Friday. March 11 – Day 3 – Coodlie Park Farm to Fowler’s Bay

We drove for about an hour from Coodlie Park with the last third being along a dead straight, unsealed, sand/rock road in the most isolated country we have seen yet - dead flat pasture or coastal heath on either side, to arrive in a sleepy, lonely, town on a bay called Baird Bay. The centre for the boat outing was a new and modern sandstone block building with a smoky glass front. Here we went to the loo, so modern compared to last night, and donned our wet suits. The only good thing I can say is that they were far more comfortable than the ones we wore in South America in 2007, but no one can say they are attractive, practical yes, and we looked we looked the part! 

Twelve of us climbed into a small aluminium boat with two guides and set off through the mist for 12/15 minutes to the centre of the bay at the edge of the open seas. We could see the ocean surf in the distance. Our first stop was at an island in the centre, a stony outcrop of tableland rock and disintegrating cliffs owned by the sea lions, sea eagle, ospreys, pied and black cormorants, and sea gulls.

We were soon “chucked” in the ocean – still a glassy bay at this point, with our snorkel mask on. Several sea lions were in the water and when our guide started swimming and diving the sea lions followed. Several swam in and out of us and passed by our side, underneath us, and on top of us. Their friendly eyes and sleek bodies are beautiful in the water. We moved spots a few times as there were not many seals in the water at any one time, but just to be within inches of these amazing animals, and to have them accept us in their environment, made us feel as if we were their trusted friend. 

After this experience we moved for about 5 minutes towards a known dolphin spot. We were no sooner in the water than a group swam around and through us. You had to keep alert because you never knew from which side they were going to appear. They were very comfortable with us and we saw so many around us in the water that we lost count. The trick with both these animals is to float, be very calm, and move smoothly. They come so close you can touch them – but must not! The highlight of the day was when a mom with a few day old baby swam right towards and passed us – obviously delighted to show off her new born.

We moved our location in the water a few times and also went close in to the rocks so we could see the sea lions on the beach; we watched the juvenile males kibitzing with each other, mothers feeding their babies, pregnant mums, one brother separated from his family and crying his eyes out, the plaintiff sound could be heard from quite a distance! We watched them shuffling over the cliffs, through the coastal heath on the tableland and make their way slowly and ungainly down the rocks.

To be this close to and a part of the animal world in a completely natural setting while snorkeling in a friendly ocean set my soul on fire; the beauty, the innocence, the joy and trust they give you, and ask for nothing in return except respect. These are the “true” moments in an otherwise false world. It doesn’t get much more basic than this.

After about 4 hours, we sadly headed back to shore, warmed up with lunch, then took off for our next adventure. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of this. However, I hope I may get some from another traveller and if I do I will add them to this post.

Today is all about the natural world and we had a 15 minute drive to “Murphy’s Haystacks” a fine example of an inselberg formation. In the middle of a large field jutting out from the ground were a bunch of rocks and boulders, some almost phallic in shape, others like a human head, and others like a mushroom. They are formed from pink granite rock that rose above the ground level due to the erosion of the land around them and they themselves have been eroded by the rain and weather over 100,000 years to create these intriguing shapes we see today.

For the remainder of the day we followed the coastline to our camp at Fowler’s Bay – interrupted  for provisions by a 35 minute stop at a clean, tidy little town called Streaky Bay, then on through Ceduna with its grass airport, along a flat, straight and sandy prairie like countryside with sheep stations, and road trains.

And, as if we didn’t have enough fun during the day, when we arrived at the campsite four of us quickly set up our tents and swags, grabbed the sand boards and headed out over the dunes. The feeling of running up and down and across the dunes was like leaving your body behind to float through the air as a free spirit  while watching a kaleidoscope on the horizon. 

Added to this were the sand board runs down the dunes, so much fun!! We didn’t use them like snowboards but like little kids’ toboggans in the snow.

All to soon the sun went down, and darkness came, so we left the dunes and went to our camp site for dinner, and a beautiful night's sleep.