Eyre Peninsula Autumn Road Trip

There I was in Streaky Bay, the furthest west I’ve ever been in South Australia.  Nice.  I might even have played ‘Go West’ by the Pet Shop Boys to celebrate the occasion.

Dan and I had begun the trip by driving from our home in Adelaide to Cowell.  We spent a night in a cabin at the Foreshore Caravan Park to break up the long drive to Port Lincoln.  It was a novelty to visit the Eyre Peninsula.  Apart from a family holiday when I was four years old (an age when I was more interested in the soft drinks), I hadn’t been past Whyalla.  The following morning, we thanked our caravan park host and moved on to Tumby Bay for coffee and to check out the colourful street murals.  Because of my love of hiking, and Dan patiently agreeing to come along when he’d rather be mountain biking, I was keen to get to Lincoln National Park. 

This road trip saw the milestone of Dan’s recently bought white Subaru Outback.  He even agreed to ordering an external CD player for the tunes, spinning discs being quite important to me.  We were chuffed with the smoother ride and extra room compared with my older Impreza.  

Mural at Tumby Bay

We arrived at Lincoln National Park and Cape Donington – a good 30 km from the park entrance.  Some of the road was unsealed but still 2WD friendly.  We ate lunch and took in the view of Donington Island, a resting spot for fur seals and sea lions.  There were Pacific gulls overhead and on September Beach as we started the Donington Loop hike (6.2 km).  The day was sunny and the temperature was around 20ºC.  The track was clearly marked with signage for descending onto beaches and returning to the bush.  The inland sections were cruisy with grey currawongs flying by and calling near us.  

 September Beach

That day we also visited Spalding Cove, so gentle and serene after a bumpy experience on the unsealed access road.  Although it was getting close to 6pm, it was daylight saving so we hiked up Stamford Hill.  Looking out over the vast coastal woodland slopes, I imagined Captain Matthew Flinders and his crew back in 1802 digging for fresh water and meeting the Traditional Owners, the Barngarla and Nauo peoples.  The interpretive signs were interesting, and this history page was useful.  I saw emus and beautiful Port Lincoln parrots, but admittedly only out of the car window for a split second as we zoomed past.  The parrots were on the road as we headed into their namesake town, Port Lincoln.  At Stamford Hill, we took in amazing views of the town and Boston Bay in the evening.  I love how sea water sparkles in the sunlight.

Hiking up Stamford Hill, Lincoln NP (photo by Daniel Ham)

View from Stamford Hill

A special mention goes to the Fresh Fish Place for dinner and beers in our hiking clothes.  We ate the best seafood in a laid-back vibe, then found our accommodation.

The next day, Dan and I drove to Coffin Bay National Park.  A sealed road twists and undulates through the park.  It was very scenic with tall sand dunes covered in vegetation interspersed with sheoak woodland.  Distant views of more sand dunes opened up as we went.  We checked out Templetonia Lookout then drove on to reach Yangie Bay.  Here we hiked the 2 km loop and also detoured onto the Yangie Island hike trail for 20-ish minutes to see what was there.  On the loop trail there were great views of the bay, a nursery for juvenile fish in a sanctuary zone.  It’s where marine creatures take shelter, so tranquil compared to the Southern Ocean side.  I liked the samphires and a lilac flowering plant on the water’s edge.  On our detour walk there were bird songs (maybe the grey butcherbird), plus the unique deep booming calls of an emu.  These birds were heard but not seen due to the dense scrub.  There was a sense of remoteness at Yangie Bay even though vast stretches of the park lie beyond, accessible by 4WD.

Coastal plants at Yangie Bay, Coffin Bay National Park

After lunch, we backtracked a little then headed for the Golden Island and Point Avoid lookouts.  OMG don’t stand too close to the edge!  Golden Island looked golden, and seeing waves going in different directions on rocky platforms at Point Avoid was quite something.  Quite speccy to experience these.  One view reminded me of an old family photo, perhaps from the time I visited as a little girl.

Point Avoid, looking towards Golden Island, Coffin Bay NP

The sealed road to and from these lookouts represented the will to keep following a clear path through the chaos of hilly sand dunes and coastal heath scrub.  I mean, the scenery was lovely, but it symbolised my attempts to focus on a path through uncertainty and things outside of my control in life.  I enjoyed walking slightly inland among the mallee woodlands in both of these national parks, then reemerging the waterfronts.  The salty air felt good. 

Back in Port Lincoln, there was time later in the day for Dan to get a bike ride in while I relaxed.  We then treated ourselves to a fancy seafood dinner at Sarin’s at the Port Lincoln Hotel.  Oysters are famous in this part of the world and, although they’re not Dan’s favourite dish, we ate them anyway and they were delicious.  The staff were friendly, we had a few laughs and I felt like I was starting to unwind.

Onwards.  Dan and I drove to Mount Greenly and Greenly Beach via the Coles Point Road.  Thanks go to Paul for recommending this beautiful place.  Mount Greenly is a granite hill overlooking farmland and the coast.  The trail is rocky, clear enough to follow, steep in places but no scary drop-aways.  A problem from daily life was weighing on my mind, although I wanted to enjoy being here and in the moment.  I won’t go into details but it was nothing too serious.  In my experience, thinking things through while walking in nature is helpful.  Then pretty soon I felt better and was glad to be on this holiday and away from the city.

We hiked most of the way along the Mount Greenly plateau but turned around before the summit.  From our position there were glorious airy views of the coast and Lake Greenly / Puwanna.  As always I love bird calls and when they’re in a specific location on a linear hike they sometimes squawk when you return the same way.  I photographed salmon correa flowers.  The slopes had pleasant woodlands with patches of pigface to remind us we were at the coast.  We returned in just under two hours, enjoying perfect weather, blue skies and temperatures in the low to mid-twenties.  We headed to fabulous, remote Greenly Beach to eat our little lunches and watch crimson-coloured crabs.

Big views from Mount Greenly

For the rest of the Eyre Peninsula trip we went into sightseeing mode.  The coastline at Leo Cummings Monument lookout was phenomenal and included a sea stack.  Then there was Waterloo Bay monument followed by Elliston’s clifftop sculptures.  Elliston felt like miles away from anywhere and the pub meal in the beer garden hit the spot.  Pesky flies kept us company from the Talia Caves onwards, probably due to a recent rainy period across the state.  ‘The Woolshed’ at Talia Caves was neat to behold – I didn’t walk in too far because of the drop-away terrain.  Argh!  So many flies at the famous Murphy’s Haystacks, but we coped.  These are granite inselbergs jutting out at interesting angles, with farmland all around.  

Dramatic coastline at Leo Cummings Monument

 Murphy's Haystacks - granite inselbergs

I was glad flies weren’t a problem in Streaky Bay, our westernmost point of the trip, where we had a rest day in a place with a lovely, relaxed atmosphere.  Streaky Bay is on Wirangu Country.  Just along the coast, ‘The Granites’ were truly beautiful.  It’s a sandy lagoon where you can paddle and swim in still waters, surrounded by low granite rocks.  I was managing a muscle strain injury on the front of my right shoulder, but I could still swim.  All salty and floaty, it was bliss.  There were blackboards installed at beach car parks for people to record shark sightings, but we didn’t notice any sharks.

Big thanks go to Mark and Linda, our hosts at Streaky Bay Motel and Villas.  Mark gave us a comprehensive spiel about what to see and do in the area. 

 The Granites, near Streaky Bay

It was time head home, via small detours to Pildappa Rock, Mount Wudinna, and Kimba’s Big Galah.  The flies at the rocks were unrelenting and we should buy head nets for next time.  Mount Wudinna is an awesome granite monolith at 261 metres above ground level, with a well-marked short hiking trail leading to the summit via various rocky features.  Thanks to Dan for trusting me with the Subaru on the unsealed roads – it was good to share the driving.  To break the journey back to Adelaide, we overnighted in Crystal Brook. 

So there you have it.  Dan and I immersed ourselves in the natural beauty of the Eyre Peninsula’s hills and coasts and received great hospitality from the locals.  This reinforces my love of travel.  It went well. 

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Return to the Solukhumbu in Nepal, 2025

We set out in sunny weather and were soon taking off layers.  Our guide Tendi Sherpa pointed out the snowy mountain Cho Oyu at the top of the valley, 8188 metres high and so white.  Tibet is just on the other side of the mountain – wow!

I was nervous and excited about returning to the Solukhumbu Everest region in Nepal.  I was keen for more trekking and it was exactly ten years on from our previous visit.  Why do I keep going on these adventures?  I’m curious, I like hiking somewhere different in the beautiful natural world, and the people make us feel welcome.  My parents helped to instil this thing, a fondness for travelling, from my childhood.  My dear nephew Steve and I couldn’t get to the Gokyo Valley and Gokyo Ri in April 2015 because of heavy snow at Cho La so we came back to experience it.

We flew into Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla, at lunchtime on my birthday.  We were lucky to get clear skies after a few days of rain and cancelled flights.  Tendi travelled with us from Kathmandu via Ramechhap and my porter Arun met us in Lukla (Steve had decided to carry his overnight pack).  We trekked to Phakding in the afternoon rain, which began through the lovely Solukhumbu archway with statues of local women.  We also stopped at the visitor checkpoint.  Soon after I was among pink flowering rhododendrons as we followed the mighty Dudh Koshi River up the steep-sided mountainous valley.

That evening at the lodge we celebrated my birthday with Nutella B-ready bars, Kit Kats and pilsner beer.  There I go, another lap around the sun.

The trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar the next day was an elevation gain of 1000 metres, quite a slog up from Monjo.  Some track was washed away in last year’s flood so there was a temporary steep up and down section.  Helicopters roared up and down the valley throughout the day.  Being the route to the famous Everest Base Camp, people were everywhere and we shared some nice conversations at chautaara / rock seats.  I felt like a true global citizen coming here, with folks from all over the world who love trekking.

Powered by momos for lunch, up we went. The river was gushing along, milky with glacial melt, to the confluence of the Bhote Koshi and Dudh Koshi.  There it was: the Hillary Suspension Bridge, so clear from my memory.  We waited for a donkey train to pass then set out across the bridge. It was exhilarating with amazing views and a jaw-dropping space below of over 100 metres.  I did that head-shake of wow, disbelief.  I do that sometimes these days.  I’d made sure my waterproof layers were securely strapped to my day pack in the wind.

Hillary Suspension Bridge, just before Namche Bazaar, Sagarmatha National Park, Solukhumbu 

In the last hour of a long day Arun found us on the trail, greeting us with a big smile.  He’d already dropped off my overnight pack at the lodge.  He and Tendi kindly helped to carry our packs for the last stint.  When I arrived at the entrance to Namche Bazaar (elevation 3420 m) I was overcome with emotion.  Yes, we had returned.  It looked beautiful being abuzz with tourists and locals, young people playing volleyball, the Buddhist stupa with its lights, the big prayer wheels to our right.  It was quite a moment.  The next day was an acclimatisation ‘rest day’.  Nevertheless, it included an uphill workout to Everest View Hotel for coffee, toast and majestic views of the Solukhumbu including Lhotse and Everest / Sagarmatha / Chomolungma just peeking through.

 

Steve and I on the Everest View Hotel hike, above Namche Bazaar (photo by Tendi Sherpa) 

We were pampered by the lodge staff with all meals and accommodation.  The dining rooms were warm and cosy and, as always, the Nepalis were friendly and welcoming.  In some places I enjoyed hot showers, in other places I just had to go without.  Tendi and Arun were excellent and so supportive, caring and concerned for us when we struggled.

We woke to the sight of Oreo-dusted mountains.  Yes, we had Oreo vibes and that sounds goofy but Steve and I had a lot of laughs, bouncing off each other with our humour, so hooray to that.  It was time to continue up to Dole and the air was thin as we huffed and puffed.  After the turn off to Gokyo we trudged up a speccy and dramatic mountainside path to Mong La (3975 m) which was hard going.  Pretty tired, we didn’t make a lot of conversation over lunch at the lodge.  Then followed a descent to Phortse Tenga, the highlight being an encounter with a Himalayan monal pheasant.  Past more bright pink rhododendron flowers, then donning waterproofs for snow (what is this white stuff?), onwards we went.  There were pretty waterfalls and clumps of snow at side streams, but the harsh cold really set in towards the end of a 9 hour day (including breaks).

We arrived at the Alpine Cottage Lodge in Dole (4100 m) to be greeted by a central fireplace, a cosy dining area and a group of cheerful trekkers from Denmark.  Glad to stop and rest, I was exhausted, cold and didn’t have my usual appetite that evening.  Actually I was quite unwell and Steve also had a health issue that day.  So we made the call: a rest day in Dole then we head back down to Namche.  It wasn’t a hard decision but anyway I won’t go into details about my health problems here.  I was very grateful for Marianne and Karsten’s help and kindness.

A highlight of the rest day was that it snowed!  I watched some fellow trekkers dancing in it, waving their arms around, filming with their phones and catching snowflakes on their tongues.  It was adorable – they said, ‘we’re from the tropics!’.  Steve wrote his name in the snow in huge letters.  Before the snowfall I managed a short walk around the village for some fresh air.  Sitting outside in the sun with my book and electrolyte drink, albeit briefly before it was too cold, was nice too.

 

Rest day in Dole. Just relax (photo by Tendi Sherpa) 

The trek back down was do-able and I had good medication.  We said farewell to the Alpine Cottage Lodge and thanked the owners for their hospitality.  The blue sky morning just outside of Dole was beautiful with mosses on the trees lit by the sun.  Butterflies came and went.  Tendi pointed out Cho Oyu, the ‘Turquoise Goddess’, which was awesome.  Heading south, we took in views of the mountains Kantega, with its two hanging glaciers, and Thamserku.  Simply glorious in the clear morning weather.  With dustings of snow in front of us, the whole view seemed to sparkle.  To the left was the hillside village of Phortse.  We saw the Himalayan monal again in the exact same spot.  Was it the same bird?  Maybe.  It shone against the dull vegetation, feathers in blue, green, crimson and orange.  

Views of the mountains Kantega and Thamserku in the morning sun 

Cho Oyu, the 'Turquoise Goddess' 

Himalayan monal pheasant (photo by Tendi Sherpa) 

After we settled in at Namche Bazaar and the temperature was milder I felt glad about the decision not to go further up the valley to Gokyo village and Lakes.  Steve felt the same way.  Just let it go. 

On the rest day in Namche, Tendi, Steve and I went for a short walk just uphill to a wonderful viewpoint. In sunny weather, we saw Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam from the grounds next to the Tenzing Norgay Sherpa statue and memorial.  So good!  Then we walked to the other side of Namche to appreciate the Buddhist paintings on rockfaces surrounded by pine trees.  Later on Tendi and I visited Namche Bazaar’s Gompa.  We met the monk and he let us enter the monastery with its colours, deities, candles, holy water and scrolls.  We each lit a candle and prayed – it was a serene moment.

 

Buddhist stupa at Mong La 

Amazing views of Everest / Sagarmatha / Chomolungma and Lhotse from the Tenzing Norgay Sherpa monument

Prayer wheels at the Gompa, Namche Bazaar 

Over the following two days we trekked down to Lukla, overnighting in Ghat.  The first day was quite long so what a treat to be invited into Arun’s auntie’s home in Phakding for afternoon tea.  It was an unexpected highlight of the trip, sharing the tastiest momos and hot drinks with Arun’s family.  We made up for the language barrier with smiles and laughter.  Tendi brought out delicious mandarins from his rucksack.  I admired the set-up of auntie’s kitchen, so different to ours but very functional, especially the huge flask of coffee.  There was a little boy on his device, a teenage girl, the husband in his traditional Dhaka hat.  I think they appreciated how delighted we were to visit.

I love rhododendrons (photo by Tendi Sherpa)

In Lukla, Tendi gave us official Sagarmatha National Park certificates of achievement and surprised us by ordering Aussie style chicken schnitzels for dinner.  We farewelled Arun that day as well.  It was fine to change the dates of our flight out of Lukla and van transfer back to Kathmandu three days early.  More days in the big city for sightseeing and relaxing before we journeyed home. 

Dinner in Thamel, Kathmandu with our guide Tendi Sherpa 

Thanks to our trekking agent Kalshang for his kindness and thoroughness with all the arrangements, and to Arun for being so cheerful and happy to carry my big rucksack.  Thanks also go to Tendi.  I was very grateful for his caring nature, for taking beautiful photos of us and sending them via Messenger, for holding my hand sometimes when I descended steps seemingly built for giants.  Plus many more things he kindly did to help us.  And big thanks to my nephew Steve for being such a treasure of a travelling companion.

Goodbye and go well Nepal.  Namaste. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)