June 4- 10

4^th June Sunday

4^th night here at Greenock. 

Negative 3.8 last night.

Decided to stay another day and enjoy this lovely weather.

Taking a walk into town and stopped in at a coffee/ pizza place called El Estanco where they offered a nice warm fire inside or sit in the sun outside down in a courtyard area. They used packing crates to form tables and they had a wonderful pizza pod out the back which they serve pizzas on Fridays. Their selection of fresh herbs and vegetables were grown out the back as well.

Whilst we were there many vintage cars drove past so Russell decided to find out where they were going to, and as it turned out only 15 minutes up the road from Greenock. So, after we walked back to the camp we drove out to Tarlee where these cars were meeting up in a park to show the collection.

Some lovely cars restored back to former glory and attached are some photos of a small collection we liked.

On our trip back we spotted an antique shop in the main street so we had a look, and after we continued out to an old historic copper mine. I thought it was sad that they used Clydesdales for such monotonous and hard work daily to haul up the copper to be processed. Attached is a photo of the area and a monument to remember the important work of the Clydesdale horse made from metal.

Once back at camp we chatted to a nice family with 3 little children, they have been on the road for 18 months. They sold their house, property and business to spend quality time together and enjoy life a lot more.

Tonight is going to be another cold night.

5^th June Monday

3 degrees

Last day at Greenock and a bit sad to leave as we have enjoyed being here with a lot to see and do.

6^th June Tuesday

Packed early this morning and starting to make a move on our next part of the journey. Today when we leave Greenock we shall pass through Auburn, Port Wakefield before driving through Balaklava towards our destination of Ardrossan on the Yorke Peninsula. The weather has turned very overcast and cool. We noticed the countryside on the Yorke Highway has a very desolate and harsh landscape compared to the Barossa Valley.

So we were about ½ hour from our camp site and we had been listening to an odd sound under the bonnet for the last few days but Russell could not find anything odd.

Well the sound ended up being the EGR pipe and it fell off which created a sound like a tractor. As luck was on our side where we stopped was a farmhouse with a shed and lots of workshop tools. The guy there was happy to let Russell fix what was needed in the shed and even brought out a gas cutter in case we needed it.

 Once all fixed we continued onto Ardrossan to find this elusive three site camp. As we drove into the street another lady and small caravan whizzed in front of us heading to the last spot. There were already two campervans in the last ones. So, as we sat in the car pondering on our next move we could see the lady was having an enormous amount of trouble backing her caravan in to the last site. We later found out she was with the other two and they offered to share one site so we could have one. Russell then offered to back her caravan in which she greatly appreciated.

After a very late lunch we enjoyed chatting to the next-door travellers, a lovely lady sightseeing around with her friends. 

7^th June Wednesday

Russell awoke early and went for a cold walk with Billy down to the jetty and captured the sunrise- posted it on FB. After his walk back and breakfast we both then went for the walk down to the beach and dropped into a cheap shop looking for a container large enough to hold oil when Russell does his oil change today. The lady gave us a container which she could not sell as the lid had broken.

There was sad news about a suicide here in Ardrossan of a little boy and his mother which we saw flowers outside his school as a tribute.

Once back to the BT we sat out in the sun to warm up while Billy had a nap on his bed.

So a bit of controversy here this afternoon with our fellow campervan ladies been asked to move on as they are not self-contained. A few new caravan travellers waiting on the side for them to go so not really sure how this has been reported.

Later this afternoon we unhitched the BT and went for a drive around Ardrossan and followed the coast for only a very short distance and found a camp site adjacent to the beach but $10 per night no amenities. We must move on tomorrow anyway so will decide what to do. We went up to a lookout that was right next to a working mine, possibly iron ore, gold and copper. On our way back we spotted a monument built for 6 female sperm whales that beached themselves here in 2014 which was very sad.

We decided to refill our gas cylinder whilst here to save doing it another day on the road, and the price was reasonable compared to several other places we asked back at Greenock area.

Russell has decided to wash the cruiser this afternoon on our return from the drive.

The sun is slowly starting to set and you can feel the coolness coming down- so yet another cold night ahead.

8^th June Thursday

Leaving Ardrossan this morning and continuing onto see more of this area along the coastal fringes. So many houses built right on the edges overlooking the bay- very pretty place.

 We passed through Port Vincent and stopped in Stansbury for a morning tea beside the sea. Beautiful and calm water. A local stopped and mentioned they grow oysters off shore here in oyster bay hence the name. Billy loves the beach and couldn’t wait to get here and swim.

Dropped into an information place and got a host of what to see in and around Yorke Peninsula. First thing on our list was Wool Bay where a kiln was built way back in 1900-1910 for burning of limestone. The long-term success and productivity of limestone was hampered by the climate and high wind.

We went passed a Wattle Point wind farm whilst on our drive.

Located the Troubridge Hill lighthouse on the Yorke Peninsula and stopped for lunch.

Took a drive down a sandy track to Kemp Bay/ Suicide Point and went for a walk on the beach- so windy and overcast.

Our destination for possibly a few days is Warooka.

9^th June Friday

This morning we are going to look at Turton another seaside bay before we travel out to Burner’s Beach. Here we come across one camper with a dog enjoying the peace and quiet. I went and collected some very unusual shells along the sand, at first it was a very unimpressive beach laden with seaweed pushed up from the tides. Some piles were metres high which made walking a bit harder.

So after leaving Burner’s Beach we continued out to see another lighthouse at Corny Point.

We are sightseeing as much of this Yorke Peninsula without the BT as possible so our next destination is Marion Bay which was about ½ an hour drive from Corny.

Here at Marion Bay the community has many homes and rental that seem to be holiday houses, one Tavern a small food shop and not much else. We decided to splurge and buy a fresh pizza and garlic bread for lunch.

Sue drove back to Warooka from here, relaxed with a coffee back at camp and watched some TV.

1Oth June Saturday

Restful sleep so ready to move on today, which we decided will be back towards Ardrossan for a few days.

Set up again in Ardrossan RV site, going for a walk to town to see the markets. Not big markets at all only a handful of stalls, so going for coffee then into the butcher for a very small supply of meat and a bone for Billy.

Sue went to the Ardrossan caravan park do all the clothes washing and drying. Russell checked car and van for any repairs.

11^th June Sunday

After breakfast, we went for a walk down to the beach which I am sure Billy now knows the way by himself. On the way back the traditional drop in to the coffee shop before checking into the information place and had a chat to the lady there.

Back to site and always something to do if not cooking, checking any issues with van, car for our impending trip up North next week.