Yorke peninsula road trip (2)

Saturday 14th February - Minlaton

Minlaton in the middle of the peninsula was our destination for an overnight stay but we fully intended to take in other places en route - and first stop - only 15 minutes from Wallaroo - was Moonta for breakfast coffees etc. The Tourist Information centre advised us to take the short drive to Moonta Mines where a small narrow gauge railway runs round the remains of the old copper mines:

Jo probably thought she had escaped climbing on this trip but we did come across a flight of weeoden stairs that took us to the high point of the old mines - basically, a hill made of slag:

We took a tour of the old school there which was now a museum:

Time was marching on and we still had to visit Moonta Bay - and another jetty to walk:

Eventually we made it to Minlaton, which seemed like a bit of a ghost town to us, save for the fine brewery and tap room. It was a 15 minute walk from our hotel and I don't think we saw another human being - until we arrived here:

So this is where everyone is? Nice place - lots of open and shaded outdoor areas.

Back at the hotel, we opted for pizza:

We know how to celebrate Valentine's Night!

Sunday/Monday 15th/16th February

After a nice breakfast at Ye Olde Cafe, we were back on the road again. We had booked self-catering accommodation at Marion Bay Holiday Villas for 2 nights at the most southern part of the peninsula - the bottom end the locals would call it. (Darwin is known as the Top End) - but we had loads of time to get there so we took a couple of slight detours, including one to Point Turton which had been on the news for a while due to the algal bloom, which seemed to be worse here than in other places in South Australia.

No sooner had we parked the car than we spotted a local with a barrel full of fish - all dead - which he dumped in the waste bins beside the jetty. That didn't stop us notching up yet another jetty walk, nor taking advantage of another photo opportunity:

We were early arriving at our cabin next to the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park but it was ready and so we piled our stuff in:

Once settled we decided to take a beach walk along to where the local store/filling station and hotel were. Lots of pelicans around:

I don't think they'd heard the news about the algal bloom.

Another shore, another jetty, another photo opportunity:

We ate sparsely that evening in our cabin - baked beans on toast with cheese - promising ourselves that we would dine at the hotel the following evening.

On Monday morning we took the (very) short drive to the national park. Entry is free but you have to register your car at the park office. Another jetty and fine views of Kangaroo Island. Lots of trails including one round what remained of Innestown. When we came to the end of this trail, at the head of the small lake where gypsum used to be mined, I spotted a couple of heads popping up - "oh look" said I "geese". Jo said "no - it's only ducks". As we got closer and the necks grew longer we realised we were both badly wrong:

As we got nearer we seemed to spook the emus and they came dashing out of the water and ran round us - now it was Jo who was spooked. We moved gently away and the emus eventually returned to the water.

We did eat at the hotel that night.

Tuesday 17th February - Ardrossan

Our final night on the Yorke peninsula was to be spent halfway up the eastern coast. Again we stopped on the way and - guess what? - another photo spot:

Port Vincent was an ok-looking place but Ardrossan - when we finally got there - was not. It felt run-down and short of money. We tried to do the usual jetty walk but were thwarted - no entry - works ongoing:

We decided to head out of town - to what is probably the only commercial vineyard on Yorke. Barley Stacks Wines is only 20 minutes from Ardrossan. We were their only customers and they took good care of us as Jo sampled their 5 Shiraz vintages. (I managed a half glass myself).

Dinner was back at the Ardrossan Hotel/Motel - and what a dinner it was. Rump roast, beautifully done, but the portions! Dare I say it - they were American sized. I managed just 4 of the 7 large slices/chunks on my plate - but it was lovely.

Wednesday 18th February - Adelaide then Bridgewater

The drive back was uneventful. We dropped our hire car at the airport in good time and picked up an Uber to take us back up the hills to Kelly's. A quiet evening followed. We were sleeping in Asher's room. Miller was away on a school camp so Asher had the option of Miller's bed, Chris' and Kelly's or, the one set up for him in what is occasionally used as the projector room.