Day 8: Tue 26 Mar 24 - Ceduna

Tue 26 Mar 24 - Ceduna 

Wow. What a sleep in; 08:00am. We never sleep that long. We were both very tired last night though. It has been hard getting out of bed early while it so fresh and still dark at 07:30.

It was 9 feeling like 6 Deg when we woke, clear with a slight 11km/hr SE breeze, remaining clear and sunny all day but only reaching a modest 22 Deg, feeling much cooler at times with the increasingly strong southerly wind.

After eventually stepping out of bed, I did a little planning for the next few days as we start crossing the Nullarbor tomorrow.  I then went next door to help the elderly neighbour - an ex-Royal Navy bloke, with fixing some leaking hose connections that he was clearly getting frustrated with. Mission accomplished, I then climbed on my bike for a ride out to Thevenard Port along the Coastal Trail before the winds picked up, while Noel stayed behind to do some cleaning.

Out on the bike, It was a little fresh, but sunny and just a glorious morning. Ceduna is a clean and tidy town, and the trail to the nearby port of Thevenard, located on Murat Bay, has some wonderful coastal scenery. With a significant Aboriginal population, it is the service centre for a rural area known for its agriculture (predominantly grain and sheep), salt and gypsum mining and seafood - particularly oysters. Ceduna has a reputation as a superb fishing location (yes even though I have fishing gear I purchased all of my catch), and is a major tourist stopover before, and after the Nullarbor, depending on the direction in which you're travelling.  

When I returned, I had a late breakfast/lunch while Noel went shopping for our Nullarbor crossing. I did a little more planning, then topped up our water supply. After Noel returned with the shopping, we drove into a cafe in town for coffee, then drove back out to Thevenard to Baldy's to buy some more (frozen) Fish and Prawns for the trip across the Nullarbor. Dinner tonight was toasted morrocan spiced chicken tenderloin wraps - very light and tasty. After dinner we walked down to the jetty for another stunning sunset, although it was a bit too fresh, before returning to the van for the evening.

A beaut morning for a ride along the Encounter Coastal Trail to Pinky Point at Thevanard 

A great cycle / walking path along Encounter Coastal Trail to Pinky Point - Thevenard 

Pinky Point and Thevenard Port silos in the distance

A great cycle / walking path along the coast to Pinky Point - Thevenard 

A great cycle / walking path along the coast to Pinky Point - Thevenard 


A great cycle / walking path along the coast to Pinky Point - Thevenard 


Ride along the Ceduna Encounter Coastal Trail to Pinky Point

Lovely views on a lovely day

Lookout over the wharf at Port Thevenard.
The Plaque Reads: Het GULDEN SEEPAART

IN FEBRUARY 1627 A DUTCH SHIP "HET GULDEN SEEPAART" UNDER THE COMMAND OF FRANCOIS THIJSSEN LANDED ALONG THIS COAST. HE CHARTED THE MAIN ISLANDS AND NAMED THEM ST. FRANCIS AND ST. PETER. HE MAPPED THE COAST AND CALLED IT PETER NUIJSLAND IN HONOUR OF HIS SUPERCARGO.


View across Thevenard Port from Pinky Point Lookout

Lookout to Thevenard Port which handles dry bulk cargo including export of grain, mineral sands, salt and gypsum

Ceduna Encounter Coastal Trail views returning to Ceduna

Return to Baldy's at Thevenard for more seafood, this time frozen, to take away with us (for me). 

At the back of Baldy's Seafood Shack 

Baldy's Seafood - Excellent quality and reasonably priced

Ceduna Foreshore

Thevenard Port Silos and Gypsum stockpile from Pinky Point

Unloading gypsum Thevenard Port

Ceduna Post Office - We saw a couple of ladies painting the artwork today

Another Ceduna sunset at the jetty 

Ceduna Foreshore at Sunset

Another Ceduna Sunset at the jetty - it was quite windy and very fresh

Another Ceduna sunset at the jetty 

Reflection of the sunset on the caravan windows


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