Emus on parade at Stenhouse Bay
Emus, Stenhouse Bay, Yorke Peninsula
On our recent holiday on the Yorke Peninsula we had lunch at Marion Bay, visited the visitor centre of the Innes National Park and then continued on driving through the park near Stenhouse Bay. We stopped many times to admire the scenery, take photos of landscapes and seascapes and check out the bird and plant life.
One species of bird virtually came to us. A small flock of 5 juvenile Emus wandered along the side of the road quite unconcerned that we were only metres away. They are certainly unafraid of vehicles passing by as this happens many times every day in parks like this. They just went about their business finding their lunch.
This group consisted of juveniles probably about 18 – 24 months old. The female Emu lays up to about a dozen eggs in a shallow nest on the ground. The male then incubates the eggs and looks after the young for up to 2 years after hatching. The birds we saw were over half grown and independent of the father, so I’m guessing they’d have to be at least 18 months old.
Emus, Stenhouse Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Emus, Stenhouse Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Pondalowie Bay on the extreme south-western coast of Yorke Peninsula is favourite destination for campers, tourists and anglers. It is quite remote but the sealed road to Marion Bay and other towns further up the peninsula mean that facilities are not all that distant. Warooka is only about a hour away.
The bay has always been a popular place for people wishing to feast on the abundant fish life in the sea. In fact, although this is all part of Innes National Park, there remains a small fishing village at the bay, the small collection of beach shacks being private dwellings. A short distance back along the access road there are two camping grounds set up by national park authorities. These sites have public toilets but no other facilities, including no electric power or water.
On the day we visited recently we encountered wild gale force winds along the coast and headlands. On the other hand, the camp grounds, although windy, were quite sheltered from the worst of the gusty conditions.
Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Cable Bay, Cape Spencer, Yorke Peninsula
Cable Bay and Cape Spencer, Yorke Peninsula
The south coast of Yorke Peninsula features many rugged vistas, ideal for the photography enthusiast like me. Unfortunately the weekend we visited this area recently was wild and windy with many showers. On the afternoon we visited Innes National Park the sky cleared enough for a time to enable a few good shots, including these of Cable Bay and Cape Spencer.
Cable Bay and Cape Spencer, Yorke Peninsula
Near Cape Spencer, Yorke Peninsula
Chinamans Hat Island, Yorke Peninsula
Chinamans Hat Island, Yorke Peninsula.
The south coast of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia is a rugged, windswept part of the state. At every step of the way the avid photographer can find many subjects on which to focus. One subject that always intrigues me is the aptly named Chinamans Hat Island, just a short distance offshore near Cape Spencer.The island is a part of the much bigger Innes National Park.
Coastline near the Chinamans Hat Island, Yorke Peninsula.
Inneston, Yorke Peninsula
Inneston Lake, Yorke Peninsula
During our recent short holiday on Yorke Peninsula we visited the Innes National Park. It had been many years since our last visit to this scenic and rugged part of the South Australian coast. In the middle of the national park is the historic town of Inneston. The village was once the home to over 150 people and was a bustling, industrious town.
The town was established in 1913 to house the miners working in the nearby gypsum mines and production factory. Many of the local salt lakes were rich in the mineral which was transported mainly to Adelaide via Stenhouse Bay. In the state capital city it was used primarily in the building trade.
After the mine closed the town rapidly deteriorated as people moved away. In more recent times some of the original buildings have been restored and are used as accommodation in the national park.
You can read more about the history of this town on the Flinders Ranges Research site here.
Part of historic Inneston, Yorke Peninsula
Part of historic Inneston, Yorke Peninsula
Part of historic Inneston, Yorke Peninsula