Return to Rapid Bay

Last Saturday, with a slight touch of spring in the air, we set off for Rapid Bay on the lower west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, about a one-hour drive from home. We'd visited before, in 2017 when we'd newly arrived in South Australia. Had it changed? We'd find out.

At first glance it almost looks like a Pacific island - green, rocky, uninhabited ... 

In fact, there is little here except a cluster of houses built in the 1930s for those working in the then-BHP's limestone quarries, and a caravan park. This park sits in splendid isolation and is lucky to occupy such a gorgeous spot. I remember it being crowded when we were here last in mid-summer.   

Further along are the remains of the old quarry machinery - a blight on the landscape and a reminder of how a pristine environment hasn't got a chance against money. Hopefully, evidence of this past can eventually be removed and the area restored to its natural beauty.

We headed for the very long jetty we could see in the distance.  This jetty replaced an old rotting one, used when mining was at its height; remains of this jetty can still be seen. 

To me, these posts looked like crosses ...

... so I tried an experimental shot.

And a pink and grey galah stopped by.

A new(ish) jetty runs alongside the ruins of the old jetty.

The area between the two jetties is now a protected marine sanctuary and a top diving site - especially for people wanting to glimpse the endangered leafy sea dragon - as this sign explained.

I loved these sculptures.

In between the fish is a sign explaining the legal size required for the various sea life you can catch hereabouts, including King George whiting, garfish, herring and blue swimmer crabs.
It was a peaceful spot with no-one else around.

Time now to head for the beach.

I felt very Famous Five as I spotted some deserted caves. 

This is as far as I went.

Steve got to work.

And I managed to get this butterfly.

Time to head back. Not a soul to be seen.

The end of a lovely day. And we reckon not much had changed since our last visit - except that some of the rocks and tailings from the quarry operations seem to have been cleared away. So we could heartily agree with the comments that Colonel Light (South Australia's Surveyor General) said when he stepped ashore from his ship the Rapid in 1836: " I have hardly seen a place I like better'. 

On the way home we stopped in at my favourite nursery in the heart of the forest near Deep Creek where I indulged myself in a few purchases while Steve ventured into the nearby bush which has the largest number of remnant stringybark trees in South Australia. 

I'd love it if anyone can identify what this lovely plant is. I forgot to ask the people at the nursery. 

It looked so sunshine-y.

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A winter's ramble

It was a crisp mid-morning in June, a hint of warmth from the sun, but no wind. Perfect for a short walk along the coastal cliff from Parsons Beach to Waitpinga Beach, a mere 15 minutes from home. We've done this walk a number of times, but not for quite a while. 

I love this part of the coastline - wild surf, rocky cliffs, low-growing vegetation, all bordered by the vast sweep of the Southern Ocean.  Here's a glimpse.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Part of the pleasure of this walk is the drive to it, as the road meanders past bucolic farmland, rolling green hills and dense eucalypt forest.

I loved these tiny sculptures that I spotted atop a gate at the entrance to a farm.

So by the time we arrive at our destination I'm perfectly relaxed and happy and can see Parsons Beach stretching before us.

There's a very steep track down to this beach which we've navigated before but today we're heading east, so we turn left and begin the coastal walk to the next beach at Waitpinga; this section is just a tiny part of the 1200 kilometres-long Heysen Trail, as the signpost indicates.

The surf was indeed surging as we walked on.

The path itself is easy to follow, though it's little more than a jumble of limestone rocks in some places.

I always marvel at how the vegetation manages to survive in such a hostile environment. Today I even spied some moss.

At times it almost looks like a landscaped native garden.

A few more twists of the trail and we could now see Waitpinga Beach in the distance. Once we got to the vantage point to see the beach clearly, we decided we would turn back. 

We ambled on, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the scenery, while managing to pick our way over the rocky path. 

... and stopping to take photos.

We decided to stop. This was as close as we would get to Waitpinga Beach before retracing our steps. We've been down the steep track to the beach a number of times. Such a wild beach today, but in the summertime a gloriously peaceful and calm spot.

On the way back I took a lovely panorama with just a glimpse of Waitpinga Beach on the far left.

Steve takes another photo of me to remember the day.  You can see I was enjoying this.

So I reciprocated.

Eventually we were back at a slightly calmer Parsons Beach.

At the lookout, we saw a group of young guys back-packed up and setting off on their Heysen Trail adventure.

This one spotted me taking the photo - cheeky guy! 

This short walk is perfect for that get-away-from-it-all feeling. So if anyone comes to visit us, you're certain to be taken here. Just put yourself in this photo (as Steve has done) and imagine ...

By the way, the next stop across the ocean is Antarctica.