You were totally crazy to travel in the summer heat, go in the winter – it’s much better. So they said, as we hit hail storms, gales and freezing temperatures.
Our latest trip started out beautifully, with a perfect sunset on a lovely beach on the south coast at Warrnambool.
Dramatic winter evening skies and seas
Gratuitous gorgeous sunset
But the signs were already there that things were about to change.
The wintry waters were a prelude to the hailstorm later that evening
Perhaps we should have heeded the warnings at Robe – where the obelisk has stood for more than 100 years in the teeth of wind-whipped waves and icy blasts.
The warning obelisk at Robe
But by the next day when we arrived in Portland, we had to dodge hail storms and were literally holding onto our hats in the wind.
Often the breakwater is swamped by waves straight up from Antarctica
It is one of the busiest harbours in South Australia
But the wintry sun also shone amid it all and we powered on. We were due to meet up with some old army buddies of Geoff’s so we were on a schedule – for once! Next stop the delightful waterside at Meningie and the wonderful pelicans of Lake Albert.
The soft colours of morning over the lake at Menigie
Pelican pier
Ta Dah!
Directions on where to leave your dead fish – not the usual sign you see at the bins
Early morning pelicans
From the delightful poise of the pelicans, we had to stop and photograph one of Australia’s famous “big things”. Larry the Lobster in Kingston SE did not disappoint.
Yep, it’s a giant lobster
Moving on to Victor Harbor and another big thing, but far more impressive. The stoic, solemn and very real Albert, the tram-pulling shire horse, who daily plods from the mainland to Granite Island.
Albert the tram horse gets ready to roll
We didn’t want to disturb his slow haul, but couldn’t help but join the rest of the appreciative crowds. It didn’t show on his greying face, but the tram operator assured us that Albert is only a young horse and loves the company along the route.
Geoff and Albert take a stroll
Albert plods ahead to Granite Island
The road and rail to Granite Island, off Victor Harbor
Visitors come from all over the world to see Albert and the other tram horses
We had a date in the bouncily named Booleroo Centre to meet Geoff’s old friends. But before they even arrived we had made some new ones. Our friends Mick & Sue were meeting us at the house of their old school friend and bridesmaid – Tiffany. We arrived two days early and were made incredibly welcome by her. We (well, Geoff!) had work to do on the car, so one of Tiff’s friends Ross, agreed we could use his shed for the work and as shelter for the night. The farm was his grandfather’s and it looked like everything was still where grandpa put it.
The kindness of strangers – a roof over our heads to make repairs and spend the night
Geoff worked on the car, I worked on the blog
Our bedroom decor in Ross’s shed
Late night labouring before bed in Ross’s shed
We are endlessly amazed and grateful for the kindness we have received on our travels and yet again we were indebted to people for their unconditional generosity. And we got to sleep in a classic outback town shed, creaking with decades of history and machinery!
With the troopie fixed up, we headed for our rendezvous with friends. Next stop and next blog – our trip to the Red Centre.
