Waitpinga Beach, south coast of South Australia
Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP
After spending some time in Victor Harbor (see previous two posts) we drove on to Waitpinga Beach for a picnic morning tea. Waitpinga Beach is part of the Newland Head Conservation Park a few kilometres west of Victor Harbor in South Australia.
Popular Beach
It had been a long time since our last visit. This beach has been popular with anglers and surfers for many years. The beach is long and the coastline is spectacular. It also holds special memories of a very special visit we had there back in the 1980s. Ah, memories.
Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP
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Beautiful Beach:
The beach here is excellent for picnics and for spending time lazing on the beautiful sand. The sand is also great for children but the water is not really safe for swimming. While many do go swimming here the strong waves and the current make it unsuitable for children and those who are not excellent swimmers.
Hazards:
There is a further hazard. Several shark attacks in recent years have seen surfers lose their lives. While many South Australian beaches are relatively safe, there is always the ever present threat of shark attack. South Australian waters still hold the reputation as some of the most dangerous for shark attacks anywhere in the world.
Despite that, it is still far more dangerous to cross a road or to drive a car. Shark attack deaths account for only fifteen deaths in South Australia over the last 40 years. Just this week five people died in just one accident on a road not far north of this beach.
Birding at Victor Harbor
Yesterday I wrote about our recent trip to Victor Harbor in South Australia I also wrote about the beautiful birds I saw feeding in the Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp) bushes and trees in the street where we parked.
In amongst all the Musk Lorikeet parrots on a feeding frenzy were a few Little Wattlebirds. There are several species of Wattlebirds native to Australia. The most common species around home here in Murray Bridge are the Red Wattlebirds. I have quite a few photos of this species but the Little Wattlebird has so far eluded me – until now. They were so intent on feeding that they took little notice of me and the camera only two or three metres away.
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Little Wattlebird
Lorikeets in Victor Harbor
Musk Lorikeet
A few days ago we travelled from home in Murray Bridge down to the south coast of South Australia. My wife wanted to attend the native plant sale in Victor Harbor. This was one plant sale we had never attended. After talking to the various people there that I knew I went out to the car to wait for my wife to finish talking and buying. While sitting in the car my attention was attracted to the many Musk Lorikeets feeding on the flowers of the street trees. These trees were mainly bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp) in full flower. It was a delight to get so close to these beautiful little birds.
Musk Lorikeet
Related articles:
- Great birding moments #17: Musk Lorikeets
- Victor Harbor – more articles from my archives about this delightful town.
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Puffins
This morning we travelled to Adelaide International Airport to pick up our daughter. She had just been for a two and a half week stay in Ireland. On her way home she proudly announced that she had seen some Puffins while there.
Ouch.
I would love to add any of the Puffin species to my life list. It was a shame I didn’t go with her on this trip because she had a great time. I just didn’t like the extra baggage she took with her – sixteen teenagers from the school where she teaches here in South Australia.
This trip was organised by my daughter as a school exchange with a high school in county Clare, Ireland, which is most appropriate because she teaches at Clare High School in the mid-north of South Australia.
On a clear day in Kathmandu
Himalayas from a street in Kathmandu
One of the downsides of visiting Kathmandu is coping with the pollution. Because the Kathmandu Valley is like a natural amphitheatre, pollution from the city tends to sit over the city for long periods of time. I found the atmosphere to be somewhat distressing at times, and a dry throat is one’s constant companion.
Sometimes a breeze comes along and clears the air. It is then that one can fully appreciate the stunningly amazing setting of this city. With a backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas in the distance, this has to be one of the more beautiful settings for a capital city anywhere. It’s just a pity that the view is restricted to a smoky haze for most of the year.