Farewell Fowlers Bay

We have finally left Fowlers Bay! We have had a great time there fishing, working and meeting interesting people. Pat and Al called in for a couple of days a few weeks before we left. It was great to catch up. Al did a bit of fishing but unfortunately the tides weren’t right for him. We had a couple of dodge tides and the fish don’t bite. They had just graded the road so they had a good drive out although it was a bit windy. You seem to get a few great days then it gets windy for a day or so then it’s good days again. 

Rod building the new bird cage

Mark doing the finishing touches

Rod admiring his handy work

Finished at last. The birds will be happy

The birds are happy in their new home

Kids playing on the sand dunes

Fowlers Bay from "wow hill"

Goodbye Fowlers bay

Rod and Simone invited us to stay with them at Perlubie Hill, near Streaky Bay. We had an early Christmas with them and a few of their friends which was good as we were able to say goodbye to them before we left. Beemer and Jet got on famously. Beemer had trouble walking for a day or so. He had not had so much exercise for a while. We went razor fish collecting on the beach. 

Mya taking Rod for ride

The view from the house at Perlubie Hill

A beautifull sun set

Another sunset. Same place, different day

The house on Perlubie Hill from the beach

Perlubie Hill

Beemer, a happy dog

Jet, a mad, happy dog

Jack. A cat with attitude

Rod took us to Baird Bay to his Mum and Allan’s where they have a swim with the sea lions and dolphins business. We had a lovely day with them. I chose not to get wet (I thought it would be cold) but as it turned out the water was beautiful. Mark swam with about 5 sea lions and half a dozen dolphins. Rod and Mick, their deck hand, dove for abalone, which Allan cooked up for our tea. We also did a bit of fishing on the way home in the boat and had fresh fish for tea. We were sad to leave Rod and Simone and Mya, but we only said farewell, not goodbye as we know we will be seeing them again.

The boat at Baird Bay

Mark swimming with the sea lions

Sea lions resting after hteir swim with the humans

I'll just rest my head on this bum. He won't mind.

Swimming with the dolphins

Rod's Mum Trish with the dolphins

Trish just wouldn't get out of the water.

We travelled to Port Germein and stayed for a few days. We both needed a rest after trying to keep up with Rod. We had only intended to stay for two days, but the weather turned bad. It was great to hear the rain on the roof. There has been hardly any rain since July.

Sunset at Port Germein

Port Germein Police Station

Port Germein Police Station with Christmas light

We have moved on since to Berri. We stopped at Cadell to see Danny and Ali for a cuppa. Danny took us for a quick drive around to show us the sights. It was great to see them and plan our next trip to Fowlers Bay. It sounds like there might be a big reunion there next year.

Fowlers Bay

Still at Fowlers Bay! Mark has been busy with Rod and the whale watch boat. The whales will be here until the end of September and then they go south again. There have been at least 5 Southern Rights with calves and five or six juveniles in the bay. One went under the boat and its tail touched the other day. That is really up close and personal. The fishing has been good at Scott’s Beach and Danny, who has a boat, always comes back with a fish box full. He gives most of it away to the campers in the park unless it’s Friday, then it goes towards the cook up we have every Saturday night. We have been lucky lately with a couple of people coming through with guitars. We have a bit of a sing along around the fire at night. Fowlers Bay is ‘a bit like a box of chocolates’. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. I haven’t been out on the jetty for a while. I have been kept busy with a new herb garden and other little bits and pieces. Mark gets withdrawals if he hasn’t had the chainsaw in his hand nearly every day. The new generator is going well. No blackouts in the park for a while now. The weather has been great and the sunsets are spectacular. Our photos don’t do them justice.

Another sunset

The container for the new generator

The delivery of the new generator

Some of the many seals

Sleepy lizard

Pom's big squid and others (he caught about 10 that day)

A Southern Right Whale

My big flat head (about two and a half kilos)

Rod and Rhonda were here a couple of days ago. We took them to Mexican Hat in the work ute. Rod and Ted had to sit in the back bouncing around. One of the campers took the ‘boys’ fishing on Scott’s Beach but they didn’t catch anything. 

Rod and Rhonda with us at Mexican Hat

Ceduna and beautifull Fowlers Bay

We left Arno Bay and headed to Ceduna. We decided to stay at the Shelly Beach Caravan Park which is 3klm’s out of Ceduna on the coast. It was a short walk over the sand dunes to the beach where Beemer had great fun running about. It is one of the many beaches they allow you to drive a car on. We found a great seafood retailer called Barney’s where we could buy salt and pepper squid ready to cook. At the caravan park there was an outdoor fireplace which we used every night to sit around and yarn with whoever joined us.

Next stop was Fowlers Bay. This is as far west as we planned to go this time before heading back towards home for Christmas. We booked for a week and decided to book for a second week. It is a beautiful bay and the whales are here for most of August/September. As it turned out Rod and Simone needed someone to help in the park and on the Whale Watching boat. They explained to us that they had advertised for an older couple with their own van to keep the park tidy and in exchange they would get a free site for the van. When we heard this we went ‘we are here’! We are having a great time fishing, going out on the boat when there is a seat free. The boat only takes up to six people for 2 hours watching the whales (mostly mothers with their calves) in the bay.

We have a fire every night, which Mark starts at about 4pm. We go out and get wood for the fire. Mark loves using the chainsaw. The countryside is beautiful. There are huge sand dunes right next to the town. Some of the town has already disappeared under the dunes over a long period of time. There used to be a police station, a pub and a post office. Now there is the kiosk, a hall and a small motel and a few houses. I don’t know how many people live here permanently, but I think it would be not many more than 20. There is no electricity or water. The water we use is pumped from the sand dunes by windmills. 

Fowlers Bay Main Street

Some fish Mark caught in the boat with Danny

Sea Lions sunning themselves

Mexican Hat

Beemer in the sand dunes with Fowlers Bay in the background

Looking west from the top of the sand dunes

Our power in the park is by generator. We have just had the old Lister generator, which blow up a couple of weeks ago, replaced by a new one. Mark and Rod have been working very hard to get a container ready by sound proofing it and putting in a false wall.

The container being delivered for the new generator

The new generator

The list of jobs is getting bigger by the day, so don’t know when we will be allowed to leave. We had a day in Ceduna and Mark joked about taking the van with us. Simone said the draw bar would be missing if we did that. It’s nice to know we are appreciated for our efforts to help them. Most people who book in for a couple of nights stay longer. We have just said goodbye to a couple from Adelaide who have been coming here for years and they were here for two months fishing.