Lizards and more....

Lizards galore-Julia’s cousins abound the golden sands at Cactus Beach, out they come to play, to eat the millions of tiny ants and to suckle the moisture from the minute mauve succulent native flower.

Muz and I spent hours and days watching the lizards, hoping and wishing that just one would stop and play with us. Murray said we had to be patient. After 168 hours we were rewarded with Julia’s 2^nd cousin stopping by to say hello..

What a thrill for Brenda to capture this on her camera!

We met some interesting characters while staying at Cactus Beach

 – George who works in the gypsum mine-the biggest mine in the Southern Hemisphere. The gypsum is sent by train to Adelaide and Melbourne and shipped overseas to be made into plaster board.

-          Ruby the jack Russell x – wasn’t at all friendly towards us – growled each time she saw us.

Every day Murray took us fishing, we caught leather jacket (trigger fish-nice eating), herring, rock cod and the biggest thrill was when Brenda caught a massive snapper that took her float and all her rig-in fact we thought we were going to loose her – she nearly fell off the cliff with all her excitement. Muz said it was a bigger spectacle than the ‘dingo event’ – some of you may not have seen this video clip – I think Brenda has deleted it…..

November the 5^th, we had own private fireworks display – another ripper of a thunderstorm hit us about 4pm- rolling in from the ocean – temperature dropped, thunder, lightning and then Muz and I had to be rescued – we were in the annex listening and watching – when all of a sudden we were floating – yes we nearly floated away- well not exactly but we did have a river crossing under us and under the truck.

We were very lucky as Ron the owner of the camp  had his empty water tank blown 500 metres and his front verandah flooded. Our awning and annex stood up to the severe wind and our CGear matting withstood the water. This matting is the best – it keeps the sand/grit out – has a double layer and is rather like shade cloth to look at and is soft to walk on. Very easy to keep clean and folds up flat and not bulky like the clip together foam squares.

The toilets here are just amazing – Ron makes them from limestone rocks cemented together, forming a circular pattern, like a maze-Muz and I sometimes play in here-Brenda doesn’t like this… and we sit on a bucket and when we have done our business we put a scoop of lime sand on top. Ron comes twice a day to empty the bucket. We use Dettol hand cleaner – and we eat from plastic plates-to save water-that way we can all have a shower every day and a tank will last us 4-5 days.

When we are not fishing or lizard spotting we help Brenda fossick on the beach – beautiful twisted, swirled shells abound the beach here. Some are so tiny that Muz and I are unable to pick them up and Brenda has to help. We have put our collection in our ‘treasure box’ – to show you when we return to COP.

Brenda has introduced yarn bombing to Cactus Beach. She has ‘dropped’ a piece at the A-frame-this is where bore water is available for clothes washing or a cold shower-not drinkable-smells like sulphur. Some of you may recognise the piece….

In the evenings we play a game of scrabble and Brenda knits – she is knitting Murray a sock, and we read or Muz and I listen to the wind and the rain or the frogs.

Fortunately while we have been at Cactus Beach the sun has shone every day charging our solar panels – only once has Murray run the genie – so all the electric devices eg computer, phones, shavers, camera, drill, toothbrush batteries could be recharged.

the wind has become too much to bear-the contstant flap flap.. thunderstorms and rough seas saw us move on - CEDUNA - here we come..