Fri, 1st Apr, 2016 Kimba Recreation Reserve, Kimba to Baird Bay camp area, Eyre Peninsula, SA (Murphy’s Haystacks)

Forgot to trick Steve for April Fools Day!!

16 degrees and another lovely clear blue sky at 7.30am. By 9am though the clouds are coming over. Drove down to the Halfway sign for our photos.

Another long straight road with lots of waving to oncoming vans etc.

Open pastures and crop fields along the way.

Stopped at Kyancutta to top up with fuel, only 108.9 which was better than Wyalla at 111.9. The township is an important observation point for long-range weather forecasters, transmitting regular observations to BOM in Adelaide.

A lot warmer today and it is dry wind. Next stop was Wudinna to check out the Australian Farmer sculpture which is 8 metres high. Impressive. There are fantastic rock formations nearby too which we will check out another time.

Nice straight roads around here as we head down to Port Kenny.

Reached the T junction at the edge of Venus Bay. Turned left and drove around the bay to the township of Venus Bay on the southern end of the bay. A fishermen’s paradise but no freedom camping here – the caravan park is full. Parked above the jetty area and made lunch.

Zoomed in on the sea entrance.

A Victorian couple pulled in with their new Nova Revivor so we chatted about the differences.

Drove up the hill to the lookout over the ocean side and around over Venus Bay.

Huge cliffs on Point Wayland.

Steve likes living on the wild side standing out on the point.

When I got there he was safe as there was a further point to walk out onto.

Looking back across to the entrance to Venus Bay.

Looking south. Zoomed in towards Mt Camel Beach area.

Back on the road we headed back north past Port Kenny which was just a few houses. Turned off the main road onto a dirt road to Murphys Haystacks. These are 1500-million-year-old wind-worn iselbergs. Buried by calcareous dune sand about 30,000 years ago, subsequent erosion has gradually revealed the pink granite forms. Local legend has it that coach driver Charlie Mudge named Murphy’s Haystacks following a remark by a Scottish agricultural advisor who saw the landmark in the distance while travelling on the mail coach. Shimmering like haystacks in the hot afternoon sun, he was very impressed with the sight before him and remarked, “That man must harrow, look at all the hay he has saved.” (The signs need redoing but the haystacks are amazing. They are on private land but we can walk around it for a $2 donation.

Great view too back across to Port Kenny – easy to see with the big silos.

Around the first collection then over further there were more with a great view across the fields towards Streaky Bay.

Then there were more. Walked through to more rock formations.

Steve reckons this one is a breaking surf wave.

And this one looks like a snakes head – see the eye and forked tongue (bird poo). Certainly are impressive. You can free camp here too as the sunrise and sunsets would be fantastic.

We kept going through pastures that are covered in the pretty yellow flower which I think is a weed.

Down to Baird Bay which covers 3800 hectares and it forms the western part of the much larger Anxious Bay.

Only a small campground but as there was only one tent there we chose our spot easily.

I walked down to the fish cleaning hut for a look back at the camp.

Not the prettiest beach with all the sea grass but it is good for fishing apparently though we might need a boat.

Water is nice and clear.

A few beach houses down the road.

I got onto my blog again. Another camper trailer set up near the tent and then a couple of internationals in 4WD with roof top tents. One was a Surf just the same as Daniel’s complete with peeling paint!!

Steve was chatting with the other couple who said they were going to drive up the beach for a look so we headed off after them. Down the end of the township were a couple of lovely homes.

Sad to see a dead dolphin on the water’s edge. Further along looking out to the mouth of the bay where there is an island called Jones Island.

The sand got a bit softer.

Found the others halfway up the sand dune letting air out of the tyres.

I went up the hill to take photos as they and Steve came up. Introduced ourselves. Ian, Kylie & son Toby are from Brisbane touring Australia for 11 months – one month into their trip. Looking back down the Bay then out to the mouth.

They made it up easily then Steve went up easily too – I took a video.

The road was solid up top so we followed the track along to the ocean side. There is a car out on the point.

Oops it’s breaking.

Jones Island in the background.

Looks like a road on the other point at Cape Radstock.

Ian got out his fishing rod.

Steve found a little snake who was happy to lay in the sunshine.

There were heaps of smashed shells on the rocks – Steve said he had read that the birds pick up the shells and smash them onto the rocks to eat the insides out.

Found heaps of the shell plugs that Margaret showed me.

Further around we found a good beach area that we might come back tomorrow and fish.

It’s very windswept here.

Continued around to the east.

Drove out to the point.

Looking across to Tyringa Beach and around the coastline to Point Wyland that we looked at before from Venus Bay.

A wave crashed onto the point.

Looking back towards Baird Bay’s entrance.

A natural bridge. Don’t think we will cross it though.

The sun came out and shone on the cliff face opposite.

While I was chatting with Kylie, Steve wandered off with the camera.

A big wave hit the point.

The rear-end shot!!

We found lots of these cocoon things. In the info book it said the area near Venus Bay was home to 100,000 year old fossil cocoons, locally known as ‘clogs’. The weevils that lived in these cocoons (Leptoptius Duponti) once inhabited this area.

Ian had another fish on this bit of beach and nearly hooked up a couple of fish.

I think the road probably continues right around but it was getting late so we headed back.

Good swell coming in.

Back down the sandy bit and onto the beach.

Found a lonely black swan.

Rebecca and Clive had rung so I returned their call. Getting in early to wish me a happy birthday. Grabbed my camera as the sun was starting to set as we headed up onto the lookout platform.

Great view over the bay then around to the cliffs towards Venus Bay.

A perfect sunset with a bit of cloud to grab the colours as the sun dips behind the hills.

Then the clouds came to life.

Back to the truck for one last photo.

Steve tried the TV and got reception long enough to see what time the V8s will be on tomorrow as they are racing in Tassie then we lost all reception!! So out with the hard drive so he can continue on with the Breaking Bad series. I continue of course with my blog.