Port Vincent Scenic Drive

After our epic walk yesterday we were content to simply drive today.  Mind you we always seem to incorporate some walking even on a day like today!  It is still very windy and this morning there were some intermittent showers. Last night we had to haul ourselves out of bed to pull down the awning and lay down the table and chairs as the wind was really gusting.  

The scenic drive that we did today took us south to Troubridge Point and then west to Yorketown before finally heading north towards Port Vincent.  Our first stop was at Stansbury where there is a terrific coffee shop that is completely covered in a mural.  It is really good!

 

From the coffee shop it is a short drive towards one of the many jetties that we would be seeing on our drive. Going back to the turn of the century this area was a major exporter (via ship) of grain so there are many ports along the eastern side of Yorke Peninsular.  When we were walking back along the Stansbury Jetty we spotted some seals enjoying a little warmth on the rocks. Can you seem them at the very end?

Our journey along the scenic drive continued to the little township of Wool Bay that is home to the Lime Kiln.  Back in the early 1900's lime was burnt in this kiln and then exported to Adelaide where it was used as building mortar. Below the kiln is yet another jetty!

Our next stop was at the wind farms at Wattle Point.  I counted 55 wind turbines and I must say it is the perfect spot to have a wind farm.  I gather the wind blows almost constantly in this part of the peninsular.

Edithburgh is the next place on the scenic drive and was once the epicentre of the Yorke Peninsular.  There are a lot of heritage listed buildings in this seaside town and some have beautifully restored.  There is a tidal rock pool that I imagine would be full of people on a hot summers day but not a single person there today on this cold and blustery day.  We walked out along the Edithburgh jetty that is quite short compared to a lot.  I read that before the jetty was laid down the area was a seagrass bed with lots of marine life but once the jetty was installed the little creatures disappeared.  Fortunately though the shade from the jetty created its own micro climate and a lot of different marine creatures appeared, most notably the little sea-horse.

For us today the scenic drive would terminate at Troubridge Point where there is a magnificent lighthouse.  The drive continues for many more kilometres and we will try to see a little more when we shift to Marion Bay.  But, back to the lighthouse.  We have seen many lighthouses on our travels but I have never seen one that is made of bricks.  Thousands upon thousands of bricks.  I can only think that bricks were much cheaper back in the early 1900's.  However, it is quite a stunning lighthouse.

At Troubridge Point we turned the car inland and west towards Yorketown and the Pink Lakes area. We drove quite close to the cliff edge and the views are quite lovely. Notice how the farms come right to the cliff edge.  To us the ground looks sandy and gravelly but it must be perfect growing soil for lentils and wheat.

 Considering the size of this area there is rather a lot of beautiful pink salt lakes.  Some are not as pink as others but they are all lovely in their own way.  The biggest lake is Lake Fowler.

Tomorrow, as I mentioned, we will shift camp to the very bottom of Yorke Peninsular to the little seaside town of Marion Bay.  We are hoping that the wind will ease over the next couple of days but we are not holding our breath.....