Travelling through South Australia - Clare, Port Augusta, Streaky Bay and Ceduna

Clare

8 – 10 September 2018

Back on the highway, we found the turn-off to Red Banks Conservation Park, and then drove in to Burra for lunch. On the way a concerning warning light came on – a fuel light, and the manual said “see dealer”. Bugger! We stopped in a park by the river and called the RAA. The lovely chap who came over from Clare suggested it was something to do with the fuel filter and tweaked it a couple of times – no more warning light, but a change of plans to make our way to Clare for someone to have a proper look on Monday.

Before leaving the area we went back to Red Banks in search of the promised Redthroat. We found the spot that was described to us and, unbelievably, there was the bird! Lots of them, too. We had considered camping there but with some good photos obtained and the wind blowing a gale, we decided to proceed to Clare. We called ahead to the caravan park which was very crowded – it seems the Clare Valley is a popular weekend getaway.

Red Banks. Redthroat inhabit the low blue bush all around the area.

Redthroat. A new bird for me.

After another very cold night – this time we were on a powered site so could use the heater – we visited Gleeson’s Lagoon. The local Lions Club established and maintain this lovely parkland, complete with a bird hide. Unfortunately there were only a few ducks around, but we did enjoy the walk. We spend the rest of the day doing housekeeping tasks, and enjoying the pleasant surroundings.

Spring was a little slow coming to Clare.

On Monday morning we called into Clare Valley Toyota and established that the fuel filter needed to be changed, and yes, they could do it almost straight away. Camp packed up, new filter in and we were on the road again, headed for Quorn – but along the way we changed our minds.

Port Augusta 

10 – 11 September 2018

We set of towards Quorn and stopped for coffee in the tiny town of Georgetown, then drove on to the slightly bigger town of Laura where we had a picnic lunch in the park. Sometime after lunch we decided to skip the visit to Quorn, chosen because we had enjoyed staying there on previous trips, and go on to Port Augusta instead.

We reached Port Augusta around 2pm and checked into an ensuite site at the caravan park very close to one of our favourite places – Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. After parking the camper trailer we set off for the gardens. The weather was almost perfect – warm with only a slight breeze. This was in stark contrast to the strong winds and really low temperatures we had been experiencing. We had a very pleasant afternoon wandering the gardens and visiting one of the bird hides. Afternoon tea at the lovely café made for a very nice treat too.

Nankeen Kestrel nesting at the entrance to the gardens.

Reptiles like this young Bearded Dragon were coming out of hibernation.

A Shingleback Lizard or Blue-tongued Skink near the cafe.

We saw Chirruping Wedgebills but, as always, they kept either hidden or distant.

Another sign of spring.

Watching from the saltbush.

Moving on from Port Augusta we decided on Streaky Bay as our next destination but were more than a bit concerned at the severe weather warning for strong winds ahead of a cold front. We chatted to the lady in the caravan park office, and she reassured us that it wouldn’t be as bad as we thought it might be, so we headed west and hoped for the best.

Streaky Bay

11 – 13 September 2018

After an early start we stopped at Kimba for morning tea – and the wind was blowing hard. We stopped to take photos of the silo art, which is becoming increasingly popular in rural areas, and then found a warm café for coffee and cake. While we were there I contacted the Toyota dealer in Ceduna to book the car in for a service later in the week, and also booked a spot in the caravan park. While we were at it we also booked ahead for Streaky Bay.

Silo art at Kimba.

We shouted ourselves lunch at the roadhouse at Poochera as there was no way we could picnic in the windy conditions, then turned off for the drive to Streaky Bay. It wasn’t too windy when we arrived but that was to change later in the day. By dinner time, it was almost impossible to be out in it, so we cooked a quick meal of scrambled eggs and toast and retreated into the tent to eat, and watch some television. We had a powered site with absolute beach frontage and the best free wifi we have ever had, so we streamed some live tv, with the heater going to keep the cold at bay. It worked, we were snug and warm throughout the night.

Absolute beach frontage.

A shower of rain passes leaving some blue sky in its wake.

A variety of cormorants on the swimming baths.

Pelicans hoping to be given fish scraps were often seen on the beach.

 In the morning, the weather was significantly improved – still very cool, but generally sunny and not nearly as windy. We set off for one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area – Point Labatt and the permanent sea lion colony that can be viewed from a platform above the rock platform the sea lions, and their friends the New Zealand fur seals, call home. Despite the icy wind, this was a fabulous experience. Even without binoculars you can see the residents quite clearly as they laze in the sun, and move about to get a better spot, or set off into the water for a feed.

Australian Sea-lions with Black-faced and Pied Cormorants.

Life's tough.

A Sea-lion heads out the channel to sea.

From Point Labatt we made our way to Yanerbie Beach for a bit of bird watching as there was a particular bird Mick was hoping to photograph there. Back to our camp for lunch and then out on the road again later in the afternoon made this a real touristy day. In the afternoon we took a walk along the jetty and then drove around the Westall WayLoop, stopping to walk down the hundred or so steps to The Granites, as well as a look at High Cliffs and the Smooth Pool. We then detoured back to Yanerbie Beach before returning home to a beautiful evening by the water.

The Granites.

The Granites.

Yanerbie Beach is supposed to be a good site for wading birds, in particular, Grey Plover which would be a new bird for me. The guide books get it right sometimes and I got my plover almost immediately. On an open beach it's very hard to get close enough to the subject for a decent shot. I've found that a commando crawl will sometimes work but it's not easy with old bones. Especially carrying 4.5 kilos of camera gear. The plovers let me get a little closer on my belly but for some reason the shots I got didn't turn out so good. Mick

Sooty Oystercatcher

A Pied Cormorant at Yanerbie Beach.

Grey Plover

Red-necked Stint

Curlew Sandpiper

Pacific Gull

Red-capped Plover

White-faced Herons

We packed in a rather leisurely fashion and stopped for morning tea at the local bakery café before setting off for Ceduna. The car was booked in for a service at 2:00pm, and with only about an hour drive ahead of us we weren’t in a huge hurry.

Ceduna

13 – 15 September

We stayed in Ceduna once before and didn’t like it at all, but decided that we would have to give it another chance if we wanted to get the car serviced before we set off across the Nullarbor. We had booked a site at the caravan park on the foreshore and, even though we didn’t have waterfront this time, we could still see the water from our site. The car was serviced that afternoon which meant we had the whole of the next day to explore.

In the morning we visited the Tourist Information Centre, as is our habit and picked up a brochure with information about nearby National Parks. We chose to visit Laura Bay Conservation Park first and enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach. From there we drove back towards Ceduna via the unsealed road and detoured to Wittelbee Conservation Park. From the point there are spectacular views up and down the coastline. There is camping at both locations, but Wittelbee would be my pick for the fabulous views. There are no facilities at either campground.

A taste of the spectacular coastline of Wittelbee.

Black-faced Cormorant in front and Pied behind.

We pottered around at camp for the rest of the day, and learned late in the afternoon that there was a severe weather warning for strong (gale force) winds for that evening and night. It was only a little breezy when we set off for dinner at the pub – conveniently located right next door to the caravan park. The meal was fantastic! Mick had King George Whiting – a local specialty – and I had Boston Bay Mussels. I had no idea where they came from but they were totally delicious and absolutely the freshest I had ever eaten. There was also way too many for me to eat so Mick helped out. Even then we couldn’t get through them all.

A generous serving of mussels.

As we returned to camp, the wind had picked up so we settled inside the camper trailer tent to watch some television before turning in for the night. Not long after, the wind really started to pick up and we (well Mick, really) had to adjust the poles on the awning. We hadn’t taken it down because we would have had to almost completely pack up the trailer to get it secured properly. We simply had to hope for the best. The wind howled throughout the night and the conversations in the amenities and camp kitchen in the morning confirmed we weren’t the only ones who had a sleepless night. At least the awning stayed put.

The wind had dropped somewhat by the time we came to pack up but it was still blowy enough to make the job a bit awkward. After a quick stop in town for fresh bread we set off for Fowler’s Bay. Apparently you can sometimes see whales from the jetty so we considered this for our next overnight stop. When we arrived, the wind was blowing hard and there were none of the promised whales so we pressed on.

A scruffy youngster.

To get to Fowler’s Bay you drive across a causeway through salt marsh. On the way out we saw Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints and Common Greenshank around the edges of the shallow tidal pools. I also got to photograph a tiny Red-capped Plover chick. Mick

Gluepot Reserve

4 – 8 September 2018

We left Mildura and drove west along the Sturt Highway towards the South Australian border. There is a Quarantine Inspection Station where all vehicles are stopped and inspected. The rules for taking certain fruits, vegetables and plant materials are clear and fines apply if travellers don’t declare and surrender prohibited materials.

We stopped for a cuppa at a rest stop near Lake Cullulleraine, then for a stretch and walk by the river at Paringa. From there it was on to Waikerie where we had lunch in a very nice park by the river. We stocked up on fruit and vegetables, then took the ferry across the river for the drive to Gluepot Reserve.

Birdlife Australia Gluepot Reserve is another must do for serious bird-watchers. There are three camp grounds to choose from, five bird hides and at least a dozen walks. On the way in we stopped at the bird hide near Emu Tank, then drove to the visitor centre and paid our small camping fee for three nights, which we later extended to four, then made our way to Sittella Campground. For all but the last night, we had the campground entirely to ourselves.

Our camp at Sittella campground.

The gloves were off... for a moment at least.

View from the camp.

On our first full day, we visited the hides at Old Gluepot, Froggy Dam, and Grasswren Tank. The hides are well maintained and all have a water point with perches which kept the photographer very happy. Mick decided Emu Tank hide was his favourite and visited a number of times during our stay.

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater at the hide.

A Weebill hunts on the ground.

Gluepot Reserve is an iconic Aussie birding location and I've wanted to visit it for many years. There is a chance of seeing some very rare and endangered or at least super special species. Black-eared Miner, Scarlet-chested Parrot and Striated Grasswren are among the specialties you may be lucky enough to see here. Unfortunately I didn't have too much luck. I think I found and photographed Black-eared Miner (it could be a hybrid of Yellow-throated) but would like to have seen Regent Parrots and Major Mitchell's Cockatoos coming in to the hides as they sometimes do. There were plenty of birds to keep me busy with the camera but not the variety I'd hoped for. Mick.

Possible Black-eared Miner.

Male Splendid Fairywren.

Finally, a good shot of a Striped Honeyeater.

White-eared Honeyeater.

There were always heaps of Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters at the hides.

Showing off the plume very well.

The next day we did the 5.5km Mallee Fowl walk. Along this walk is a short detour to observe a mallee fowl mound. Unfortunately for us he wasn’t home at the time. At the end of the walk you can either return along the same track or return via the road. We decided to return via the road and were very surprised to see that we were to traverse a number of old dunes. We hadn’t noticed going up and down on the walk through the mallee but it was very evident once on the road.

Christie and our mascot mid walk.

Hardy succulents thrive in the dry sand.

A little Dragon soaks up the early morning sun.

Meadow Argus butterfly

On Friday we walked the Whistler Tank walk to John Martin Bird Hide. To the hide and back is about 5km, or you can do the full circuit that goes via the Homestead Dam, and is about 6km. This walk started through quite different looking country – black oaks being the predominant species, before opening up into more typical mallee.

 

White-browed Babbler.

Male Mulga Parrot. I never get tired of seeing these.

The only downside to our stay at Gluepot was the extremely cold overnight temperatures. My little thermometer told us it was 4° at 7am most days. Not very pleasant for a couple of North Queenslanders, but we managed. On our final morning Mick chatted with some campers who had arrived the evening before. One of them recommended a birdy spot that was on our way to our next destination. We made one last stop at Emu Tank hide and then set off for Red Banks, and Burra.

Mildura

1 – 4 September 2018

We faced another big drive, but broke it up with a lunch stop at Birdcage Reserve Rest Area, near Darlingon Point, complete with toilets and picnic tables. From there we drove through Hay, and stopped at The Junction Rest Area where we ate our remaining fruit before entering the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone which protects the Riverland from the dreaded Queensland Fruit Fly. In all seriousness, an infestation can destroy an industry so all travellers should be aware of, respect and comply with, quarantine arrangements.

We decided to book an ensuite site in Mildura, so did that online along the way, scoring a “3 night special” price. It’s nice to have a little luxury, especially in the colder weather. We arrived late in the afternoon and set up our camp before going down for a short walk along the river.

Our walk to the river.

On Sunday morning we set off for the markets in Red Cliffs, about 25 minutes away. These markets are held each month and spread all around the park, and two main shopping streets. There were fruit and vegetables, preserves, local olives, oils and lots of crafty things. On the way back to our temporary home we stopped to purchase a new GPS. The “crazy woman” had finally succumbed to what we thought of as a type of dementia (started off bright then faded very quickly each day) and we had needed to resort to old fashioned paper maps and the gps directions on the phone. We found a very nice salesperson who didn’t try to upsell us to the latest model with features we didn’t need or want, and so we came away with the “bright young thing”. We hoped she would live up to her name.

After lunch we headed off for a walk at Kings Billabong, a popular spot with lots of walking tracks and a bird hide on the water. We were a bit disappointed as there wasn’t much birdlife around, and the quickly dropping temperature of the late afternoon had us heading home. This is a very nice spot, but spoiled somewhat by the number of younger drivers speeding along the tracks with little regard for other visitors.

On Monday morning we set off for another birdwatching spot – Etiwanda Wetlands. This is quite close to town and is a series of ponds which captures, cleans and stabilises stormwater and road runoff. The well signposted walking tracks meander around the ponds and made for a very pleasant morning walk. From there it was into town for morning tea and then some shopping. After lunch back at camp, we set off back into town to buy some more warm clothes – night time temperatures hovering in the low single digits were proving a challenge. We then drove down to the riverfront park, and went for a very long walk back towards Lock 11. There are lots of picnic spots and a couple of cafes in the very well maintained parklands.

'Cirrosis of the river' Not sure about the spelling but a good name for a boat.

Lock 11. The last time we were here it was on a paddle steamer.

After another very cold night, we packed up and set off to cross the border into South Australia.

Inland to the NSW Riverland - Cobar and Leeton

Cobar

30 – 31 August 2018

The drive south takes you over the border into New South Wales, and on to Bourke, where we had a short rest stop before continuing on to Cobar. We hadn’t planned on driving as far each day, but we were managing well, so decided to make Cobar our overnight stop. As we had come to expect, the temperature dropped as night approached, and there was also a very strong wind. We opted to make and eat our dinner in the camp kitchen just across from our site – and we weren’t the only ones who did this.

The wind howled throughout the night, but we were snug and warm with our small electric fan heater. When we finally ventured out in the morning, we saw that a small branch from a nearby tree had come down just a few metres from our camper trailer. The wind continued to blow while we had breakfast, again making use of the camp kitchen. The forecast was for another windy day, so after a quick look around town, and a coffee, we headed off from Cobar with Lake Cargelligo as our planned destination.

It really made my day seeing these echidnas crossing the road. I had to stop and get some pics!

Male Mulga Parrot spotted from the car.

Leeton

31 August – 1 September 2018

We had visited Lake Cargelligo once before and had taken a cabin because the weather was so awful so we were a bit dismayed to see that the wind was still blowing hard when we arrived there on this trip. We called into the caravan park and asked about a cabin but were told they were all booked out for Show weekend. Darn! We had a lunch in the bakery then went down to the lake for a look around. From there we went out to the Sewerage Treatment Works – a known bird watching spot.

Sheep at the STP but no birds.

Curlew Sandpiper at Lake Cargelligo.

Mick chose Leeton as our next stop – a bit out of the way, but he had read about a swamp that he wanted to visit. We called ahead and booked a cabin – the wind was forecast to continue, with some rain as well. After driving through Griffith, we arrived at Leeton and settled in. As predicted the wind persisted throughout the night, and it also rained. We were glad for this bit of forward planning.

Bad weather had forced me to change some planned birding stops but I'm glad we braved the cold wind to visit Fivebough Swamp. Although it's not a photographer friendly wetland, there was a good variety of waterbirds to see. Generally, they were way too distant for good shots though. Out of the water, we heard Little Grassbird and saw Silvereye, Weebill, Variegated Fairy-wren and Double-barred Finch. This place will always be special to me for my, long awaited, first Blue-billed Duck. Mick.  

The Blue-billed Duck was my first 'lifer' of this trip.

Grey Teal, Freckled Duck Australian Shoveler and Black-winged Stilts.

Clamorous Reed Warbler.

We were able to leave the camper trailer behind while we went out to explore Fivebough Swamp. Despite the grey skies and the swamp being rather dry in parts, it was a pleasant couple of hours spent wandering around. We returned to collect the trailer and set off for Mildura.