Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

We farewelled the seaside village of Port Vincent and made our way down through to Port Turton, Warooka, Marion Bay before heading into Innes National Park, on the Southern tip of the Yorke Peninsula.  We were the only caravan to park at Pondalowie Bay until about 3.00pm when another Winnibago arrived next to us. Safety in numbers, is good you know!

We took our bikes into a nearby seaside fishing village, holiday accommodation only, which consisted of about a dozen or so homes in about a 500 metre straight line from the beach and saw a small shipping vessel wrecked on the sand about a kilometre away and decided to hit the sands on the bikes to get to it.  Inspecting the vessel we'd spoken of the possbile storm it had met with before being washed up on the shore.

In the evening , after our feast on the previous night's catch, we headed to the beach for more fishing.  Lines baited, thrown into the waters and the first catch of the night was pulled in before you could even say "Hail Mary!".  The flathead was just as surprised as we were, shortly followed by a smaller catch and then silence.  I commented that we could  always make fish soup for the next evening meal if nothing else was caught and add a potato or two for substance!

Over the next two hours Daniel was a man posessed and in his element, baiting, casting, getting knee deep into the water not even thinking about his wet shorts, choosing the right spot before he successfully secured another six finned beauties.  The area must have been a good feeding spot because we'd sighted a baby flathead shark, three stingrays in various sizes from small to large, slowly caressing the sand at the bottom and flipping gently  its side fins to expose itself as it meandered through the seagrasses and two dolphins swimming ever so close to us.

Nightfall came and we read our books before turning out the lights were we we completely isolated amongst nature and relying on our own resources.  No coverage for the mobile phone or even the laptop.  So peaceful.

Daybreak came at 5:00am when I heard the sound of raindrops on the open vent above the kitchen, whereupon I rose to close it.  Roused, I heard a gust of wing come through and flap at the awning.  I nudged Daniel and we both went out and pulled the awning down and away. Daniel returned to his sombre state of sleep and as I was awake I read before I could feel that sense of sleep return under the clouds of rains against the van's roof.

We rose at 9:00am and it was still raining and continues so for the rest of the day.  We showered, ate breakfast, cleaned up the van to promote some decency and order and spent most of the day reading.  As it grew colder Daniel suggested a glass of Port which warmed the bellies and stirred the blood through the shivering bodies.

In all it was a grand stay.  We'd paid a visit to Stenhouse Bay, the scenic view overlooking the bay, the Cape Spencer lighthouse, the Ethel shipwreck amongst a few others, Pondalowie beach and foreshore where it was teaming with Spanner crabs and the like, Browns beach and the various salt lakes that were dotted throughout the region, the unbelievable rock and sand formations that formed the outer edges that met the sea.  They were so grand, majestic and fearful yet stunning in their beauty. The smell of the fauna after the showers was incredible, in particular the wild rosemary.  The variation in sands in different areas was remarkable, some soft and grey while others hardened under foot after rain and a beautiful orange colour.  This place is a must see.