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Happiness Is The Road
It had been cold and windy in the night but when I got up the weather was perfect. No wind, clear blue sky and heading towards 30 degrees. After brekky I took the key back to the lovely old lady across the road and hit the highway down to Innes National Park at the bottom of the peninsula. I stopped at Minlaton for some fuel and it wasn't far from here that I saw something that really amused me. I saw a chalkboard on the pavement outside someones house. It had balloons around it and on it was written in chalk 'The end of the world has been postponed. Keep living.' For those of you who don't know the world was supposed to be ending on December 21st this year as we are on a collision course with Nibiru or Planet X! Well whatever happens I'll be on Kangaroo Island on December 21st. It was all agricultural and farming land on the way until near the National Park where the bush and scrub land returned. I self registered and paid my fee on the way into the park (as is normally the case at National Parks over here) and got my map and then drove in to explore. There were lots of places to see here. I went to Stenhouse Bay first and saw the majestic, wild and ferocious Southern Ocean. I went on a walk here and learnt about the Gypsum mining that was done in this area. I also learnt of the story of a man from Vietnam called Dao Thanh.
'On the 25th March 1940 the ship SS Notue came into port here. There had been an accident on board and Dao Thanh had been struck by a bag of coal and killed. Thanh was a Buddhist and could not be buried at sea. The ships master had made arrangements for him to be buried at sea but when this became known to his shipmates they threatened to mutiny and jump ship. A local carpenter made his coffin and his friends organised and performed the last rites. Money and personal possessions were placed in the coffin at his head and feet and crewmen carried his coffin to the cliff side. They lit candles, ate a meal of rice at sunrise and sunset to help Thanh on his journey into the next life. When the SS Notue sailed, the crew lined the deck as a sign of respect. Three long blasts were sounded as a farewell to the crewman left behind. Thanhs relatives made a beaded bouquet and arranged delivery to his grave. Crewmen continued to visit the grave until 1975 when shipping at Stenhouse Bay ceased.'
I was moved by this story and paid my own respects before moving on. I went on to see Chinaman's Hats Island and went to Ethel Beach where the remains of the ship Ethel lie rusting in the sand. This coastline is littered with shipwrecks as navigation around this coastline was and still remains very dangerous. The seas can be very big here. I also went for a walk around the lighthouse at West Cape. I then went to find the camp ground at Pondalowie Bay. The camp area was extremely quiet apart from the flies. There were hundreds of the little b*****s desperate to hang out on my glasses, get swallowed and snorted up! It was the worst fly situation for a long time! I was the only one camped on the caravan/camper section. There were maybe two tents in the bush camping bit nearby. So it was a very lovely and peaceful night. The only facility here was a pit toilet but that was fine. It's great to stay in these beautiful remote spots. I went to sleep to the sound of the surf from the other side of the dunes.
By the way life is just so wonderful without the TV..... and I've still managed to avoid all news media!
'On the 25th March 1940 the ship SS Notue came into port here. There had been an accident on board and Dao Thanh had been struck by a bag of coal and killed. Thanh was a Buddhist and could not be buried at sea. The ships master had made arrangements for him to be buried at sea but when this became known to his shipmates they threatened to mutiny and jump ship. A local carpenter made his coffin and his friends organised and performed the last rites. Money and personal possessions were placed in the coffin at his head and feet and crewmen carried his coffin to the cliff side. They lit candles, ate a meal of rice at sunrise and sunset to help Thanh on his journey into the next life. When the SS Notue sailed, the crew lined the deck as a sign of respect. Three long blasts were sounded as a farewell to the crewman left behind. Thanhs relatives made a beaded bouquet and arranged delivery to his grave. Crewmen continued to visit the grave until 1975 when shipping at Stenhouse Bay ceased.'
I was moved by this story and paid my own respects before moving on. I went on to see Chinaman's Hats Island and went to Ethel Beach where the remains of the ship Ethel lie rusting in the sand. This coastline is littered with shipwrecks as navigation around this coastline was and still remains very dangerous. The seas can be very big here. I also went for a walk around the lighthouse at West Cape. I then went to find the camp ground at Pondalowie Bay. The camp area was extremely quiet apart from the flies. There were hundreds of the little b*****s desperate to hang out on my glasses, get swallowed and snorted up! It was the worst fly situation for a long time! I was the only one camped on the caravan/camper section. There were maybe two tents in the bush camping bit nearby. So it was a very lovely and peaceful night. The only facility here was a pit toilet but that was fine. It's great to stay in these beautiful remote spots. I went to sleep to the sound of the surf from the other side of the dunes.
By the way life is just so wonderful without the TV..... and I've still managed to avoid all news media!
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