Day 39: Thu 23 Mar 23 - Whyalla

Thu 23 Mar 23 - Whyalla 

18 Deg overnight to 23 Deg in the afternoon, feeling 5 Deg cooler with the brisk southerly wind.  With only 200km to drive to Tumby Bay tomorrow, where we have booked three nights at the caravan park, we decided to stay one more day at Whyalla. There is enough in Whyalla to keep you interested for a few hours at best, but the campground is comfortable, quiet and cheap, so we were happy to have another day here.  It was a slow start to the day, with some travel planning, before driving to the other side of town for a visit to the Maritime Museum including a guided tour through the ex HMAS Whyalla (I). The museum was quite underwhelming, but they are undergoing some much needed renovations, and hopefully they have additional displays to roll out when completed. The walk through the ex HMAS Whyalla was much more interesting, and knowing all too well what the interior of a Navy ship looks like, I did find the 1941 technology and living conditions very interesting - much more basic than when I first served at sea 40 years later. At 1300 we returned to the van for lunch and a rest, before I challenged my myself against the strong gusting wind with a 20 km bike ride into town to the Jetty, up Hummock Hill lookout and then over the Flinders and Freycinet lookout, before returning to the van and calling it the day. Tomorrow we continue south along the Eyre Peninsula to Tumby Bay for 3 nights.


Quite interesting learning about the life of Whyalla as a commissioned Navy ship, then as a civilian ship before being relocated 2km inland and undergoing restoration as a museum ship.
https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-whyalla-i

It took considerable effort to relocate the Whyalla 2km inland and restore it to its present state.

Whyalla - Engine Room

Whyalla - Of particular interest to me was the galley - a crew of 85 was fed by one cook in this small space. While all other junior sailors were accommodated in the main forward messdeck, the cook (rightfully) did have his own cabin. 

Whyalla - Messdeck where Junior Sailors ate and slept. If they weren't lucky enough to get a space to hang their hammock at night (first in best dressed), they had to sleep on a straw mattress on the deck.

Whyalla - Messdeck (that’s a mattress on the table)


Whyalla - Bridge

Whyalla - Afternoon ride 

Whyalla - Afternoon ride forshore

Whyalla - Afternoon ride up Hummock Hill


Whyalla - Afternoon ride up Hummock Hill

Whyalla - Afternoon ride Hummock Hill from Flinders & Freycinet Lookout

Whyalla - Afternoon ride view from Flinders & Freycinet Lookout



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