SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER     EIGHTY MILE BEACH

I was up fairly early – before either of the others – and went for a walk along the beach, for nearly an hour and a half.

This is always a great beach for walking – level, firm sand, little waves breaking – when the tide is far enough in for them to be seen! There is always something of interest – shells, marine life, birds. It does not have the fascinating rock formations of Barn Hill, though, the beach just being backed by low dunes.

This was very much a “fishy” place. One could usually catch themselves a number of fish dinners, from the beach. There were always people trying their luck, and if the fish were really biting, it could be just about shoulder-to-shoulder fishing people lined up along the beach. Threadfin salmon seemed to be the most commonly caught fish. I really like these to eat and consider them much nicer than barramundi.

After lunch, M and John went down to the beach to fish. I joined them later. John and I both caught a salmon each – which provided enough for tea for the three of us.

The park has provided – very sensibly – a most useful fish cleaning station, by the path from the beach.

I cooked our fish for tea, while John went and bought chips for us, from the take away section of the store. Very convenient place that.

Some people come here every year, for three or four months, and seem to spend their time relaxing – and doing a lot of fishing. A few, with limited mobility, even bring beach quad bike things, to give themselves access to a greater length of the coast. The caravan park facilities are really well set up for both short and long term visitors.

John watched AFL football on TV at night. He stated that he really wanted to watch the Brownlow Medal count, to be televised on 24 September, incidentally his birthday. OK – my rough travel plan had us taking our time across the Nullarbor, for once,  but I could adjust it to be somewhere with decent TV that night. Maybe Ceduna?