Day 44: Tue 28 Mar 23 - Port Lincoln

Tue 28 Mar 23 - Port Lincoln 

17 to 24 Deg - a mostly cloudy day with a few late showers. The caravan park we are staying at is a bit dated, but is currently undergoing some work to bring it back to life. The sites are very generous in size, and we could not ask for a better site, or one with better views. At $32 / night it's also half the price of the Discovery Park 10km away in Port Lincoln. The 30km/hr westerly wind got up this afternoon, but it wasn't noticeable because we are well protected by hills on the inland side. We had another slow start to the day, wandering if I should go fishing, or go for a ride. I decided to go fishing for squid from the North Shields Jetty. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful again. I did spot a few squid chasing my jig, but I clearly don't have the knack to catch them. It was an enjoyable couple of hours on the jetty overlooking the bay though. After coffee back at the van,  Noel and I drove into Port Lincoln where I left Noel to entertain herself while I walked 2km back along the foreshore to the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum where I stayed for about 90 minutes. Axel Stenross was a Finnish ships carpenter who sailed to Port Lincoln on a windjammer in 1927 to load grain for Europe and decided to stay.  The  museum is a wonderful tribute to his craftsmanship, and it was also interesting to learn about the local fishing and shipping industries. The highlight though was finding the Edna-Felice, the last wooden fishing boat built by the master craftsman. This old refurbished wooden fishing boat was built in 1969 for my friend Kingsley's father Hartley Klau who then lived at Ceduna. He named the boat after Hartley's wife Edna, and his friends wife Felice. Kingsley lives in West Australia and hasn't seen the boat since he was a child, so the photos I sent him no doubt brought back some wonderful memories, both for himself and his mother Edna. I thoroughly enjoyed the maritime museum, and as I walked back into town to meet Noel, I spotted a young Sea Lion chasing fish in the clear shallow water below the rocks. Another special experience. We returned to the van for an afternoon coffee sitting outdoors in the warm sunshine overlooking the bay, then I climbed on the bike for a pleasant 25km ride into Port Lincoln and back to wrap up the day.  Tomorrow, we plan to drive to Coffin Bay for the day. 

Caravan Park protected from the westerly wind by the hills behind

The Hecla, South Australia's last wooden coastal trading ketch at the Stenross Maritime Museum

The City of Adelaide - A steam powered water jet propelled lifeboat built between 1891- 1895

Nabila - Port Lincoln's firth harbour tug

Axel Stenross Maritime Museum 

Axel Stenross Maritime Museum  - Where he practised his craftsmanship


Axel Stenross Maritime Museum  - Where he practised his craftsmanship

Axel Stenross Maritime Museum  - Where he practised his craftsmanship

Axel Stenross Maritime Museum  - Where he practised his craftsmanship


The Hecla, Wooden coastal trading ketch 

The Hecla, Wooden coastal trading ketch 

Where Axel Stenross lived and applied his craft

Axel Stenross Museum - Collection of motors


The Edna - Felice, the last wooden boat built by Axel Stenross. She's a beautifully restored boat. Seeing her again will have brought back wonderful memories for both Kingsley and his mother Edna.


The Edna - Felice

The Edna - Felice - A beautifully restore fishing vessel

Axel Stenross Museum - A collection of wooden boats


Axel Stenross Museum - A collection of wooden boats

Axel Stenross Museum 

Wlak back into Port Lincoln

Port Lincoln - Tuna Poler Statue (A tribute to all who took part in pioneering tuna fishing)

Afternoon ride into Port Lincoln along a combination of old unused roads, bike paths and bush trails along the coast with awesome views.





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