Southern Safari – Day Eight

This was supposed to be another short day of driving with the intention of reaching Betty’s Beach located approximately 50km east of Albany.

What should have been a relatively simple trip turned into something different when the Isuzu GPS decided I should go off-road.  I didn’t realise I was being led astray until the GPS told me in 300 metres take a left turn.  That proved to be an overgrown track with a farm gate.  <grrrr>

I backtracked 20km and configured a new route with intermediate waypoints in an effort to force the GPS to take a sensible route.  I thought everything was going well until the gps started directing me around a 200 metre triangle of road.  If I’d kept following the voice instructions I would have rear ended myself

Backtrack 12km and make the gps work in small steps.  Eventually I reached the camping ground at Betty’s Beach finding a vacant site beside the long drop toilet block.  Ideal location for an old man!

 

My en-suite

Time for a late lunch of pasta cooked by Jan before I left on the trip.  Then it was down to the rocks for a spot of evening fishing.

My fishing spot on the far side of the bay.

Not a single bite.  It was going on dusk when I made it back to the trailer to cook dinner.  Tinned potatoes and mixed veg with the last of the pasta.

I was up before dawn and back on the rocks fishing.  Again no bites!  Back at the trailer I was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast when my camping neighbour asked how the fishing had gone.  “Zero luck” was my reply.  He then informed me he had been here four days and had only caught two herring.  He attributed the poor fishing to the recent “fresh”.  That is; the recent rain which has run into the ocean reducing the salinity and discouraging the fish.

I spent a couple of hours wandering around Betty’s Beach considering what I might do.

Eventually I decided it was pointless fishing for no fish and decided to drive the 450km back home arriving in the late afternoon.  Tomorrow will obviously be taken up with unpacking the trailer and 4WD before some serious cleaning.