Day 42: Sun 26 Mar 23

Day 42: Sun 26 Mar 23 - Tumby Bay

March 26, 2023

Sun 26 Mar 23 - Tumby Bay

I7 Deg overnight, up to 19 Deg through the day. It rained all night, cleared for a while in the morning then continued on and off for the rest of the day. Thankfully the wind stayed away. With the rain falling on the roof this moring, we both had a sleep in. After a latish breakfast, between showers, I ventured out for a long walk along the beachfront and around town. I think I now have a photo of every mural, and walked down every street in Tumby Bay. At 1100, we decided to go for a drive inland, 37 km to the small township of Cummins, the centre of rich undulating farmland and a service hub for outlying communities. It's a neat little town with an old flour mill which produces a range of premium commercial flours. The town also has one of the best decorated (and very clean) public toilet facilities I've seen anywhere. It even has very intricate mosaic mirror artwork inside the toilets. From here we drove 31 km to the Koppio Museum in the picturesque Koppio Hills. There is no township - just two houses and a wonderful museum set on 2.5 acres. It's an incredible collection including a restored 1903 blacksmith shop, historic buildings and cottages with antiques from the early 1900s, a family treasures, very old and very small Post Office, and Bank buildings, a unique barbed wire and fencing collection, as well as tractors, farm machinery and a very moving 2005 Black Tuesday Fires exhibition. After almost 2.5 hours, we headed back 30km to Tumby Bay. Over a late coffee, we set about planning the next couple of weeks of travel plans to take us up to Easter Monday when we will meet friends at the Flinders Ranges. We've noticed that it's been very busy with caravan travel in South Australia, especially along the Eyre Peninsula. But it was proven today how busy it is when we had difficulty securing bookings for the next couple of weeks. Some parks that are available are asking unreasonable prices - notably where the caravan park is the only available option. Many also require a 3-day minimum stay with full payment on booking. Needless to say we are re-jigging our travel schedule and exploring more flexible options. Tumby Bay has been a very pleasant stay, despite the ordinary weather. Tomorrow we move on only a short distance towards Port Lincoln for three nights, but it may become longer if it appeals to us.

Attached is a link to Koppio Smithy Museum if intersted in reading more.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/koppio-smithy-museum/

Tumby Bay - Morning walk along the beach between showers

Tumby Bay - As ANZAC Day approaches, a photo of the War Memorial and Poppy Fields Mural in the background

Tumby Bay - More Wall Art

Tumby Bay - Side Street

Tumby Bay - Morning walk along the beach between showers

Cummins - War Memorial

Cummins - Toilet mural in the park

Cummins - The most decorated public toilet I've ever seen

Cummins - Decorated public toilet. The sign reads "Women are always Right - Men to the left"

Cummins - Is a small Eyre Peninsula wheatbelt town with large grain silos, one pub and a large flour mill. Statue of a Wheat Lumper with the flour mill in the background

Cummins - Flour mill

Koppio Smithy Museum. The heritage Hall with a wonderful collection from the Jericho Family

Koppio Smithy Museum. Bank of Adelaide Building and White Flat Post Office (smallest in the state)

Koppio Smithy Museum. Bank of Adelaide Building

Koppio Smithy Museum. Barbed Wire Collection

Koppio Smithy Museum. Barbed Wire Collection ( Exhibit from the Berlin Wall)

Koppio Smithy Museum. Barbed Wire Collection (Barbed Wire Bush)

Koppio Smithy Museum. Barbed Wire Collection (who would have thought there are so many varieties of Barbed Wire - There was even one called 'Bobbed Barbed Wire'...)