Home and re packing

 We had a very long 10 hour drive yesterday, we left a bit late as A had a nose bleed but it did mean we didnt have the sun in our eyes.
What it did mean was that we hit peak hour traffic from one side of the city to the other, long slow and hard on the concentration. Oh for a decent road from one side to the other.
While I was away I made this little ornament, it is M's birthday tomorrow and usually we are with her so this was left for her.
A few more photos, I hope I havent put them up before but no matter.
Lovely peaceful views of boats, a closer look at an emu, they do come into the town and I saw about seven one morning by the shop, but no camera!
The little beach at the point I walked on most days. Fantastic clouds.
Wonderful but now I have to think of packing for Bali.
At the moment though I am doing a mountain of washing and getting stuff put away.
Max was so pleased to see us and Oscar is home now too and checking things out.
Lots to do tomorrow.

Fantastic sunsets

These were taken last night.
Wonderful.
For John and I  this is our last day.
The morning was wonderful, sun and blue skies, but the wind has now come up and so have the clouds.
we went down for a coffee this morning, I am trying to get 3 loaves of bread done today.
We sat out in the sun for a while, I am still hand sewing little things, in between packing.I look at all the clothes I brought and hardly wore any of it, so many jumpers etc but it has been so mild and we managed to get washing done and dried , I could have had far less but we are almost into winter and things can change so quickly.
We will be travelling all day tomorrow but hope to blog on Thursday, then off to Bali on Sunday!!

There is a wild coastline out there

 Last night the fellows came in early as they had bagged out so John took me into the National Park for a look around.
It was getting late as it gets dark early so we didnt have a lot of time and the light wasnt brilliant but these photos show a little of what it is like.
wonderful stuff, beautiful colours, shifting sand hills, islands off the coast. The steep access to the beach next year I hope to be able to get down them again.
A pair of emus, so often you see the males with chicks and not often a pair.
The results of a burn off that got away, showing the sand hills and burnt shrubbery.
We went to the yatch club for a meal, a steak! After all that fish, which I love, it was a treat.
Double click to enlarge the photos.

A collage of todays photos

 We had fog this morning, quite q thick one but my photo doesnt show it terribly well.
We also had morning visitors, the kangaroo mob had been absent but are back again.
I found a pair of oyster catchers this morning and disturbed the from their meal of sea urchins. They must have been up early to catch the low tide.
The clouds have been incredible, so lots of photos of clouds, and the strange round craters are ants nests, there are huge numbers of them.
I didnt mean my little bunch of flora to get in but it did. I sketched these on my other blog.
Click twice to enlarge all photos.

Morning

 This is what I was looking at when I rang friend P this morning, a perfevt morning but no dolphins today.
I found this tempeltonia or cockys beak flowering along the oyster walk, the flowers were not out last time I walked to the point but today they are coming out and the honeyeaters were all over thebush, but too quick for my camera!
birds, I saw a silver eye up very close too, but again they are too quick to photograph.
I drove down to the wharf after I collected the papers this morning too and took the photo of the boats and I cant remember the name of the very distinctive peak behind the scrub on the other side of the bay.
The crabs they caught yesterday, I thought P might like to see them, not many but a reasonable size.
Finally I caught up with an oyster catcher, they are usually all over the place.
This one was having a bath but I wasnt quick enough and he was a bit far away. So many different birds here.
Off to make some bread, the boys have to have enough for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch.

Walking Coffin bay

I took the top photo yesterday of Kellidie
bay when we went for some coffee at the Oyster beds.
This evening I walked down to the boat ramp when John rang to say they had their bag limit of whiting and were coming in, they also had some nice big sand crabs, a couple of squid and some other odds and ends for us to eat tonight. Just as well as we do rely on what they catch to erat!
An oyster boat was going out as our fellows were coming in.
I love the edges of the water and the rocky outcrops with stunted trees.
Then there is John in the boat just as they were coming in to the ramp.
What else but a big group of pelicans waiting for the bits as some one was filleting their fish.
I do love those magnificent huge birds. I cant help taking photos of them.
I am sorry if I make mistakes but the key board is on my lap and the screen is against the light.
This holiday house is comfortable, but doesnt cater for computers, we have it set up in a spare room on a bedside table and no where for your knees to go!
A cold grey overcast day, I lit the fire so it is cosy upstairs but cold down here.

Coffin Bay morning after the rain

I walked up to the point and a little beyond this morning, watched a pod of dolphins circling a school of fish and drive them along to the accompaniment of screaming and diving sea birds. Unfortunately too far for a photo but something to remember.
It was a lovely morning after all the wind and rain, with birds together in places, and stunning views as usual.
Yesterday M and I went in to Pt Lincoln for lunch and get a few supplies, chased all over trying to find a little metho burner for the smoker but couldnt find one.
The fellows came in with a heap of gar fish, very pleased with themselves as we all like them.
Off to coffee, this place can get very social if we let it

Morning walk

I was up early yesterday as the weather was coming in.
John had accounts to do so was on the computer all day.
The other fellows went out to catch some fish for dinner and headed out to fairly protected waters, that is the beauty of the bay here, although the wind and the rain came in by mid morning so I was glad I got my walk in.
Here are just a few photos I took while walking, this time towards the township.
It is such a lovely, peaceful place at this time odf the year.
We had a friend in for dinner, and I had kept myself busy doing a bit of sewing.
Np drawing rhough.
Today we are in to Pt Lincoln for lunch and to get a few supplies.

Birds

 The last few days U have been taking photos of the local bird life. Some not as well as I would like but here is a collage of them and some coastal mallee flowers thrown in as well. I walked down to the point this morning and took photos and collected a few plant specimens to draw.
Here are my birds, I think the first one is a new holland honey eater but I couldnt quite make it out. Seagulls in the water, pelicans fighting over the remains of fish, an unidentified duck, a pair of very raucus Pacific gulls who landed close to where I was sitting on the point.
a lovely Pt Lincoln (Murray ring neck) parrot who came to check us out this morning and a grey heron who was fishing in the shallows.
Oh and I nearly forgot the red wattled wattle bird. Beautiful weather, just right for sitting on the balcony in the sun and not doing much.

Coffin Bay shells

 We arrived yesterday after a very long day, tired but all the crew arrived in good time too.
The smoked salmon pie went down well with a salad and some good wine.
Amazingly we were quite late to bed as there was a lot of catching up to be done.
This morning the fellows went fishing, and came home with a very good haul so we will eat well.
I walked down to the point and the little beach had a heap of shells as the tide was reasonably low so I came home with a pocket full.
I am managing the pain levels, more or less but I was glad to get home and sit for a while.
After all we did start at about 3.45 yesterday morning.
Finally a small sketched offering of shells and the coast view.

We are in Coffin Bay

 Yesterday we left home at about 5.30 am and started the 8 or so hour trip to
Coffin Bay.
There was fog in places, some rain, low cloud and a couple of diversions.
we called in to Pt Germain and had a lovely double headed licky ice cream each, a loo stop and saw this amazing boat launcher heading out over the flats (bottom left).I also really liked the metal sculpture of a grain ship.
We passed ploughed paddocks and wind turbines. The Flinders Ranges and a great cloud of (steam?) at Whyalla and on down until we arrived at Pt Lincoln for a delicious late lunch and a bit of food shopping and finally to Coffin Bay itself.(the second top on the left)
Every one arrived safely but tired, we ate salad and my pie andfinally fell into bed quite late.
I have walked to the pont and back this morning and the fellows are out fihing.
Im off to see if I can sketch something.