Eyre Peninsula V – No Where Else & No More Easter Bunny

Eyre Peninsula IV – Wilderness Wanders Wildlife Rescue

SHELLY BEACH, PORT LINCOLN

After an unsuccessful attempt at trying to kidnap the adorable Shirley from Wilderness Wanders, we’re back on the road and on our way along the Eyre Peninsula. We have a few places marked down that we’re keen to check out today, but for the most part we’re easy and open to stopping off anywhere along the way.

After driving for only a short while, we stop off to frolic along 100 metre long Shelly Beach in Port Lincoln. Shelly Beach is a sand, rock and shelly high tide beach, fronted by a mixture of rock and sand flats. Although the water is glistening a gorgeous shade of turquoise and looks ever so inviting, Shelly Beach is not suitable for swimming, owing to the presence of rocks and shallow sand banks. I take a moment to chill out on the rocks and take in the incredible scenery around me before we pose for silly photos on the rocks. It is here that Von posses in a gorilla-like stance and scores herself the title Vonilla the Gorilla.

COFFIN BAY

The township of Coffin Bay is situated on the western side of the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula, roughly 46 km (28 miles) out from Port Lincoln and has a permanent population of approximately 650 people which swells by a further 3,000 plus people during the summer school holidays and Easter periods. Today being Easter day, we are hoping not too many people will be out and about despite the gorgeous weather that Mother Nature has supplied us with. Coffin Bay offers unspoilt scenic views of pristine waterways with large bays, channels, inlets and sandy beaches great for both swimming and fishing. We stop here for only a short while as there isn’t really that much to do apart from admire the view. While departing Coffin Bay, we are taken aback by the sight of wild emu running around the Coffin Bay Airstrip. Now there’s something you don’t see back home in Melbourne!!!

NO WHERE ELSE, SHERINGA

From Coffin bay, we make the 112 km (70 mile) hour and a half drive up the Eyre Peninsula and end up in No Where Else. I must admit, it is kind of an uneasy, hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck-raising feeling to see the No Where Else road sign; the bulls skull hanging on the near by fence doesn’t help make it any more inviting.

As the name suggests, this place is the real deal; smack bang in the middle of no where with red Aussie outback dirt and gravel road that carries on for miles and miles. It’s the kind of atmosphere where you would expect a horror-flick such as Wolf Creek to take place. If we were to have stopped by here at night, I’d probably shit my pants while waiting for the axe murderer to make an appearance.

To my surprise, No Where Else has a rest stop… with real life people! It amuses me when I see other signs of life in the middle of butt fuck no where; I always wonder what on earth they are doing out in the middle of woop woop, especially on Easter day, only to realise that I’m there too so I can’t really hang shit on them. Sheringa Roadhouse is the name of the rest stop and bar we pull up at. After a quick bathroom break, we see that there are quite a few people enjoying an ice cold brew on the deck of this patriotic, little outback bar. Lisa orders herself a beer while we stretch out our legs and kick back at a table. From here No Where Else doesn’t seem so creepy.

ANXIOUS BAY, ELLISTON

From No Where Else, we drive a further 30 minutes up the coast to Elliston to watch the sun set from the Anxious Bay Clifftop Drive.  is situated at the tip of a rocky cliff edge giving us an uninterrupted view directly out to where the sun will be setting. Below us are eager surfers paddling out on their boards. I wonder how deep the water level is and also wonder how safe it is to be paddling so far out at dusk – you’d never catch me doing anything like that; deep, dark ocean is a fear of mine.

Crisp, fiery shades of amber line the evening sky while the sounds of crashing waves fill the air. A calm, fulfilled feeling runs through my body as I watch the sun vanish below the horizon. What a perfect ending to a memorable Easter.

IS THIS THE END OF EASTER? 

While on our way back to base camp in Port Lincoln a bunny unexpectedly jumps out from the side of the road. In her best efforts, Lisa swerves the car to try and avoid the rabbit but in poor judgement, it jumps directly in the direction we swerve and subsequently ends up all over the back tyre… on Easter day… Just like Vonilla the Gorilla, this earns Lisa the title of Easter Bunny Murderer. Will there be an Easter next year? Guess we’ll just have to wait and find out. If the Easter Bunny doesn’t visit your house next April, you can blame Lisa… find her on twitter here.

.