We bid farewell to Iron Knob and with it the
engaging people of the town. Whyalla is our new destination and we pulled into
the grounds of the Football Club to set up camp. We were greeted by an older
bloke who told us to park anywhere you like, dunnies are down that way, the
club opens on Thursday for dinner, thanks Don.
We took off to the Tourist info centre as per usual and found out using Johns seniors card we could do a guided tour of the HMAS Whyalla and the Maritime for just $10.00 a head. Being diplomatic they never ask me I say nothing and ride John’s coat tails. We had a bit of time before the tour started so grabbed some lunch, ate at a nearby park and rocked up for the 1.30 tour. Our tour guides name was Fee and she was a wealth of information. The ship started service as a convoy escort ship. She was in Sydney Harbour when the freighter Guatemala was torpedoed by one of the Midget Japanese Sub, the only ship to be lost in a convoy escorted by the Whyalla.
We took off to the Tourist info centre as per usual and found out using Johns seniors card we could do a guided tour of the HMAS Whyalla and the Maritime for just $10.00 a head. Being diplomatic they never ask me I say nothing and ride John’s coat tails. We had a bit of time before the tour started so grabbed some lunch, ate at a nearby park and rocked up for the 1.30 tour. Our tour guides name was Fee and she was a wealth of information. The ship started service as a convoy escort ship. She was in Sydney Harbour when the freighter Guatemala was torpedoed by one of the Midget Japanese Sub, the only ship to be lost in a convoy escorted by the Whyalla.
In December she was assigned to New Guinea with more
convoy work as well as hydrographic survey work. In 1943 the Whyalla and two
smaller Australian survey ships the Stella and Polaris were fired on by
Japanese dive bombers, the ships received minor damage from near misses
and the crews made it through with
minimal casualties. She returned to Australia for some refits and spent the
remainder of the war as a mine sweeper. She was decommissioned 1946. Victoria
Public Works Department bought her in 1947 and renamed her RIP and towed her to
Melbourne where she was refitted again and entered service as a lighthouse
maintenance vessel at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. In 1984 she was sold
for scrap, Whyalla council found out and
purchased her for $5,000 and sailed her back to Whyalla, she was located in her
launching slipway until 1987 when she was moved 2km’s inland to become the
centre piece of the Maritime Museum which opened in 1988. Lovingly restored to
the closest that could be achieved to her original design the tour is well
worth it. Since Fee and I were the only women on the ship we let the boys play
with all the toys and had many a laugh at their expense. Later we met with our
camp host Kay only to find out Don the bloke we met in the morning was her
husband. We got on well immediately, great folk.
We rose late on Wednesday and after breakfast we headed in to town to Hummock Hill Lookout. The three lookouts were originally gunnery turrets to protect the town and harbor during the Second World War, one facing north, one facing straight ahead and the last one facing south. We took to the road again and explored Shingle Beach Ridge, this beach has a State Heritage Place listing due to the uniqueness of the flat rocks that make up the shoreline. There are only two other places in the world registered with similar shingle ridges being in Egypt and Scotland. Next stop was Port Lowly, abundant with beautiful scenery and while we were at it checked out some possible campsites. Port Bonython is a manufacturing plant and storage facility for crude oil, napthas, propane and butane and right next to this plant is where the Australian Giant Cuttlefish come to mate and unfortunately die. These chameleons of the sea are one of the largest species of cuttlefish found in the world, reaching up to 60cm in length and weighing up to 5kg. Once they mate the eggs are layed under rocks to protect them. The last item on our to do list was drop of my watch to be repaired, can pick it up Friday, can’t wait.
The next day we were back to domestic duties again and did some washing, cleaned the van up and shopping. To reward ourselves for all the hard work we had dinner at the Footy Club. Three course meal for $20.00 a head we had soup, a choice of 6 mains and 2 desserts all washed down with a couple of beers.
Friday yah I get my watch back, pick it up after 3pm. In the mean time we helped put up a clothes line. Kay showed some interest in a book I was reading and had nearly finished so I said I could finish it today and would give it to her this afternoon when she came to collect money from the new campers. I gave her one book, she gave me six. Picked up my watch hallelujah! We were packing up the van on the Saturday getting ready to leave when Kay came by with a farewell package, she had done some baking and gave us some apricot balls, a chock mint and nut log, Anzac biscuits and cayenne pepper biscuits. Kay and Don are the nicest and most amazing camp hosts we have ever met.
We rose late on Wednesday and after breakfast we headed in to town to Hummock Hill Lookout. The three lookouts were originally gunnery turrets to protect the town and harbor during the Second World War, one facing north, one facing straight ahead and the last one facing south. We took to the road again and explored Shingle Beach Ridge, this beach has a State Heritage Place listing due to the uniqueness of the flat rocks that make up the shoreline. There are only two other places in the world registered with similar shingle ridges being in Egypt and Scotland. Next stop was Port Lowly, abundant with beautiful scenery and while we were at it checked out some possible campsites. Port Bonython is a manufacturing plant and storage facility for crude oil, napthas, propane and butane and right next to this plant is where the Australian Giant Cuttlefish come to mate and unfortunately die. These chameleons of the sea are one of the largest species of cuttlefish found in the world, reaching up to 60cm in length and weighing up to 5kg. Once they mate the eggs are layed under rocks to protect them. The last item on our to do list was drop of my watch to be repaired, can pick it up Friday, can’t wait.
The next day we were back to domestic duties again and did some washing, cleaned the van up and shopping. To reward ourselves for all the hard work we had dinner at the Footy Club. Three course meal for $20.00 a head we had soup, a choice of 6 mains and 2 desserts all washed down with a couple of beers.
Friday yah I get my watch back, pick it up after 3pm. In the mean time we helped put up a clothes line. Kay showed some interest in a book I was reading and had nearly finished so I said I could finish it today and would give it to her this afternoon when she came to collect money from the new campers. I gave her one book, she gave me six. Picked up my watch hallelujah! We were packing up the van on the Saturday getting ready to leave when Kay came by with a farewell package, she had done some baking and gave us some apricot balls, a chock mint and nut log, Anzac biscuits and cayenne pepper biscuits. Kay and Don are the nicest and most amazing camp hosts we have ever met.
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