Day 28 / 2025 - Port Lincoln to Port Augusta

Leaving Port Lincoln we headed out through the centre of town. There is no bypass road in Port Lincoln, the only way to transition from Flinders Hwy to Lincoln Hwy is through the middle of town with lots of awkward roundabouts and local traffic to dodge.

Heading north along the Lincoln Hwy we passed through a small rainstorm hoping to leave the rain behind us. We called into Tumby Bay stopping for lunch at parking for RV's next to the Information Centre. The rain had caught up with us so we took advantage of some undercover seating located nearby to eat lunch. After lunch someone mention 'Bakery' so off we went for a Coffee and cream cake. Anne and I have got into the habit of sharing one cake, going with the idea, if we still feel like more we can always buy another one. Finishing up we then took a walk along the beach area then onto the jetty. About half way out we came across 3 dolphins which looked like they were playing with each other, splashing around and rolling over and over. Later we googled the activity they were displaying, watching a video we learned we had actually caught them mating.

Moving on from Tumby Bay we headed for Port Neill about another 40 Km further North. This is a small seaside town with a shop and a pub. There is an RV campground about 300 metres from the centre of town, cost is $5.00 per night which is paid into an honesty box. There are no facilities there except a small shelter but the town had a dump point and potable water about 200 metres away. We had some time to kill before having to be in Port Augusta on the 2nd May, Originally we were planning to move on further to other campsites but decided to stay an additional 2 more nights here as it was such a nice spot. Rain was forecast for most of the East coast of the Eyre Peninsula so staying put to ride the weather out made sense. There wasn't a lot to do except taking walks along the beach and jetty and relaxing, $5 a night near a beach and town was good value. This gave us a chance to test out our solar setup in unfavourable weather and see how well the fridge managed on gas since being repaired. Our second day the weather was reasonably clear but some rain did fall in the evening and through the night. Our third day was cool but the weather was improving towards the end of the day.

After the third night it was time to move on. We weren't due in Port Augusta until the next day so decided our next stop would be in Cowell at their RV Rest Stop. This park was a bit more expensive at $15.00 per night but you can stay for up to 14 nights for the cost of $75.00 per week. There are 22 sites to choose from and you book online. Potable water is available at the rest area. Unfortunately there is no dump point or public toilet onsite but there is a dump point on the Lincoln Hwy on the way out of town heading North.

We decided to walk into the main retail district of the town which is about 1.5 km from the RV park. The town has changed a bit since we were here 11 years ago. A lot of the foreshore around the boat ramps have been developed and there is also a free water park and jumping pillow next to the caravan park for public use. The town has a number of cafe's and 2 pubs as well as other retail outlets setup in the heritage buildings along the main street and was bustling with lots of people. We ended up opting for a serve of fish and chips from a kiosk based at the Boat Harbour. We then walked back to the RV park and sat outside until it was too cold before retiring to our vans. The night was beautifully clear with not a cloud. Unfortunately that means a cold night, thank goodness for the gas heater. It is hard to heat a caravan with all the airflow and venting but at least the heater kept the chill in the air at bay.

Next morning we again hooked up our vans and headed out, our next stop, Port Augusta. travelling north on the Lincoln Hwy we passed through the town of Whyalla. We have stayed there before about 11 years ago so had no plans to stop this time. Once again I bemoaned the traffic lights situated on hills, most likely said the same thing last time we were here. Road designers never really give manual vehicles towing much though when they place traffic lights on intersections at the peak of a hill. Travelling through we stopped at a rest area for a coffee on the other side of Whyalla then progessed onto to Port Augusta. The road between the towns was quite busy with trucks, passenger cars & RV's. Fortunately there were plenty of stretches of straight roads for vehicles to pass us. Arriving at the Discovery Caravan park just off the main highway we setup on a site for a planned 4 night stay.

A few weeks back while in Penong we book we had book 2 tickets for the 3rd of May on the Pitchi Ritchi Railway - Afghan Express. This is a 6 hour return trip from Port Augusta to Quorn and back again. The engine towing the 7 carriages was a original Ghan NM25 Steam locomotive used in the original Ghan Express to Alice Springs entering service in 1925 and in service until 1954. We bordered the Train at Port Augusta station once everyone was aboard we depart at 10:30 AM and headed towards the rural town of Quorn about 2 hours away. The track took us up and over the Flinders ranges through areas such as Saltia and Woolshed Flats then over the summit which is at 406 metres or 1,332 feet if you prefer the old scale. Some sections we had to move through slowly, down to a few Km's per hour as some of the track had sleepers replaced and were still being bedded in. We passed through open farmlands as well as through hand dug cuttings and across 100 year old bridges still in good condition. The carriages were beautifully restored to original specification with padded seats running parallel with the centre aisle and clad in wooden panelling. The windows took a bit to master opening them just had to watch your fingers if you let them go. There were also 2 carriages with were setup for special occasions configure similar to a dining and sleeping carriage. I believe this is available to special groups but not open to the general passengers.

Arriving in Quorn we had 2 hours of free time to have lunch and explore the local townsite. Anne had the for-thought to book a table at the Quandong Cafe for lunch as the places to eat can get quite busy. Ordering a Beef Burger and Coffee the food was delicious and filling. After we walk through some of the streets and old buildings that were open to the public before making our way back to the train again for the return journey to Port Augusta. We changed to a different carriage where the seats were perpendicular to the aisle, Anne got to sit facing forward but I had to contend with riding backwards. We were able to watch wild kangaroos and sheep roaming some of the hills and plains. We felt a little bit special as the Steam locomotive drew a number of crowds to watch as we passed by crossings and other locations which could be accessed by car and foot. We did notice what we thought must have been train spotters as the same people seem to keep popping up in multiple locations with camera's in hand. We finally pulled into Port Augusta at 4:30 PM ending a very nice way to spend the day.

Sunday was a lazy day with some cooking and catching up on chores. We have booked in for an additional night in the caravan park as Gina and Bruce have their car booked into the local Isuzu dealer on Monday to address a number of recall issues mainly to do with the ute's system software. The wind is also blowing strongly from a Northerly direction for the next couple of days. Tuesday will see it abate then turn around and predominantly come from the South for a while.