We had no specific plans for Christmas. We had considered staying at Port Lincoln as it was a big town and may have some Christmas activities or events. However the lady in the Tourist Info assured us there was nothing happening there and everything would be shut.

The only vaguely Christmas related activity was a boat cruise around the marina to look at the Christmas lights in people's homes - a bit like The Boulevarde in Ivanhoe, but it can only be viewed from the water. So on the Friday night we had dinner at the Marina Hotel, and then skimmed around the fancy houses in a small electric boat.

The next morning we headed out to Tumby Bay - and found they had had their Christmas Pageant the night before. A lot of places had closed for the weekend and wouldn't open again until after Boxing Day. But there were enough places that were open for Saturday and Sunday - although everything was closing on Christmas Day.

We had seen Tumby Bay briefly on our previous visit twelve years ago and were really taken with it, although we couldn't stay long. We remembered a café right on the beach, thick lush green lawns along the foreshore, and a colourful rotunda with murals all over it. All these things were still present. The café was there with a lovely outdoor seating area. The lawn was as green and lush as ever. The rotunda was still there, but some of the murals were fading a little.

There was a caravan park that opened onto the beach, but it was about a km out of town. We came across another 'Caravan Park' run by the CWA which was right on the Esplanade, around the corner from the shops. It only had four sites, but they were powered and had ensuite bathrooms for $25 a night. The caravan park charged almost double that. After a few frantic phone calls as the ladies of the CWA were doing their last minute Christmas shopping, we finally secured a lovely spot right on the water.

Tumby Bay also has a nice beach but, although the sun was strong, the winds were even stronger, and the idea of a swim was beyond consideration. We went to church on Sunday and got a dose of Christmas Carols, which was very welcome. Then we checked out the museum in the afternoon as this was about the only thing open in town. Tumby Bay has been around for quite some time, and originally had a port to export grain. But this had all moved down to Lincoln and the government was keen to knock down the jetty. The townspeople got together to save it back in the seventies (a bit of a recurring theme here.)

Now it has become a bit of a retirement town for the local farmers who want a seachange. That is probably why the lawns are so manicured - people of the land with time on their hands and not much to do.

We finally found some real fresh seafood. The man at the take away food shop was friends with a local fisherman and he got him a catch of King George whiting straight off the boat. We had the best fish and chips - even better than at Lincoln.

On Christmas Day everything was shut - it was like a ghost town. However there was a neighbouring town called Cummins running something called 'Christmas Wonderland'. This was running every day in December - including Christmas Day in the afternoon. So after a lazy leisurely morning we headed down there, unsure if it was really worth the drive.

It was definitely worth it. The Cummins community had outdone themselves. In a hall in town they had put together several magical and Christmassy scenes, complete with blinking fairy lights. There was the North Pole, complete with polar bears and penguins, a magical Cinderella carriage, an enchanted fairies-in-the-woods scene, and even a psychedelic VW Combi. There was also the traditional fare - little Germanic villages and a circling train, and of course a beautiful nativity scene.

There was also dress-ups with costumes and props for each scene, and plenty of photo opportunities. Although it was mainly focussed on children we, and the many other adults there, had a great time. Thank you Cummins for a special Christmas treat.

GeorgeY's Bit

Tumby Bay is beautiful as ever. It is small and very cute. It has possibly the best esplanade in Australia with the greenest, thickest lawn. Wide streets with adequate shops and services reflect an element of grand design. Cold and windy conditions persisted for a couple of days, then fine weather finally arrived. But in all Tumby Bay was an absolute beauty.