Instead of heading to Port Lincoln today we went the opposite direction out to the Coffin Bay National Park.

There are a number of basic camp grounds in the park (composting toilets only and no water), we are going to stop at the Yangie Bay Campground.

A view back towards Coffin Bay

There are only two roads out of Coffin Bay, one goes to Port Lincoln the other heads into the National Park where it finishes. Around 3 km out of town you enter the Park, if you are in a car you have to pay $10, cyclists and walkers are free (I’ll have one of each to go please). We paused at the entrance to pay for our camping $12 but you need to book a specific site, which is ridiculous for us but I guessed at site 5.

The road was a continuous sharp short up followed by a sharp short down, very much like a small B road back home, no traffic at all, great to cycle down.

The views were fabulous and the natural plants and bushes very different from previous.

Very different roads, fauna and flora

After around 16 km we turned right to Yangie Bay and 1.5 km later we had found site 5, not something we could pitch our tent on, too much of a slope and compacted gravel means no tent pegs. After hunting around we camped in number 11, but of course you cannot change this easily. The whole system is geared up for caravan and car campers, no thought give to us cyclists. Not that it matters which spot you pick as there are only two others here tonight.

Once the tent was up we dropped everything heavy and back on our now much lighter bikes reversed the 1.5 km to the road junction and off we went the other way.

A view towards Golden Island

The views got increasingly better until at the end of the road we reached Point Avoid. On the lookout point viewing Golden Island you can see all the way across the bay, and we were lucky enough to see a whale cruising across the bay, it looked like a Southern Right Whale. What a bonus this was.

Across the bay the whale was cruising in

Our whale

From here we returned along the road until Avoid Bay, here we went down to the sea and had some fishing time. It did prove a little weedy losing a lure and weight, in return I did catch two salmon but they were very small and both were returned.

Fishing Avoid Beach

Then it was 3km back to our tent, where our pre-prepared cheesy pasta was hungrily eaten and a glass (well mug) of wine consumed. By now it was getting a lot colder and darker, it is forecast 3°C tonight, we were soon snugly ensconced in our sleeping bags, bring on the cold we say!

Who can resist a little bird