female is long gone by then!

But hard core twitchers* come here for the rare Western Whipbird – the reason for the park’s proclamation in 1970, it’s virtually the whipbird’s southernmost limit and one of the few habitats preventing it from being a Western Australian endemic. It’s also a known nesting area for Malleefowl with regular sightings in and around Inneston.

And if you don’t see a kangaroo somewhere in the park, don’t bother buying a lottery ticket … you’re obviously the world’s most unlucky person!

2.  The Scenery

If magnificent (and nearly empty) beaches, rugged rocky cliffs, towering sand dunes, coastal vegetation, jewel like islands, lakes and wild coastlines leave you cold, then Innes National Park probably isn’t for you.

But while you’re gazing out over the Great Southern Ocean at a cliff top lookout, bear in mind that if not for the sea spray, waves and curvature of the earth, you’d be able to see clear to Antarctica!

3.  The History

The four clans of the Aboriginal Narungga nation maintain strong cultural links to the Yorke Peninsula area, and the historic campsites and shell middens found in the park.

Charted by Matthew Flinders over 200 years ago, the remains of civilisation from the area’s early 1900’s settlement are scattered throughout the park, including the not-quite-ghost-town of Inneston, unsurprisingly established by William Innes. In its heyday, Inneston’s Gypsum mining, with a port at nearby Stenhouse Bay supported a peak population of around 200.

Interpretive signage along the Investigator Strait Shipwreck trail tells tales of the treacherous rocks, reefs and unpredictable weather that sank many ships. Down on Ethel beach, the ever-diminishing remains of the Ethel, wrecked in 1904, show how dangerous these waters can be.

4.  The Lighthouses

And that’s where the lighthouses come in! There’s good reason why the lighthouses at Cape Spencer (see photo above) and West Cape – both accessible by short walking trails – are still operational, with Cape Spencer lighting up the night sky a short distance from our accommodation at Inneston.

But the unusual designs of all-metal West Cape and rectangular Cape Spencer lighthouses AND the amazing vistas from Cape Spencer over the cliffs and out to the Althorpe group of islands (where the Althorpe Island lighthouse overlooks 6 shipwrecks) and the panorama from West Cape across Pondalowie Bay (see photo below) make them worth re-visiting at any time of day!!

Which is the best?? It’s a near thing – but its scenic public toilet to die for (Yes! It’s in MY BOOK!) gives West Cape the edge!

5.  The Wildflowers

It’s worth visiting the park in a good season just for the bright RED Cocky’s Tongue lining the roads. And the RED Correa.

But believe it or not, there are also a few NOT RED wildflowers in Spring (Sept-Nov down here!) and half the fun of a walk in the park is finding them.

Heavily perfumed and delicately coloured Freesias are everywhere – especially in what were once the settled areas,

their beauty a compelling argument against getting rid of non-natives!

If you’re lucky enough to visit in spring, be warned! Wandering the tracks around Inneston can put you in quite serious danger of wildflower overload!

6.  The Beaches

Just how many miles of empty, unspoiled beach stretching off into the middle distance can you take? While access to some of the beaches may take a little effort with steep and treacherous tracks, who wouldn’t want to try to make it down to Browns Beach?  Where yes, there ARE two other people …

Or to explore the Ethel Wreck (see photo above)??

But I’ll leave it to you to decide if a bad weather day makes the West Cape beach more or less of an attraction!!

7.  The Walks

Exploring Innes National Park on foot is one of the best ways to experience everything.

Wander the 11 km round trip Gym Beach walk or the 4km return Royston Head hike for wildflowers, amazing coastal scenery and beaches. Do the 1 km loop West Cape Headland hike right past the lighthouse and that awesome view. Walk through Inneston and along the Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster trail for a taste of history, wildflowers and wildlife, and the short South Cape lighthouse walk for scenery.

And do the Stenhouse Bay Lookout walk for ALL of the above.

Yes, it’s SO sounding like you’re going to need to spend more than a day here, right? And given my total lack of photo manipulation skills, this really IS what it looks like. So if it seems as if the jewel-like Innes National Park with its bountiful natural attractions is just a little too good to be true, then my work is done.

But I don’t think I could prove electronic photo theft of my first shot given the omnipresence of ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ shots on the web!

* Twitcher = Birdwatcher! Go figure!!

Want MORE?

• Walks of Innes National Park
• Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
• Inneston Heritage Accomodation, Innes National Park
• Yorke Peninsula in 7 Days – my Rocky Travel guest post
• More photos of Innes National Park and Yorke Peninsula on Flickr

The post The Jewel in the Toe – Innes National Park, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Looking down over the steep limestone cliff into the multicoloured waters of the Southern Yorke Peninsula’s Wool Bay can be a parallel universe moment as the flat and unremarkable pastoral country – often dry and arid – gives way to the vividly coloured and splendid panorama of the bay.

High on the cliff the now disused limestone kiln, the only one left of several which once gave this tiny town its purpose, towers above the jetty that gave Wool Bay its current name.

The jetty was originally built for limestone transportation but it’s apparently wide enough to roll a bale of wool down so became known as the Wool Bay Jetty. Of course whether anyone ever indulged in the (tragically) lost art of jetty-wool-bale-rolling is unknown – AND irrelevant – because the fact of being able to was enough to change the town’s name from Pickering to Wool Bay.

Just as well it wasn’t re-named ‘Limestone Bay’.

Despite the fanfare and great expectations of the opening ceremony on 11 August 1910, the variable wind conditions meant that although Miller’s Lime Kiln Co became the main supplier of lime for the Adelaide building industry, the three clifftop kilns were not successful.

So what’s a nice temporary toilet doing in a setting like this?

A couple of years ago, a heavy storm dumped so much rain in the area that the fragile limestone cliff above the previous ‘permanent’ public amenities collapsed and took out the loo.

BUT … every cloud has a silver lining!

The magnificent coastal views from the new amenities for the many visitors who use the jetty for fishing, diving to spot leafy seadragons and other recreational pursuits are far more extensive than from the old site!

The panorama from the top of the old limestone kiln is enhanced by the distinctive ‘building site blocks’ that add a focal point to the car park and wharf!!

And the temporary toilet’s convenient location virtually on the jetty ensures far less ‘down time’ when nature calls!!!

What’s NOT to love?!?!

SO … who needs a lasting loo when these fine fly-by-night fixtures are already a semi-permanent part of the Wool Bay jetty landscape?

The legacy of Wool Bay’s limestone landslide might just turn out to be permanent after all!!

Watch this space …

The post The Landslide Legacy – Australia’s Scenic Public Toilet # 34, Wool Bay appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

The sun rose as usual on this shining, sparkling pre-Xmas summer morning.

A nice day for an apocalypse*.

And where better to face the end of the world than on a (mostly) deserted Aussie beach, in an inadvertent echo of Australian classic On the Beach?

A disturbing vision of post-apocalyptic dystopia, Australian author Nevil Shute’s masterpiece** was adapted for a 1959 film*** graphically showing the utter hopelessness following a nuclear holocaust.

I’d actually forgotten that the 21^st December 2012 was to be, according to some, the end of the world. But even if I HAD remembered, I’d still have chosen to go to the beach.

But not just ANY old beach.

This beach.  The Southern Yorke Peninsula’s Swimmers Beach – at least we THINK that’s what it’s called – almost as far south as you can go in South Australia.

And as the apocalypse drew nigh, Swimmers Beach was enjoying a summer’s day of such brightness and clarity the end of the world seemed very far away.

It wasn’t just the end of the world, however, but also a hot summer’s day, the Australian summer school holidays AND only a few days before Christmas. So sharing the pristine sands and unbelievably clear waters of a beach several hundred metres long with only five other people was a little surprising.

In a good way!

While Swimmers Beach provides a convincing argument against the best and clearest ocean waters only being found between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, that isn’t its only attraction.

The natural limestone amphitheatre rising above the sand, continually eroded by the treacherous seas that have scuttled several ships over the years, is an endlessly fascinating work-in-progress. Today, a jagged tumble of rocks – newly fallen if the colour and lack of plant life is any indication – create an awesome backdrop for the arching sky above. Elsewhere, rocky edges are softened by the green vegetation and wildflowers bloom among the rocks.

And the wooden staircase hugs the cliff as it climbs to the cars parked high above.

Adventurous drivers on the road above the cliff top have no concept of how closely it nudges the edge – with an ever-increasing undercut adding an element of potential danger.

Only a small danger in the context of the end of the world, however!!

Our footprints the only ones to mark the vast expanse of white sand once past the beach’s other occupants as we wandered to the end and back, the salt water cold despite the summer heat.

We could have been the last people on earth.

But unlike what faced the hapless characters of On the Beach, there appeared to be no apocalypse in sight today … YET!

Just another deserted Aussie beach.  And us.

And a great place from which to face the end of the world …

Want more information?

• Nevil Shute
• On the Beach – Novel and 1959 Film
• Southern Yorke Peninsula
• Explore Australia – Top 5 Summer Beaches away from the Crowds

* According to some, the world was to end on this day!

** Argue if you dare!

*** Starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire & Anthony Perkins

The post On the Beach … Swimmers Beach, Yorke Peninsula appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

My Story by Red Nomad OZ

Today we went for a drive in the country on the Yorke Peninsula.

The fields were all dry but the sky was very blue.

We stopped to look at flowers.

There were lots of white everlastings.

We had to look for snakes but we didn’t see any.

That was good.

There was just a dead one on the road.

That was good too.

The sky was very blue down by the beach too.

Pilchard said there were lots of small birds that flew here all the way from Siberia.

He said they are called Red-Necked Stints.

But even they haven’t travelled as far as the Fire Truck in theEdithburgh museum.

It’s weird to think how far those birds come just to escape winter.

Maybe people who live in, say, Switzerland, Hungary or even Texas might like to come here for winter too.

Then they could see the red brick lighthouse called Troubridge Point Lighthouse.

It is round. The bricks are a special shape to make it round. It is the only lighthouse like this in the world.

We stopped to look for seals but there weren’t any. They are all at Kangaroo Island. We could see Kangaroo Island across Backstairs Passage. I don’t know why they called it that. Then Pilchard said we had to go because there might not be any vanilla slices left at the Yorketown bakery.

It was scary driving along the edge of the cliff because it was very windy. The sky was very blue but the sea was even bluer. When we got to Suicide Point it was the bluest of all. But that’s because I made my camera do a trick.

On the way to the bakery the sky was very blue. Then I saw a salt lake. It was very white but it turned blue where the water was still in it. That made the whole picture very blue.

Pilchard was right about the vanilla slices being gone. So he made a mess of his bakery food on the plate. It looked like fresh roadkill. But he said it tasted great.

When we got back to Sultana Point the sky was still blue but there were bits of pink in it. It was still pretty. Tomorrow the sky will be very blue again.

The end.

The post “Red and Pilchard’s Day in the Country” by Red appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Anything RED will catch my eye.

An interesting history will hold my attention.

But it takes more than hue and back story to boggle my mind!

And this ordinary looking 1942 truck sitting inside an old shed behind a Yorke Peninsula country town museum with magpies roosting on its rusting railing delivered that boggle in spades.

Because this ex-army, transport and fire-tender vehicle has travelled 2 MILLION miles!

That’s ROAD miles. And many of those miles are DIRT miles – and the equivalent of crossing Australia from east to west about 800 times!

Even Pilchard and I haven’t covered that distance on ANY sort of road in 21+ years of Australian road tripping!

In manufacturing a vehicle capable of such distances, has the International Truck Company (and the Gardner LW4 Diesel Engine and David Brown 5 Speed Gearbox) succeeded where other, more notable vehicle manufacturers have failed?

Because although I’m not a petrol-head, I don’t recall the 2,000,000 mile service ever coming up on any of the vehicles I’ve owned …

But also because I’m not a petrol-head, I’m prepared to concede that it’s just possible I’m the only person in the known universe who thinks that a 2,000,000 miles on the road is newsworthy!

SO … put me out of my misery! Can YOU top this record? Tell me in the comments below!!

The post 2 Million Miles … and counting! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Is BLUE the new RED?

It is downunder where blue and red have been interchangeable for YEARS!

But before you start thinking us Aussies are a nation of colour-blind fools, it’s all due to the colloquial contrariness that means we call things the opposite to what they are. So a tall person becomes ‘Shorty’. A skinny person becomes ‘Fatso’. And a REDhead becomes ‘Blue’!

Makes perfect sense. Right?

SO … although Australia is RED and HOT, it softens round the edges into COOL and BLUE along the coastline and inland where there’s a strange blue haze, largely caused by eucalyptus oil, smoke – and possibly language …

Just to prove I CAN tell the difference, come with me to 10 of my favourite Aussie HOT Spots – the FIVE Coolest BLUE and 5 Hottest RED spots downunder!

Of course ‘COOL’ and ‘HOT’ don’t always refer to the temperature …

So where do you start looking for the COOLest Cool Blue places on the largest island on earth with the longest coastline of any country in the world? Right HERE! Use my handy round-OZ Aussie Hot Spot location guide – complete with 5 star BLUE factor ratings – to uncover five of the coolest, BLUEST experiences in OZ!

1. Blue RIVER at Evans Head

The Evans River in the New South Wales Northern Rivers district isn’t Australia’s longest, deepest or fastest flowing. But on this day it was surely in the running to be its bluest! Not quite blue enough for you? Head high above the breakwall to the Razorback Lookout for more, with the sea, the sky and distant mountains all contributing to this rhapsody in blue!

Get a blue fix while you take a break from the crowds at more well known tourist hot spots Ballina and Byron Bay, just up the coast.

And while you can’t see the excellent bakery or Scenic Public Toilet while you’re gazing out to sea, you CAN use all that BLUE to the max by fishing, swimming, boating – and whale-watching!

If that sounds like too much effort, just sit back, relax and enjoy some COOL Blue time out!

COOL BLUE rating: 

2. Blue POOLS at Bitter Springs

The BLUE waters of the Bitter Springs thermal pools near Mataranka in the Northern Territory aren’t cool at all. Loaded with minerals that give new meaning to ‘sculpted hairdo’ as they rise from the depths of the earth, the water is HOT.

But although the daytime temperature regularly tops 30+ in the Top End, nights can be coolish during the Aussie winter. Cool enough for steam to rise from the stream connecting the three main pools – deserted at this time of day – and cool enough for us to dive right in and drift downstream from pool to pool before the morning rush.

I tried not to think about travellers who used the pools for washing themselves and their clothes in lieu of paying caravan park fees … but luckily at this time of day I’m guessing they were all still curled up in their combi vans!!

The deep relaxation as the warm mineral waters soothed away our aches and pains (relaxing IS hard work!) kept us doing the three-pool-drift circuit for hours. HOT BLUE? Too COOL!

COOL BLUE rating: 

3. Wild Blue Yonder at Daly Head

This autumn day down the other end of the country at the southern extremity of South Australia’s Southern Yorke Peninsula had created a symphony of stunning scenery – blue haze, blue sea; row after row of blue swirling breakers, blue, blue sky.

Yes, the staggering view that inspired The Magnificent Emptiness stretched out before us into the wild blue yonder. The impressive blue array looked (and felt – with the autumn wind-chill factor) pretty COOL from our vantage point atop the wooden staircase plunging down the cliff to the beach below …

But how much more COOL to see that marvellous blue expanse from above?

COOL BLUE rating: 

4. Blue MOUNTAINS … the Grampians

Away from the blue drawcard of Australia’s coastline, the mighty Grampians rise above the bakery-dotted landscape of country Victoria, their astonishing BLUE silhouette visible for miles.

And here in this mountainous region, cool means COOL! Signs at the base of the Mt William climb warn that snow may fall at any time of year on its 1167 metre summit!! As Pilchard and his family found out one long-ago fairly recent childhood December (the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer) when they built their first and only snowman.

Like most Aussie mountain ranges, the sun warms and shines through the evaporating oil from the gum trees, causing a blue haze over the peaks, lakes and other geographic formations my wasted years at school mean I’m unable to name. Nameless or not, however, the haze contributes to the staggering BLUE views from the many lookouts dotted throughout the ranges.

COOL BLUE rating: 

5. Blue LAKE … Lake Argyle

A drowned Kimberley mountain range, home of the pioneering Duracks, one of Australia’s most impressive engineering feats and the biggest, bluest lake it’s been my pleasure to view all contribute to the cool BLUE appeal of magical Lake Argyle!

A cruise in the early morning calm of this gob-smackingly, mind-bogglingly enormous 10,763 gigalitre lake covering 1000 km² and 21 times bigger than Sydney Harbour is so full of outstanding landscapes I almost forgot to take photos. ALMOST!

If this is the Western Australian wilderness, then bring it on!

The presence of permanent water after the Ord River Dam was completed in 1972 turned the once-arid land downstream into an agricultural oasis. But the dam itself remains a haven for the birds and wildlife that inhabit the islands – now all that’s left of the mountain range beneath its waters.

And on a clear day, the blue upon blue upon blue of the lake, the sky and the infinity pool at the resort is just too COOL for words …

COOL BLUE rating: 

But what’s Cool Blue without RED? The BLUE blue waters of Broome’s Roebuck Bay are often tinged with the RED Pindan of the earth beneath …

So what better vision to take us from COOL BLUE into RED HOT??

But … not here!

You’ll have to go into the RED zone over at Annabel Candy’ travel blog Get In the Hot Spot if you want to see my five favourite RED HOT Aussie Outback Places!

Then let me know: IS blue REALLY the new red??!!

The post 5 Cool BLUE and 5 RED Hot Aussie TOP SPOTS! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Sometimes, not planning turns out best. And sometimes the planets align and fabulous weather, bizarre experiences, brilliant destination and perfect moments all come together on one fine day …

And the sky!  The glorious sky!!  Yes, Innes National Park at the very southern end of South Australia’s York Peninsula was already one of my favourite places.

But, on this fine day in December 2011, the air shimmering with the promise of summer, the breeze cool over the water, crazy patterned cloud painting the sky and new* Scenic Public Toilets on the verge of discovery, I wouldn’t have traded places with anyone! For ANYTHING!

The young surfies doing god knows what in the shelter shed overlooking Pondalowie made the West Cape Lighthouse circuit track the most attractive option. Whatever they were doing required the doof-doof-doof of music pounding from the open door of their car – parked as close as could be without actually hitting the barrier. Ah, sweet mystery of life …

But once heading for the lighthouse, the staggering view wiped all thoughts of sand, surf and various other ‘s’ words from our minds. Rock parrots grazed among the low vegetation, but Pilchard’s attempt at the perfect photo was thwarted by Captain Kangaroo!

Pondalowie Bay’s magnificent islands stretched out in front of us as we rounded the lighthouse and Helipad and the cliffs dropped away to the blue, blue sea meeting the sky in a dark band on the horizon. Who knew whether that meant bad weather coming? And who cared??!!

Down in the bay, the lighthouse we’d just visited was a small and distant speck on the headland. And who’d stay in the uninviting car park, ablaze with heat and bright light reflecting the road’s stark white gypsum?

Not us … but no one in the car closest to the track – towels over the windows shielding our view from god knows what inside – was admiring the view!

Alone at last, we reached the end of the line, and the perfect curve of Brown’s Beach far below the car park. A sign warned of the eroded track – another example of South Australia’s cunning plan to replace maintenance and repair with warning signs and reduced speed limits …

A car, unaccountably boxing us in, arrived as we set off down the steep track to the beach. Jesus may well be Lord (according to their windscreen sticker) but he didn’t stop them having a good old sticky-beak through the car windows when they thought we were otherwise occupied on the descent!

However, with all our valuables in my backpack, and our ageing car closing in on 250,000 km, the lord was not providing for his middle-aged believers today!

But I didn’t care! With water so clear I could photograph the starfish and sea urchins through it, the cool sea lapping at my feet, the sand now thankfully too hot for the snakes that’d left their tracks behind and the glorious beach stretching out in front of me, our one fine day drew to a close.

A day like this deserves to be recorded. Because who knows when – if – the planets will again align to give us another?

Want MORE?

• The Jewel in the Toe:  Innes National Park
• Explore the Yorke Peninsula with Red Nomad OZ and Rocky Travel
• Favourite Place #5:  Innes National Park
• 7 Days on … Southern Yorke Peninsula

The post The 3-Car, 2-Beach, One Fine Day! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.