Day 13 – Mt Gambier to Port MacDonnell (Cape Northumberland)

A slow start, we’ve only got 30odd KMs to go today and as the aim is a freecamp, so it’s not the place you want to spend all day.   So we pack up pretty much at the last minute to leave at 10.  It’s around this time Justine reminds me that the water pump isn’t working. I recall there being a possible pressure issue, but not stopped completely (there is some disagreement here!). 

Obviously the last 2 nights we’ve been on mains water in the park.   We test the pump and while it’s making a sound (so it has power) it’s certainly not pumping water, bugger.   We kinda need a water pump when camping off grid.  I know from forum posts these pumps are not easy to repair.  A quick google and it not obvious if there are any RV spare parts places in town, so I go up to reception who give me the details of one and the Jayco dealer.  I ring the first place, Donahue’s and it’s a relief they have a pump in stock.  I drop Justine and kids off a the shopping centre and I take the van to the RV dealer.   It’s the exact same model pump so that will make it simple.  Online in Sydney I can get it for about $150, out here from a dealer, the same thing is $260!   It could be worse, at least I can get one, not many other towns we’ve been in would have had one.   I was going to get them to have a look at fitting it, but they don’t make any offers, so I figure I’ll just try myself, it can’t be that hard.   Back to town to pick everyone up, Justine suggests fitting it now in case we need anything, so by the side of the road, I rip the old one out and fit the new one, I think 20min all up, Pretty simple. 

So it’s now nearly 12.  On the way out of town in some back street we pass a bakery, that’s got to be an omen, I have to stop.  I’ve got to say I love a meat pie, I often thought our trip around oz was a bakery tasting trail, but here in SA, Pasties are a big thing.  Since back in Renmark there’s been Pasties everywhere.  We make them at home, but the last few days I’ve forgone the pie and gone the pastie, and they have been great. Todays was good, but not the best, still yum.

We take a less than direct route to Port MacDonnell to visit a site called “Hells Hole”.   Most of the other sink holes we visited have been manicured, this is meant to be pretty natural.  We drive about 4 ks off the highway down a dirt road though a pine plantation.  From here it’s a 750m round trip walk.   This is a little different, they’ve build this caged walkway out over the top of it,  Best I can tell, cave divers must abseil in.    The water is so clear we’re pretty sure we can see the bottom.  While it’s small and out of the way, in some way’s it’s all the more impressive for it.  A very worthwhile detour.

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On this route we hit the coast about 10km east of Port MacDonnell.  This is one of the possible Freecamps, the carpark at Brown’s Bay Beach.  It’s OK, but the view is obscured by the vegetation. 

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We then drive through town to some options just to the West, we drive by the caravan park, again right next to the beach, but with the small dunes and the vegetation, absolutely no view at all.   We end up picking a place at Cape Northumberland, the most southernly point in S.A.   There is no one here so we can pick the perfect spot in the top back corner, perfectly level, better than the terraces in the van park back in Robe!

We take a walk around, the day is cold, but surprisingly not as windy as you might expect.   I thought we’d need to strap the caravan down, but no, it’s remarkably calm.  It is overcast and the clouds are black over the sea on the horizon.   It is really great here, I didn’t have high hopes, but it’s so nice, the view from the windows is fantastic.

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The Kids have a game to see if they can walk the whole perimeter of the car park balancing on the pine fencing. To their credit, they make it on their second attempt

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After the walk, we play a game of Cluedo that the kids just bought in K-Mart.  If nothing else we get to warm up a bit inside.   BTW it was Rev Green with the Wrench in the Billiard Room.

A great full moon, and the moonlight over the ocean is pretty amazing.

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Finally at about 6, we drive the 5 km back to town to go to the hotel for dinner.  While Justine’s meal could have been better, it ends up one of those places where the menu if far superior than the place suggests.  After a huge desert we’re beaten and drive back to the van.  While the place does feel safe, it’s a bit of a relief to see the van there still. 

There is a lighthouse on the other side of the road, I was concerned it would be like a spotlight, illuminating the road and the caravan every 5 seconds or so, but fortunately it seems to be a very narrow beam that is passing over us.