Day 9 - Final Run Home - Fowlers Bay to Dark (Madura Pass)

Doing this blog in the car just after Norseman at 11.10 pm.
Sat-Nav says we have 780kms to run, bringing us home at 7:30(ish) in the morning.
Travelled over 7500 km's in less than 10 days has been very testing on the drivers and put too much pressure on 'getting there' rather than enjoying the time and grabbing photos. The troops have been very tolerant of me!!
The cars (two Subaru Outbacks) have simply not missed a beat and our economy has averaged around 9.5 liters per 100kms (both 3.0 liters).
Straight back to work tomorrow - much to do!!!
Just got to get through this last run without seeing any Roos!!




Woke this morning to a wet and soggy Fowlers Bay - rained most of the night. This pic taken at 7:30 am. Our accommodation was a large with a million beds - so we all got a good nights sleep.
This house has been rebuilt over the past 15 years by Reg who previously owned a garage in Nundroo. Had a good chat to him. Power is by diesel generator that runs (noisily) non-stop.



Fowlers Bay Jetty - 14mm lens - 10th sec shutter


Pulled up at Coorabie - another tiny town that now boasts only a small school and a few houses.



Photo taken laying on the road using the 500mm lens. That's Crispy off ahead. Had rain showers for a few 100km's.



This photo a 4-stitch. Photos taken hand-held with the 500 mm lens.
This is the 'Head-of-the-Bight' built recently to provide a lookout to the many whales that frequent the area.
My auntie was part of a select bunch of volunteers who died just over a week ago with one of the other volunteers in a tragic road accident just a few kilometers from the building.



Whale with a baby albino calf.



Swallow on the fence at the lookout.



Crispy gives his 400mm lens another workout!!



Another Pano (3 pics) taken further down the road at the bight...
AMAZING cliffs.



Taken with my 90mm Macro -at the Eucla remains of the telegraph station.



Another large load on the Eyre Highway.
Most semi's are road-trains and very few now run at night.
Highways were very quiet after 10pm. We would drive 200 km's and not see any vehicles!!!



Run up into Madura Pass.
Taken looking back standing up in the sunroof!! 500mm lens.
That's Kelly driving.



Best burger we've had in a while!!!
At Madura Pass - a DECENT Hambuger - with taste, juice running down the arms etc etc.
MacDonalds are NOT a patch on these!!!!

Location:Various

Day 8 - Coffin Bay to Fowlers Bay

After loosing the dog whilst jogging (2 hours of searching he finally turned up thanks to the gang who searched for nearly 2 hours - Jacob finally found him) we set off for Fowlers Bay.
The best (most interesting) was Venus Bay. Huge limestone cliffs facing onto the ocean - big swells and a pod of dolphins catching some waves!
Crispy even got his 400 F2:8 out!!
Arrived at Fowlers Bay just prior to sunset.



A pie at Eliston - Pies come from Ceduna, even though there was a bakery two doors down!! Nice cafe.
Kelly is catching up with her social magazines whilst Jacob updates facebook (shop had wireless Internet).



Tristan finds a friend (and finally gets his iPhone updated!!).



On the cliffs at Venus Bay.



Osprey - female - shot with the 500 - F4



Pod of Dolphins around the base of the cliffs at Venus Bay.



Kelly on the Cliff-Face



Cripsy busts out his 400 F2:8 - now his arms are in a sling!!!



Road into Fowlers Bay. Taken with the 500 F4 at 100 kph whilst standing up through the sunroof. Testament to the good VR on the Nikon lens.




Tourists arriving at Fowlers Bay - was an awesome calm evening. Rained for most of the night!!



Had a reasonable phone signal at Fowlers Bay - Kelly updates her facebook!!!



Jacob and Kelly prepare some sandwiches with some of Edna's awesome pickles.

Location:Various

Kapunda to Coffin Bay

Left the comfort of Edna & Hartley's in Kapunda for Coffin Bay - 50km from Port Lincoln in SA.
Easy drive that a major collision with a Road Train and a Honda CRV bought home the realism of road dangers. Seems the Honda veered into the semi. Driver was cut out and flown to Adelaide - not sure of his condition.
Weather was superb in Coffin Bay
got some sunset shots - then Fish & Chips at 'Beachcomber'



Coffee / Cake at Clare Bakery









Result of a Honda CRV and a Road Train


My Fathers old fishing boat being restored at Axel Stenross's Museum in Port Lincoln. Dad sold this boat 12 years ago and it went into dis-repair. Being the last wooden boat Axel built prior to his death, it is forming part of his extensive museum.



3 photo stitch using 200mm lens - Coffin Bay


Fish & Chips at Beachcombers


Moonlight shot - 3 minutes 14-24mm lens at 14mm
F5.6 - 400ISO - Tripod & Shutter Released used...


7 photo stitch - 200mm - F5.6 - 250th - hand-held

Location:Various

Adelaide - Day 6

Day 6 of our trip included a quick trip to Adelaide so Kelly, Tristan & Jacob who had never been there, a bit of a look around...
Started at the Colonel Light Lookout - then a Coffee with KJ's sister - Anna at the Bean Bar (in the Markets - Gouger Street).
A quick visit to Haighs Chocolates in Unley - then off to Harndorf for an awesome German meal after a visit to Beerenberg.
Then another coffee at Maggie Beer's near Nuriootpa were we got some cool snaps in her kitchen used for the show - Cook & the Chef.
Finally a fantastic meal of whiting cooked by Hartley - KJ's Dad.





Chrispy checks the Starling Poo for us...





Public Transport in Adelaide





St Peters Church - gotta check a church out in Adelaide!





St Peters Church - inside





Coffee at Bean Club - L-R Kelly, Anna, Tristan, Jacob, and Edna at front





Kelly & Chrispy at 'Haighs'





The TINY 'taste' platter at the Harndorf Inn - fed 6 of us!





Destroying the platter!!





Tristan prepares a banquet at Maggies Kitchen





Tristan with his apprentices!!!





Coffee's at Maggie Beer's Cafe. Uses the same Bodum glasses as we do at PhotoCoffee





Tristan, Edna, Jacob & Kelly





All Smiles at Edna & Hartley's!!

Location:Kapunda - Adelaide - Harndorf - Kapunda

Maree to Kapunda - Day 5

Blogs being posted via the iPad whilst on the road.
Photos are loaded to my laptop in iPhoto - into a album called 'trip'. I then sync the abum to the album to post to Blogspot. This updates our PhotoCoffee website.
Need 3G - so some spots we cannot get online (like Maree!), so from now until our return on the 21st July, we should have a post each day.

Left Maree after packing around 10am - Wednesday 14th of July
Sign said 4x4 only - our only challenge being water depth!

As it turned out the water had subsided substantially, and we got thru without a hitch. An Outback towing a van got bogged as he went to the edge of the road. A landcruiser following pulled him out.








Lovely chocolate brown!


Chrispy's car with a nice coat of mud!


Coal train heading to Leigh Creek - Mum counted 176 carriages.


Crazy Photographers -
Nikon D3 - 24-70 lens - 24mm
F18 - 20th sec shutter to grab some blur...


THANK YOU Camera Electronic - Loaned me a 500mm - F4 - Bazooka!!
This shot of some grass at the edge of the road - lying down.


Jacob (and Kelly's feet!!)
500mm - F4 - 200th sec


Kelly & Jacob - somewhere between Maree & Quorn - below add Tristan



The gang having beer with Hartley Klau (KJ's Dad)

Location:On the Road