2013 kicks off with a bang!
Another year started, and gee did it start with a bang for us! On New Years Day we donned our ‘Australian Coastal Safaris’ hat as a lovely American family arrived on Eyre Peninsula- Australia’s Seafood Capital.
It has been yet another spectacular Aussie summer in Coffin Bay, and we all know that means beach, beach, beach! Therefore, the first port of call for our this group was Hopkins Island, about a 1.5 hour boat ride out of Port Lincoln on Adventure Bay’s boat, the Adventure Lady. Here they got to play, swim and interact with the gorgeous resident Australian sealion population- aka the “puppies of the sea”. It’s a fantastic half day trip, complete with toasted sangas (sandwiches) to warm you up after the swim.
The afternoon was spent down at Long Beach in Coffin Bay, where our thrill seeking guests tried their luck with a bit of sandboarding. Kudos to EVERYONE for having a go! Being a 38 degree day (or 100.4 degrees in farenheit), the sandboarding lesson was closely followed by a swim off the beach.
Another highlight of the trip was the opportunity to hand feed kangaroos at Glen Forest Tourist Park and Vineyard. I’m sure I’ve never seen anyone so excited about seeing a joey before 🙂 One of the more entertaining moments at Glen Forest was Anne having a stare off with a fully grown ostrich!
In the afternoon, the adventure continued up the road to Cummings Monument, where there were nesting Osprey atop the pinnacle just offshore. From here it is a fabulous view of the Great Australian Bight. Back down the road a bit, father and daughter took to the water for a bit of abalone diving. Winners were grinners when they came ashore with a feed of greenlip and blacklip abalone. The day didn’t finish there however, as the family team threw a line in off the beach and attempted to catch some Australian Salmon to add with the abalone for tea. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon on the beach, and apparently the fish thought the day was too nice to be caught!
Friday morning was a bit of a sleep in, followed by a trip aboard the Coffin Bay Explorer for history, sealions, New Zealand fur seals, fresh oysters and dolphin acrobatics. The night finished with a screening of Peter Jackson’s latest triumph The Hobbit at Port Lincoln WCYS.
It was a great few days of amazing experiences, spectacular scenery and of course, fresh local seafood and locally produced beef. We’re lucky to have such amazing food right at our fingertips, from Minniribbie free range beef and pork, to fresh Coffin Bay Oysters, Southern rock lobster, Spencer Gulf King prawns and Kinkawooka mussels. Even the desserts are to die for, with fresh homemade icecream, apple strudels, and my personal favourite – chocolate cheesecake!
If there is one thing we can guarantee, our guests did not leave hungry! 😀