42 Mile Crossing

An hours drive from Kingston is the 42 Mile Crossing camping area in the SA National Park on the Coorong.  Before Richard Fidler is able to finish ABC Conversations for the day, Matilda is unhitched and set up in an area that could be described as a bird sanctuary. The surrounding trees abound with parrots, wagtails, magpies and honeyeaters producing the birdsongs that you hear on recordings as background to classical or chill-out albums.

There are several others campers here – a camping bus, a big RV, a family with their van, and campers in amongst the trees. But there is enough room and you can feel that you are the only ones here.

The true meaning of the Limestone Coast can be seen here as the gravel road to the camp site appears to be the product of the millions of shells in this area, and together with the dampness of the recent showers results the in the car and van being coated with a dusting of white powder

It’s 1.6km 4WD driving over the sand dunes to the beach, and the surf fishing begins – and ends some time later with no produce. We know it’s going to come soon. But as we are rodding (as distinct from fishing) groups of dolphins cavort in the surf, one group of three surfing the waves like their trained captive cousins in the Gold Coast amusement parks.

Back in the camping ground, a big grey kangaroo bounds along the track and into the bush. Somehow this is not surprising given the amount of kangaroo evidence around the campsite (yes, it’s skippy poo everywhere). Nightfall comes with a full moon in  a slightly clouded sky and we are fortunate to be south of the flooding rains that are causing havoc around Adelaide and to the north thereof.

That’s it. Time for a bourbon.