Well after leaving the Big Gum Tree we needed to refuel, restock on food and grog and both the van and the car needed a wash.

We arrived in Port Augusta but never made the shops it was so busy that we just kept driving - UGH big city lol. We pushed onto Whyalla and found a shopping centre which had everything we needed in the one location, it was meant to be because as I walked into the shopping centre the Last Post began playing as it was Armistice Day and it was a touching moment of one minutes silence with shoppers slowly rising to their feet. The final trumpets breathe bought the shops back to life and it was business as usual.

Mal got the car and van washed whilst I got all the other supplies, we then headed off for Arno Bay and the much talked about great Fishing!!

On the way we stopped in at Cowell - the Oyster Place and boy oh boy $12 for the dozen of the largest Oysters I have every seen mmmm awesome dinner tonight.

We arrived in Arno Bay and the weather which had been following us was grey and overcast - whilst trying to get in our bay and set up we meet Phil and Kaye our neighbours well and truly in their late 70's and been coming here since Noah was a boy in short pants, they live in SA but love this place and have plenty of stories to tell as we find out over the next few days. We get the drum on the fish - well actually the lack there of! and that Smokey Bay Oysters are much better.

The next day we head off walking to the Shed ( has all the history and information about the town and now used for locals to enjoy a BBQ) and the beach and jetty, the town and its volunteers have recently completed a boardwalk area which runs along the river to the mouth of river to ocean, quite an amazing acheivement and worth a look.

When we come back Phil has 2 mullet and 2 whiting fillets for us that he caught that morning in his secret spot on the boardwalk, mmm fresh fish for lunch.

The next day we head off to Redbank to try a spot of fishing - blah 3 blowies but Redbank is a very pretty spot and the waters are crystal clear and the beaches beautiful and you can 4wd on it. It is a stinking hot day and now getting hotter and windier and more humid we head to the boardwalk but it is just to hot so we head back to the van for a shower and walk to the pub for a long lunch in the cool. When we get back people at the park have been on a fishing charter and have caught some lovely King George Whiting after the usual stickybeak at the fish cleaning area our neighbours behind us offered us 4 King George Whiting that they they got from there neighbours - Got to love fishing in Arno Bay!!!

The next day we were heading off again not sure where we would be stopping but a trip into Port Lincoln was a date for the caravan for a minor repair needed.

from the Great Outdoors

Alida and Mal