After having spent the last five days waking up, packing up and moving out, we decided that we would enjoy the rare luxury of a sleep in this morning, being that we didn’t have to vacate our overnight parking spot. It was thus that we snoozed through all manner of racket about the van as the resident early risers got underway, before we eventually rolled out of bed at a bit after 10:00AM.
When we did finally get up, it was to find that we had wasted away a good number of hours, while the sun had been shining brightly, bringing with it temperate warmth. Far from being concerned, we cooked up a generous spread for breakfast, before splashing some water over the dishes, which were still piled up from our disappointing dinner last night. On that matter, I must admit a disclaimer that the dinner was not dismal due to any fault of the cook, but rather than to the cheap cut of meat that had been utilised.

With breakfast nothing more than a happy memory and the washing up completed, we hooked the babies up to their leashes to take them for a wander over the sand dune to the beach beyond. On the way, Alvin fumbled about trying to leave his scent on a bush and nearly stepped right on top of a stumpy tailed lizard that was happily sunning itself in the garden bed. Alvin didn’t even notice it, as the lizard did its best to appear inanimate. As far as reptiles go, it was cute, as it lay prostrate, semi-hidden by the mulch and foliage.

Once we made it to the far side of the dune, Alvin decided he was in the mood for a jog along the soft, seaweed infested sand. With the wind in his hair, ears pinned back against the sides of his head, we blasted along the beach at full tilt. Bethany on the other hand, maybe a little wary after her last beach experience was happy just to slowly romp along with Bec. With the sun peeking out from between the few stray clouds scattered about the sky, the water looked much more inviting today, but on dipping my toes in I found it to be way too cold to be enjoyable.

With the dogs worn out, we returned them to the van, where we have been told we are allowed to leave them, so long as there are no complaints about them barking. Leaving them chewing on a treat and the radio adjusted to a volume loud enough hopefully to drown out any external noises which might stimulate them, or maybe even drown out any wayward barking, we headed into town.

It was already 1:00PM by this stage, so we had well and truly missed the museum, as it is only open until midday. It has been highly recommended to us though, so we will have to make an effort to get there tomorrow. We therefore found ourselves pulling over in the centre of town, where Bec wanted to go back to a shop she had seen yesterday. A kind of cooperative, staffed by genial volunteers, it stocks all manner of local arts and crafts.

As we looked about today, we took the time to browse through a few other stores we had casually passed by yesterday, finding some of them to be rather odd. The white goods and electrical goods retailer for instance, doubles as a camping and fishing store as well as stocking a range of clothes and linen. Across the road, a jewelry store was found within the chemist, while the hardware store, toyshop and newsagency were also under one roof.

We bought nothing of consequence while in town, before stopping at a little place a slight way out of the central area. A decrypt little building set in terribly overgrown and hardly inviting grounds housed an Aboriginal Arts Centre. Inside we were pleased to find was a different story, while the helpful staff were more than attentive, as we browsed through the hundreds of works of art that were all available for purchase. The walls were lined with stretched canvases, while racks and tables in the centre of the single large gallery were piled high with fluttering canvas in haphazard displays of beautiful works of original art. As we roamed about the room, carefully flipping through the pieces, a couple of elderly ladies wandered in for a look also. They took delight in questioning the merit of almost every work they looked at, as they roughly manhandled their way through the artwork hanging loosely from the racks causing a good many to come free from the brackets and fall to the floor. I was disgusted at their attitude and loudly made comment to Bec about it once they had left. At least I thought that they had left, because I saw them quickly scampering for the door soon after I had voiced my views.

After scouring the room several times, we managed to come across a few pieces that took our fancy, although they weren’t of what I would consider the traditional Aboriginal dot painting style. They were however completed in an earthy tonal colour scheme that indicated their heritage, but price and our ability to successfully get such a large piece of work home put paid to any ideas we had of making a purchase. We did scribble down the details of the canvas that we liked the most though, just incase we should change our minds down the track. We are still kicking ourselves for not purchasing some of the local artworks when we were at Kakadu and there were a couple that we saw in Kununurra too, that I shan’t forget, so I want the option of being able to secure this one if our minds are swayed.

Having spent the better part of an hour umming and ahhing about the painting before deciding to leave it in the gallery for someone else to admire, at least for the time being, we drove out along the narrow spit of land between Bosanquet Bay and Murat Bay to the Pinky Point Platform and Lighthouse. I was expecting more of the lighthouse, imagining a generous sized structure, but found only a tile mosaic inlaid podium a few metres tall. Erected in memory of seaman who have lost their lives to their love of the ocean, it was however a poignant memorial.

Really, you call that a lighthouse?

The view from the nearby lookout provides views out to sea, past South Australia’s second busiest port and towards a series of islands that some consider to be the setting for the story, Gulliver’s Travels. Whether or not this is borne from fact or fiction I can’t answer, but it certainly makes for a good tale.

Considering it has been some while since we have left the dogs to their own devices in the van, we next made a beeline back to the caravan park. Thankfully, apart from having strewn our bedding messily around, they seem to have been well behaved whilst we have been gallivanting about. As a reward, we promised them another walk, but first we had some work to do.

Eager for a romp.

Our trip plans had only been laid out until our arrival here in Ceduna. With barely four weeks before we are due to be arriving home, we spent the remainder of the afternoon nutting out the final stages of our ever changing itinerary. At this stage, we should be home on time, although a few more weeks, or months for that matter, certainly wouldn’t go astray.

All worn out!

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.