04/10/21 Wind Wild and Waves: Elliston to Streaky Bay

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South Australia appears to have a relaxed attitude to public safety.  Whether it's the rusted piers on the Elliston Jetty or the lack of life buoys, rails, and ladders on Whyalla's circular jetty, there's a certain carefree assumption that you will use some common sense to look after yourself and be nice about not blaming anyone else should you come to grief.

We went for a walk around the South Head walking trail at Venus Bay.  The bay is large and shallow, the opening narrow with the cliffs of the Venus Bay Conservation Park to the north.  The South Head walking trail started at the edge of the township of Venus Bay, and wandered insouciantly along the edge of the undercut limestone cliffs, delivering terror and exhilaration by equal measure with a good dose of wet thrown in from waves that crashed into the cliffs and undercuts beneath the trail.  Every so often a memorial popped up out of the coastal heath, placed by grieving family and friends for someone who had neglected to keep their feet on dry earth, or their boat on top of the wild water.

The cliffs of the north head, all part of Venus Bay Conservation Park. 

The wind was roaring, so much so that being blown off the edge was at times a possibility which added somewhat to the terror/exhilaration combination.



Wild waves with the suburban streets of Venus Bay township in the background.

Waiting for the splash.


In contrast to the wild sea, Venus Bay township was quiet and peaceful.  Gentle waves lapped the sandy beach and locals gamboled in their summer shorts and t-shirts, oblivious to us in our puffer jackets and beanies as we shivered in what we considered to be a bitter wind.

There is a fishing and oyster industry in Venus Bay.  By the look of the beach 'shacks' that line the foreshore, there's also a brisk trade in affluent weekenders and tourism.

The calm side of Venus Bay.

Much as the pleasures of Venus Bay called us, we had to move on to Streaky Bay because Tuesday (and therefore work) was looming and we already had a cabin booked at Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park. 

Along the way we happened upon Calca, which had a ruined farmhouse,

...and an old, locked up church,

...and no sign of the post office and community that once thrived there.

We were last in Streaky Bay 20 years ago, and it has changed a bit since then.  No longer the sleepy little village we remembered, it was so busy that we had to book into the Islands which is 7km out of town.  The Park is brand new: it provides its own power via a solar system; its water comes via desalination and recycling of every drop that falls or is used in the park; you can watch the sun set over Venus Bay from the beach at the back of the park and, if the tide is low, you can walk out to a small island and watch the sun set from there.

We didn't know about the island at that stage, so we just watched the sun set from the beach.



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