03/10/21 Clifftop Walks: Elliston

The caravan park has two levels and right opposite where we sit in our camp chairs there's a gravel track between the two levels, down which small children hurtle at alarming speeds on bicycles. The descent is complicated by a sharp turn in gravel at the bottom, and an inconveniently placed pine tree. No one has hit the tree yet but the gravel has claimed metres of youthful skin and some youngsters are still going back for more whenever their parents' backs are turned, the parents having forbidden the exercise as the nearest hospital is a long way away.

When we could drag ourselves away from the ghoulish pastime of watching small children crash bicycles we explored the area, including taking my bike for a spin along the Anxious Bay and Little Bay clifftop drives, which not only had stunning views of the cliffs and Waldegrave Islands but also had sculptures at viewing points along the way.

While moving about camp we had to be very careful not to step on this teeny little frog.  Does anyone know what type of frog it is?

Serious men's business.

Some sculptors were.. ahem.. less serious than others.  I suspect some weren't sculptors at all, and were merely inspired to dandify their wind vane in a Jaws theme.

Elliston from across Waterloo Bay.

Southern Ocean meets cliffs.

Late afternoon sun on the ocean overlooking Little Bay.

From Little Bay cliff top walk.

Back at camp Roger consulted the BoM and come to the depressing conclusion that the South Australian coastline (and much of the Eyre Peninsula in particular) is right up there with the windiest places in Australia. In an  attempt to minimise the wind effect we strategically parked the car to provide maximum protection to the tent, and off we went to the camp kitchen to wash dishes and catch up with internet.  We weren't alone: all the local mosquitoes were already hanging out in the camp kitchen and it wasn't long before Roger made himself scarce.  Now I am made of stupid sterner stuff, and for a while the mospuitoes and I fought a battle where they fed and I killed until, defeated, I made myself scarce as well.

The clocks have ticked over to silly summer time.  From being half an hour behind Queensland, we've moved to half an hour ahead.  I don't know whether I'm before myself or after,  and I'm just lucky that work doesn't rely on me turning up on time. 

I'm pleased to report that there were the same number of children running around in the afternoon as there were in the morning, and they all appear to have the correct number of arms and legs.  The pine tree is unscathed.  Whatever bicycle accidents happened during the day have not been fatal to child or tree, 'tis good to know.

 

Dolphins for your viewing pleasure.