2012 Around Australia: Day 77 - 85 30th April

Day 77 Monday 30th April 2012

We left Coober Pedy as planned fairly early as we had a long drive and wanted to get as close to Port Augusta as possible in the event that Princess Bocskay was born, so Oscar could get a flight out as soon as we had settled in to our home for as long as that was going to be. The landscape on the way down was pretty much what we had seen most of the way down from Alice but there was one exception when we were leaving Coober Pedy the mounds of sand that you can see are scattered all over the landscape. Every now and then you see a lonely little mound which would have been somebody following a hunch that did not quite pan out for them.

We stopped off at Lake Hart for a few photos, at a lovely little pub at Glendambo for a quick lunch and refuel, then headed towards Woomera which I guess if you are a guy you need to go there to see the rockets and planes and such male things as are on display there. After leaving Woomera we headed back to the highway and on to Port Augusta.

We travelled on until about 5:30pm approx. 48 km’s further south and stopped off on the side of the road to make camp for the night. We are getting pretty damn good at this roadside stopover. The beauty of it all really is the simple fact, and I keep reminding myself, it can be done in this country.

Well we had a light dinner and then the long awaited text came through to let “Pa” know his beautiful little Princess Amelie Charlotte Bocskay was born at 6:48pm 30/04/2012 and weighed in at 3.1kg.

Overjoyed with this news he couldn’t help but let all his friends and loved ones know how proud he was at being a “Pa” once again and this time it was a beautiful little girl.

This is not snow but rather a the salt of Lake Hart

Hello from the other side of the Ghan

Together on a salt lake

Today

Yesteryear

Woomera Attractions

The Sunset on the birth of Princess Bocskay

Day 78 Tuesday 1st May 2012

Well so much to do and get organised before Oscar is off to the big smoke to go and meet his lovely new Princess. No stops on the way into Port Augusta, just straight through; we weren’t too far up the road in any case. We arrived in Port Augusta pretty early in the afternoon. We had to get the tyre replaced, which we did. We booked in at Shoreline Caravan Park which was good for me as I would not be alone so to speak but in a caravan park with other people around.

Oscar needed to do a few little odds and sods for the van so he was out and about getting spares and doing the odd jobs. I on the other hand if not running around with him was doing my own little thing cleaning in the van.

Oscar managed to get his flights booked to return to Melbourne on Wednesday 2^nd May 2012 returning Friday 4^th May. We went out and bought ourselves pizza for dinner after not being able to find a Chinese restaurant to go out to for dinner. Oh!!! so for the record no Movies on Tuesdays; we also wanted to go to movies earlier that day only to find out that was not going to happen in Port Augusta on a Tuesday, and no Chinese.

We went to bed early so as to rise early the next day.

Neither of us had much time for photo's over the next few days so alot of arty ones from days gone will be included.

Day 79 Wednesday 2nd May 2012

I had set the alarm for 5:00am as we had a 4 hour drive ahead of us to get Oscar to the airport and on a plane by 11:40am. Well needless to say it was nothing spectacular and I guess both our thoughts were on different things during the trip. Oscar on Amelie and his loved ones and mine on how the next few days would pan out.

I left him at the airport at 11:00am and had already decided that I needed a haircut and a massage. I had also made contact finally with a friend I had been trying to get hold of for some time. Facebook can be a lovely thing sometimes. I asked Jill if I could go over and sleep that night as I did not know how late I was going to be after the haircut and massage. She only got home after 4:00 and that suited me as I only finished all my running around at 3:00 and needed that hour to get to her as she lives south of the city in Hackham. I had a great evening catching up with her and her hubbie Attie. Had a few too many champers though but all good nonetheless.

Sunrise on the way to the airport

Jill

Attie

Day 80 Thursday 3rd May 2012

Attie woke me about 5:30 the following morning as I wanted to get back to the van as early as possible as I had stacks to do cleaning etc. I only ended up leaving at about 9:00 as Jill and I sat and talked a while longer; after Attie left for work at 6:00am.

The road back was nothing to write home about just seemed longer than when Oscar was driving us in the following morning. Got back to the van at about 12:30 and started doing my chores I had set for myself. I also did a bit of glamping.

Thanks to all my friends that cared enough to phone and text and just chat to find out if I was coping OK without Oscar. You will be absolutely amazed at how you miss somebody after you have lived together 24/7 for the last 79 days.

That night was the worst; it was sooooo cold I had to make a cocoon with my doona to keep warm. I did finally fall asleep and finally it was morning again, thank God.

Pa and Amelie

Pa, Great Grandma Kicsi and Amelie

Proud Mum and Big Brother

Do you think I'm Proud???

Ollie and Amelie makes two

Great Grandma Kicsi

Beautiful little Angel

Day 81 Friday 4th May 2012

I was up bright and early again, just about ready to leave when my phone rang at 8:30, it was Oscar. I didn’t even give it a thought that it was going to be bad news; so when he said my flight has been cancelled I didn’t even hear him. It was only when he said “I will only get into Adelaide at 3:30pm is that ok with you” that I finally registered what was going on. The mind is an extremely powerful organ, protective yet strong. Well of course I didn’t mind, we still had a journey ahead of us that we had to complete.

I finally left to go to the airport at 10:30; I needed to fill up with fuel, pay for an extra night and then take a nice leisurely drive into Adelaide. I only needed to be at the airport at 3:30pm. I finally got into the airport at 2:40. I met a lady at the airport who had come over from Melbourne for the races on Saturday. She had booked her flight with Qantas and her hubby who had platinum points on his credit card had been issued a virgin ticket. She was very stressed out and her watch was still on Melbourne time and she thought her husband was due in any moment and he was slightly disabled and she was panicking about getting her luggage and him.

When I pointed out that she had almost 50 minutes and I would watch her boxes she seemed very grateful and rushed off to get her bags. She retuned just as Oscar’s flight which also happened to be her husband’s flight landed. She looked immensely relieved that I was still there with her possessions and that she had managed to get the other baggage and be in time for her husband. She thanked me profusely and there he was, back on track. So the time spent helping a stranger helped my wait pass by pretty quickly.

It was pretty late to be leaving for Port Augusta and I was tempted to arrange for us to stay over at either Attie and Jills or Mark and Cathy’s but thought we needed to move on the following day so rather push through. We got home pretty late 6:30 and it was dark when we got in. We stopped off to pick up some pasta for dinner. Home, dinner and bed we were moving out in the morning.

Sorry for lack of day photo's but arty ones it is.

Day 82 Saturday 5th May 2012

We were finally heading for our final area of South Australia the Eyre Peninsula, prior to crossing over the Nullarbor to head for Western Australia.

We left Port Augusta 9:00am we were aiming for a place called Port Gibbon approx. 240k’s from Port Augusta. The countryside that we are driving through at the moment changes constantly. We have finally reached the coastline again. You don’t realise how you miss the coast until you are away from it and do some of the hard yards we have done in recent weeks.

We stopped off in Whyalla for a coffee and muffin break. It was good to smell the sea air again. We drove on through to Port Gibbon and found a free campsite on the beach. It didn’t have showers but we do have our own so this was not going to be a problem.

We setup camp and then took a short walk on the beach. We returned to camp and spoke to a few people. It was very cold and so we had an early dinner and got ourselves setup to listen to Whispers of the Spirit. Oscar was disappointed as he couldn’t hear the voice of the narrator above the music.

We went to bed really early.

Its the Ocean - Not the Outback

Port Gibbon

HaHaHa

Beach at port Gibbon

Found his Motorbike on the beach - At least it is stationery

Bush Shower - Bring your own bucket

Green Line - Journey so far

Day 83 Sunday 6th May 2012

I know why they call it hibernation. It is just too cold to do anything else but want to tuck up somewhere nice and warm and not be disturbed from there.

We drove from Port Gibbon mid-morning and headed to Coffin Bay. We stopped off in Port Lincoln for a coffee and muffin break, and then pushed on to Coffin Bay arriving there at 11:50 and setup camp in the drizzle. Thankfully it was still early so we weren’t rushed or stressed just did what had to be done knowing that there was nothing else much to do that afternoon. Oscar ducked off to Beachcombers who sell Oysters to buy 2 dozen. He picked them up at $8:50 a dozen unopened; he then set about shucking the Oysters whilst I did accounts, cooked a curry and wrote up the blog, all the sorts of things that you do on a day such as that.

Oscar then proceeded to make his signature dish Oysters Kilpatrick; Marl I have finally tasted them.

Oysters Kilpatrick and Curry Chicken later we sat around the dinner table him with his maps and reading material to study up on the region and I with the blog.

Well another early night no doubt and a promise of a lie in the following morning.

Houdini is still having a ball

Port Lincoln

Makybe Diva

Oscar shucking oysters

Balanced on a rock is our home in Yangie Bay

Day 84 Monday 7th May 2012

We didn’t have much of a lie in, I for one have not been one for lying in in the morning once my brain is awake; well let’s just say it’s hard to switch off. We only have this one life so I have decided to make the most of it.

We took our first walk 2.4km Yangie Bay loop walk. We then walked to the 4x4 track to see whether we were up to it or not. I forgot to tell you, that after we had destroyed the tyre on the way to Archaringa Homestead Oscar tried to pump up the tyres on the van before crossing the Mt Barry track, and the compressor gave up the ghost. We have been promising ourselves whenever we remember, to get one; hopefully tomorrow. So we could not do the 4x4 track today.

We drove over to Point Avoid took a long walk on the beach, drove to Almonta beach then into Coffin Bay and did part of the Oyster walk. Oscar is not feeling to well at the moment. I am really hoping it will pass as I do not want to lose my travel buddy.

After our walks Oscar came home and slept the afternoon. I sat with this and read a book on the Kindle. When he finally woke at 6:15pm I made a light dinner and we played cards showered and bed.

View from Yangie Bay

They still live - was starting to doubt it as we haven't seen too many in the outback

Sand Dunes - Just marvelled at the contrast to the painted desert

Yangie Bay

Point Avoid

Pelicans in Coffin Bay

Marl Found the Rope - Need the address Osca won't let me carry it 3 quarters around Aus

Day 85 Tuesday 8th May 2012

We did the Whalers Way today; this is on the very tip of the Eyre Peninsula between Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay. It is just another example of all the beautiful natural places that are available in this country and until I did this trip I never knew half of these places even existed; whether it is the harsh outback which is spectacularly beautiful in its own unique way or whether it is the coastline. As we crisscross our way across this vast Australia land we witness some strange and some spectacular things. Things I guess neither of us would have had the opportunity to do unless we embarked on this journey.

I have finally caught up with all my blogging. I hope you guys have not missed us much. I have asked Oscar if he will do the blog for a short while so you can hear it from the other side. Hopefully he will be more regular than I am; depending on communications of course.

Till we meet again on-line, keep safe, healthy and happy.

O&V