Ceduna - Resting Place on the Far West Coast in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia
They called themselves “coasters”. They were the pioneer farmers of the West Coast, and the beautiful waters of Murat Bay were some consolation for their isolation. The town of Ceduna and a long ketch friendly jetty arrived around a century ago, and today it is a major crossroads for pilgrims crossing Australia. Some have come across the Nullabor from Perth, others have made the daylong journey from Adelaide, while one lucky contingent has come up South Australia’s own Great Ocean Road from Pt. Lincoln, along the Flinders Highway. If they stay a day or two or three, they will all find Ceduna itself is worth the time - and then there is the Far West region around it.
The aborigines of the area called it “Cheedoona” or resting place, and the St. Peter’s and St. Francis’ Islands offshore remind us it was way back in 1627 that Dutch trader Peter Nuyts and the Captain of the Golden Seerpaart came this far east along the Great Australian Bight. Nearly two centuries later, in 1802, Matthew Flinders was disappointed no river was to be found flowing into the bay, and so he named Denial Bay for the record. Just a year later, Baudin’s expedition added a couple of French Admirals for posterity when they put Murat Bay and Thevenard on the map.
Today, the regional port of Thevenard is thriving, and it is always worth calling in for a look. If it is not a trawler in from the Southern Ocean, it could be a ship loading gypsum, as they shift well over a million tonnes per year along with piles of salt from inland lake pans. The landmark tall and white silos will be overflowing with wheat in a good year on the vast croplands here, and bulk loading grain at night is another experience worth seeking out, as shipping agent Bevan Mastrosavas explained.
“They quite like the tourists to come and have a look. They’re quite proud of their ships now.”
Through Bevan’s Ceduna Rent-a-Car business, he sends fly-in visitors on to the Head of the Bight and the Nullarbor, where the southern right whale nursery beneath the Bunda Cliffs leaves the board walkers marveling. It is a special place, where the Bight cuts so deep into the continent that it is on about the same latitude as Sydney. On our Postcards expedition to the Far West, we were fortunate to meet Yalata Lands Aboriginal Elder, Barker, and his friend the Manager, Richard Mills. They shared a remarkable Dreaming Story about the serpent who escaped two warriors from far inland, creating caves and hills as he fled to the coast. Escaping into the sea, the creature’s head is represented in the Twin Rocks in the surf, and his sighs can be heard as the ocean pushes air through the blowholes along the cliffs. Good accommodation is available in the area at the Border Village and Nullarbor hotels. For details visit www.sahotels.com.au/bordervillage or www.sahotels.com.au/nullarbor
The local advice is to set aside at least a half-day to watch the whales in the winter season from high on the walkways, and longer if you can.
“The looks on their faces is just amazing. The visitors are just blown out as they see how close the whales are and how easy it is to see them. It is something you shouldn’t miss out on.”
Sue Trewartha is a fount of knowledge at the Ceduna Visitors Information Centre, and she also recommends the detour in the whale watching direction to visit the once remote ketch port in Fowler’s Bay, with its jetty for fishing fiends and a spectacular range of gleaming sand hills that loom over the small and historic settlement.
Head the other way, east onto the Eyre Peninsula, and there is another photographer’s paradise. Dramatically different from the better known Flinders Ranges, these Gawler Ranges were born volcanically from the bowels of the earth. The new Gawler Ranges National Park is a boon for nature lovers, with red kangaroos, wallabies, euros and dozens of birds all round your campsite. You can pick up permits at Wudinna or Minnipa townships on Highway One on your way in.
Back at our coastal base, it is obligatory to revel in Ceduna’s recent reputation for producing oodles of oysters.
“Fabulous oysters!” Sue enthused. “We have about 20 million oysters growing in the bay now, and they are selling really well - interstate and overseas too. They are just fabulous. What more can I say?”
I could hardly argue, as I recalled an idyllic morning out on the shallow waters of pioneer grower Leon Stott’s lease off the shores within sight of the town. Here, there are clean and green ocean waters with big flushing tides giving the oysters plenty of nutrients on which to feed. Speaking of which, do you chew or swallow them? Leon recommends chewing them, but you can sort it out for yourself at Ceduna’s annual Oysterfest. It’s held every October long weekend, and on the big family day on the lawns and sandy beach by the Ceduna jetty, there is a bit of everything to keep you there all day and after the sun goes down over the water.
For the rest of the year, there is plenty of time to try your luck - as the complete angler, or just so you can wile away the hours enjoying the scenery - because Ceduna is also synonymous with fishing. If you want to get a really big catch, you could always sign up as a deckhand on one of the ocean trawlers that call weekly at the nearby Thevenard jetty. Fishing and the sea are still a traditional part of living and holidaying at Ceduna, the heart of the West Coast. The Ceduna Foreshore Hotel overlooks beautiful Murat Bay and makes an ideal spot for a great meal as well as excellent accommodation. Visit www.sahotels.com.au/ceduna for details
Ceduna Visitor Information Centre
Ceduna, South Australia, 5690
Open
Monday to Friday 9am - 5.30pm
Saturday 9am - 12 noon
Contact
Phone: 1800 639 143
Web: www.ceduna.net
Email: travelce@tpg.com.auCeduna Oysterfest
3-6 October 2003
