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Peterborough breakfast with a view over the valley.
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Whyalla sits at the top of the eastern side of the Spencer Gulf. We got there via Gladstone, Port Germein, and Port Augusta (which we treated with all the disdain of a town we'd been to twice and therefore had seen everything worth seeing: most unfair to Port Augusta, I'm sure). Along the way we left the Goyder Line behind with its green swells of wheat and eddies of canola, and returned to the wide grey sea of saltbush and bare earth. The high point (not literally, we were at sea level) of the journey was lunch at Port Germein.
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Entrance to the jetty at Port Germein. There is a sculpture theme happening in town.
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The jetty at Pt Germein had to be built extra long to reach boats and accommodate the low tides in the Spencer Gulf. Prior to building the jetty, at low tide bullock drays took wheat out to platforms and then the wheat was loaded from the platform to the boat when the tide came in. Building the jetty made this much easier for all concerned, including the bullocks. Since it's construction in 1881 storms and the tide have nibbled away at the jetty, reducing it from over 1600m to a shade more than 1500m and continuing to nibble with every tide and wild sea.
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Sculpture walk, Port Germein jetty, all themed to the sea. Oh, and lighthouse which used to be a) at the end of the jetty and b) a popular spot for young lovers to canoodle. It's now no longer the first, and unlikely to be the second.
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Port Germein from the land end of the jetty.
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The long walk to the end.
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Looking back to land, with the Flinders Ranges in the background.
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Tide going out.
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The sea and the tide continue to nibble at the jetty, and you can no longer go to the end.
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On closer inspection, the light house bears a certain resemblance to a tea (or coffee?) pot.
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Whyalla was a bit of a pleasant surprise, what with its size and services on offer - Roger was almost swooning with delight at the thought of a trip down the fun aisles in Aldi. This was good because the only cabin we could get was small and he had to remove himself today while I was on the phone, which is quite a lot when I'm working. Never mind, he managed to keep himself busy and popped in at regular intervals to say bracing things such as: "Wow! The lookout's really good - you should see the view!" and "There's even a Harris-Scarfe shop!" and eventually "Maybe we should book another night so you can see stuff too!" which was the right thing to say just in time to avoid having duct tape put over his mouth.
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We're now subject to the weather that sweeps in from the Southern Ocean, so we had summer today from 0700 to 1430 and this is a picture of winter coming back.
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Home for the night(s): Whyalla Caravan Park
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