We were all set in Streaky Bay and it was now time to explore this delightful west coast town. Mind you, this is a spot set to confuse the unwary or those whose directional orientation is set in the conviction that the sun in SA must rise or set directly over the sea. Streaky Bay faces almost due north which I have to confess presented me with the mental exercise of allowing my stored conventional wisdom to be over ridden by logic. Not as easy as it sounds!
This geographical orientation does have another distinct advantage. Strong northerly winds are rare on this part of the coast which means that the waters of Streaky Bay are particularly sheltered.
Enough of geography...what of the town itself. We found SB to be the almost perfect combination of a small country seaside town with sufficient infrastructure to provide for all one could want by way of goods and services.
The short main shopping street runs north and south and forms a junction with the Esplanade. These and a couple of side streets carry all the shops necessary for a full resupply. They are well stocked and all the staff with whom we dealt were most welcoming. This is a town which clearly understands the value of the tourist dollar!
The town's one pub stands grandly on the Esplanade at the junction with the main commercial street where it takes pride of place in terms of views out along the jetty.
Like many similar establishments in the Riverland, this hotel is owned and managed by a local co-operative. From all we saw and experienced they are doing a fine job. Liz and I did venture forth for the Friday afternoon 'happy hour' only to become tangled up with two fellow travellers who hailed from Canberra. Our happy hour morphed into further drinks and an unplanned dinner with Fiona and Bob who were charming and intelligent company. Notwithstanding our collective very slow Saturday, we all later agreed it had been a highlight evening.
No seaside town is really complete without a jetty. Apart from the commercial necessity for the local fishing fleet, a jetty provides for all sorts of recreational activities and just adds to the general ambiance of the town. Back in Adelaide many years ago we noted with astonishment the extraordinary surge in activity on Jetty Road at Brighton immediately following the rebuilding of that suburb's jetty. They really should be considered essential components of the infrastructure of any seaside town.
Whilst it does not show in this shot, a large netted swimming enclosure has been built halfway along the length of the jetty to provide safe swimming, a very welcome sight in this 'great white' country. Unfortunately our schedule prevented me from unbuckling the fishing rods and casting a line or two off the pier. This will most decidedly not be the case when we return.
Looking east along the bay from the jetty head, stands the somewhat nondescript, iron roofed building which can just be seen at right of shot. This is the famous local restaurant 'Mocean' about which we have read much and to which, on this occasion, our limited entertainment budget prohibited a visit. Hopefully it will still be in business when we return for an extended stay when we shall have to save our pennies for a big night out!
Streaky Bay itself is not wide. Its western shoreline can be easily seen here in this shot looking from the head of the jetty in that direction.
A cement walking path runs for a considerable distance along the foreshore between the caravan park and the jetty (read pub!) where the efforts taken by the local burghers to maintain a wonderful green lawn in this area of limited water supply were very much appreciated by those of us taking our daily constitutionals (read staggering home from the pub!)
Along the way, just at the back of the lawned area, stands one of the quaintest sailing clubhouses we have ever seen
and nearby a testament to one of the major industries of the area.
Streaky Bay is an unpretentious town. Apart from the hotel, this Institute building is probably the town's 'grandest'. It is, after all a farming and fishing town. It pretends to be nothing more, and we felt all the more at home because of it. Everything is within easy walking distance and yet at no time did we feel 'hemmed in'.
One of the organizations which is thriving in the town is the RSL which is housed in a well maintained and, comparatively, substantial sub-branch building. A drink with the troops will be another item on the return agenda.
Many, many years ago, my uncle used to visit this part of the world on his then annual fishing safari to nearby Sceale (strangely pronounced 'scale') Bay. He would sing the praises of the piscatorial bounty of this area to all who would listen. Mind you, in those days it was a safari in every sense of the word. There was nothing at Sceale Bay apart from fish. Those taking advantage of what was on offer had to come fully equipped with food, water, generating power and so on, and, from what I can remember, would set up a camp virtually on the beach.
This area has recently been the subject of some serious environmental conflict in which the proposed erection of a holiday house on a nearby headland threatened the survival of an endangered sea raptor (I think an osprey...but don't quote me). In our limited time at Streaky Bay we decided to pay a quick visit to Sceale Bay to see what all the fuss was about and to get a feel for the local 'bush'.
The bitumen road from Streaky Bay quickly gave way to one of the unsealed, limestone roads typical of the area. It took us through the sandhills, low scrub, salt pans and shallow lakes which are also entirely typical of the upper west coast of South Australia.
As we meandered our way along we were stunned to find this 'eco' rental beach house perched high on the sandhills over 'Surfers Beach', an apparently popular spot about halfway around the crescent of Sceale Bay. I mean, this is the middle of nowhere. Not so, obviously.
Shortly thereafter we came across a sign indicating a track to Surfers Beach, from the carpark of which we had a great view back towards Streaky on the one hand
and, looking the other way, over the housing at Sceale Bay village.
Panning even further, past the township, the bulk of the impressive bluff at the far end of the bay stood out starkly against the sky. Though barely visible in this shot, you may just be able to see the foam of the significant swells breaking and rolling shorewards immediately to the right of the bottom of the bluff...a reminder of the fact that the great seas of the Southern Ocean break on these shores. Oddly enough, the fishing boats we could just make out, were all tucked up well inside the still waters of the bay!
Sceale Bay itself proved to be a place of some recent significant development. Old fishing and holiday 'shacks' were now standing side by side with a few pretty impressive two storey 'holiday homes'. But this remains a comparatively remote, un-serviced hamlet which we suspect may not grow much larger...a place for those who genuinely want to get away from it all and don't mind the approximately 50 kms round trip to Streaky for supplies.
Let me conclude our Streaky Bay adventure with a final shot of the bay taken as we returned to the town via a different route. Of all the places we have visited on our travels to date, this is one which we both consider a 'standout'. Notwithstanding the fact that fishing and saltwater swimming do not feature on Liz's list of good things to do, she has suggested that a month here at some time in the future would be a jolly good idea. Hear, hear!
Obviously we left Streaky Bay with a deal of reluctance, but the wind direction demanded we push on. Next, our first night of free camping as we make our way further west across the vast expanses of the Nullarbor plain and past the Head of the Bight.
No comments:
Post a Comment