Day 188 - North of Coffin Bay

It was a relief today to awake without the sound of wind in our ears and minds.  It was overcast but during the day the sun did come out.

We did see oyster racks on our way out.  The tide was in and only the supporting poles were evident.

111014 Oyster racks near Coffin Bay township. Mount Dutton
and Mena Hill in the background

Dutton Bay was the next bay on our map.  By this time we were on dirt roads, which was the case for most of the day.  The dirt roads were good but ..... the roads off to the attractions were, as for yesterday, atrocious.  Dutton Bay is the site of an old woolshed which operated up until about twenty years ago.  However sheep remain in the area.  There was a large jetty at Dutton Bay which was used for loading wool and grain.  It is now used for fishing by the locals.

111014 Dutton Beach

111014 Dutton Bay Woolshed - ceased use 20 years ago.

111014 Following the leader into the corner crush - awaiting shearing

111014 Kellidie Bay with just visible oyster racks left of centre

Farm Bay was a beehive of activity this morning, probably because it is one of the boat accessible beaches close to the open sea. Tractor boat towing is the order of the day.  They must be most effective in the soft, sandy beach accesses.  There was a paddock of tractors near the beach, seemly held in readiness for boat launching.

111014 Launching a Victorian boat at Farm Beach.
They come a long way to fish in the Coffin Bay region

111014 Tractors awaiting their owners - for launching boats at Farm Beach

Our visit to Gallipoli Beach could best be described as both the highlight and the lowlight of the day. It was a highlight because this was the beach used in the film "Gallipoli" and we felt somewhat humbled by the relationship it has to the real Gallipoli beach.  It was a lowlight because the 4km road to get there was horrific.  We must be nuts.  However the Gnome was thankful that we pushed ourselves beyond the call and it was really worth it. Fortunately the road out seems shorter than the road in.

111014 Proud to be there

111014 Gallipoli Bay as in the film

After dragging ourselves away from Gallipoli Beach we continued north to Frenchman's Bluff.

111014 Frenchman Bluff

Coles Point was our final call for the day.  There is a monument for James Arthur Double, aged 28 years, drowned there in 1941.  The sea was placid today and the sun was out and this is the best environment in which to see these places.

111014 Coles Point.  Note memorial centre left

111014 Memorial to James Arthur Double who drowned at Coles Point

111014 Rocks at Coles Point

111014 Mt Greenly from Coles Point

130km today and not a bad way to fill in a day.  However we have been a little disappointed with Coffin Bay, probably because the region does not live up to the hyperbole in the tourist information. There is a real offset.  The oysters are very good.