Journal Friday 30.09.16 With Teller packed full of treasures we were off on our first family of 4 road trip to Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula some 315 kms away. After missing a turn & taking a 'short cut' down a tractor road that resulted in one very muddy car & near bogging we were well on our way. Vada slept, Abel played with his dinosaurs Obama & Nixon & Sean & I stopped to admire the sun set. We passed through Marion Bay at dusk & as we entered the park we deliberated the best way to our site at Shell beach. One near miss with a kangaroo, two muddy puddles, numerous wrong turns & an hour passed before we reached our site. Needless to say we pitched the tent in the dark, had dinner at 10pm & then curled up in our bags under the stars. The kids LOVED it. Saturday 01.10.16 I lay in the pre-dawn light & listened to gumnuts fall on our tent. I noticed Abel & Vada were breathing in sync & it was magical. The sun was shining when Abel ripped open the tent door & canyoned into the day. We played some soccer in an empty site before heading to our first stop at Dolphin Bay where Abel & I climbed huge boulders on the beach & looked for crabs amoungst the rocks. Sean started a family Sand mandala (or Sandala) on the deserted beach. Abel played videographer & kept saying 'cheese trees'. From there we headed to Ethel's Wreck & explored the ships ruins. Abel kept saying 'Dadda fix it' in reference to the ship. After a late lunch at camp Sean & Vada napped leaving Abel & I to explore Shell beach. We spent a good hour tumbling down a slopey dune. For sunset we drove to the Stenhouse Jetty where we threw stones into the sea. That night Sean taught me how to build a campfire & we played cards under the stars. Sunday 02.10.16 Abel woke with a sore neck & was pretty inconsolable (even the beach didn't help) so we made the decision to pack up camp a day early & head home. On the drive we saw: 2 kangaroos, 4 emus, 3 stumpy tail lizards & 1 snake. ItineraryDolphin Beach Completely deserted, this gorgeous beach is located at the North face of the park, accessible from Browns Beach Road. With huge flat boulders to the left of the entrance & an expanse of uninterrupted sand to the right, this beach is perfect for kids to explore. Ethels Wreck Located at the East of the park off Pondalowie Bay road, the Wreck can be viewed from the cliff face or explored on the beach. If stairs don't bother you I would definitely recommend the climb down to get a closer look at the beautiful slightly ominous wreckage. The clouds were doing some amazing things while we were there. Also be sure to use the lookout at the RIGHT of the car park down a few stairs if you want to see the wreckage but not head down. We witnessed many people just viewing from the Anchor point where most of the ship is obscured. Stenhouse Bay Jetty Located at the southern point of the park not far after entry on the Yorke highway. We don't fish, which is what the Jetty is popular for, so we visited at sunset just to see the view. The beach is not accessible so it's really quite a quick, but magnificent stop. Shell Beach This was literally a stones throw from our campsite off Browns beach road near the Shephards hut at the northern point of the park. By far my favourite place, this secluded spot had dunes for rolling down & was again deserted. I would recommend taking some cardboard down for makeshift sand tobogganing. A few points on what we learnt this trip:
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