2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Fri, 8th Apr, 2016 Decres Bay-Wittelbee Conservation Park, Eyre Peninsula to Davenport Creek, Back Beach carpark, SA

Beautiful clear morning though a bit chilly, 15.8 degrees in the van at 7.30am. The tide is out.

Into Ceduna to try and catch a squid off the jetty as the tide comes in. The ladies we saw yesterday have only got one squid and one crab so far. We spotted a school of fish which looked like WA Salmon. I put on the salmon rig but they just swam around it. Steve walked back to the van to get some meat but by the time he got back they had swum off.

No squid so we walked back for a cuppa. As we walked back off the jetty a school of mullet swam by in the shallows.

When Steve had walked back the police were moving on some aboriginal ladies who were sitting on the grass near our van, saying ‘you know the rules’. Don’t know if they had alcohol as it is a dry area or they aren’t allowed to sit on the grass!! There are no chairs around so maybe they can’t!!

Used the flash musical toilets. Even has a button to roll out the toilet paper!!

Filled up with water then headed west!!

Turned off to Denial Bay – looking across the bay to the houses.

This is ‘McKenzie’s Landing which was used prior to the jetty to load and unload goods from visiting ships. At low tide the landing could be reached by horse and cart with produce loaded onto the platform. As the tide returned, small rowboats, called lighters, from the sailing ships would gather the local produce and deposit passengers and incoming stores on the landing, ready for pick up. Thevenard silos in the distance.

Around to the jetty to see if the fish and squid are biting here.

Nice mural on the toilet block.

Some information on how Denial Bay got its name and William McKenzie.

Long jetty and it used to be 2 times longer to be able to get out into deeper water.

We have been told Razor Fish are good bait for Whiting.

The water is clear and calm. A few people were fishing and crabbing. They had a few crabs and one squid but no fish.

While we were chatting a chap had a few squid follow his lure in. Steve walked back to get our rods – should have brought them out with us but the exercise will do him good!! One chap got two with his red & white squid jig but they weren’t interested in our colourful ones!! A dolphin swam by too. Gave up and went back to the van for lunch under the shade shelters with all the seagulls. A school of mullet swam by close to the shoreline.

Continued on the back road – interesting cloud line. Hope it’s not more bad weather coming.

Stopped to check out McKenzie’s Ruins.

Lots of water wells.

Across the road was more ruins – maybe this was the main house.

Peered through the window – the chimney is still intact.

In the well two snakes were trying to work out how to get out.

Looks like a War of the Worlds alien in the distance.

Turned south to Davenport Creek which has some great sand dunes.

Passed a sign that we are on private property then next one was a road upgrade one by the Ceduna Council. Down to Cockleshell car park near the creek.

Walked along the sand road around the sand dunes passed the creek out to the beach.

The road would be hard enough for us to drive on and there was room behind the last dune before going onto the beach. The camp area is further along the beach and over the dunes and back to the creek again. A SES 4WD came by – maybe a training session on how to help people get out of being bogged in the sand.

Out onto Back Beach, looking to Point Peter to the left.

A big ship is waiting near St Peter Island to head into Thevenard.

To the right is Point James. Lots of sea grass piled on the beach.

Drove back to the Back Beach car park which is up on the dune with a good view over the beach. Unhooked the van and went for a drive to the end of the beach near Point James end.