Thursday 15th May:  With our picnic lunch packed once again, we set off this time to tour the coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula.   It was a beautiful sunny day in South Australia and we were able to wear short sleeved shirts, the first time for weeks!  We did even consider taking our shorts with us.  Not warm enough yet though, for these two little ducks!  During the last 10 days in SA, there has been record, continuous temperatures for May and we have been soaking it up.  It is a nice change!  I would think they will be desperate for rain here very soon though.  Maslin, Aldinga and Port Willunga:  The coastline on the peninsula is very different on the west coast to the east.  The cliffs near Maslin, Aldinga and Port Willunga (where we are staying) are quite spectacular and we are enjoying the sun setting over the ocean again.  The reflection of the sun on the sandstone cliffs, is also a photogrtaphers delight.  Years ago the fishermen in the area carved caves into the cliffs, to store their boats and nets.  At Sellick Beach you are able to acquire a permit to drive down onto the beach.  The long sandy beach which was dotted with cars, reminded me a little of Esperance, but there are patches where it is quite rocky.   We have driven from the Cape Le Grand National Park, back to Esperance along the beach.  Second Valley and Rapid Bay:  Further down the coast at Second Valley and then Rapid Bay, the coastline is very rugged.  Second Valley was named by Colonel William Light.   Colonel Light named Rapid Bay after his ship and it is quite a secluded spot.  He carved his initials in a rock in 1836, when he came ashore.  It is reported he said "He has hardly seen a place I like better".  The rock has been set into a large memorial. There is a new jetty there and there has been an upgrade to the area, costing $3.9 million.  Not sure if it was just for the jetty or the road as well, but we suspect it was just for the jetty.  It was a very impressive jetty! The fishermen were complaining to a tourist that  "They had spent that much money on it and they should have made it longer"!  I don't know what they were on about?   We thought there was no reason to be grizzling!  There was an old jetty alongside that had been used when limestone was being mined.   It was extremely sad.  At Rapid Bay you can camp right on the beach for a small fee.  The ranger comes each day.  Later as we headed to the east side of the peninsula we saw that foreestry was an industry of the Second Valley area. There had been a few trucks loaded with logs to contend with on the rather narrow, winding road.  Cape Jervis:   Next stop was Cape Jervis where the ferry leaves to go to Kangaroo Island.  There are two ferries that do the crossing and there are two services in the morning and two in the afternoon.  The brochures say it is necessary to prebook. The soil on the bottom of the peninsula looks so rich and farmers were ploughing.  There was one seeding with his little culti-trash.  Pete was a little amused to see the machine working.  We could see Kangaroo Island quite clearly.  Victor Harbour:  Onwards we went to Victor Harbour.  This leg was about 55kms and at one point in the journey we could see the sea on either side of the peninsula.  The mountain range was not as high as some we have been travelling through or over, and it was well covered.   There were very few trees, just grass. The range on the peninsula is very picturesque and forms a lovely backdrop when you are looking east or west from the coast.  Victor Harbour appeared to us to be more of a tourist town.  We have been told that people are looking to retire there, especially if medical facilities improve.  The views from Rosetta Head or 'The Bluff' as it is known, were great.  When we got down onto the foreshore of 'Encounter Bay' at Victor Harbour, we took a ride on the tram pulled by a Clydesdale horse.  'Karni Misty' was pulling the tram today and for $9.00 you can ride over to Granite Island and back.  We should have walked back, which would have enabled us to have more of a walk around the island, but we were running out of time.   So we climbed about 80 steps and took a few photos, before we relaxed and enjoyed another trip back across the 600 metre jetty on the tram.  The business has been operating for over 100 years and it is said that it is the only non stop, horse drawn tram service of its type in the world.   Port Elliott and Goolwa:  We went down through Port Elliott and onto Goolwa.   From there we went as far out as we could go to the mouth of the Murray River.  We were keen to see what there was to see whilst we were in the area, especially seeing we had spent the last week travelling the 'Mighty Murray'.  You can only walk the last few kms to the mouth and it does have to be dredged constantly to keep it open.  The Murray flows into Lake Alexandrina and there are a number of islands before the mouth of the river.  The Murray Darling Basin Authority control about five Barrages within a small area. We could hear the thumping of the  Goolwa Barrage, as it kept the sea water from coming into the fresh water of Lake Alexandrina.  All interesting.It was homeward bound then.  Back to the caravan travelling across the peninsula.  We didn't need to be any later as we were driving into the sun.  Back just in time though, to grab the tripod, a stubbie and a glass of wine and get down to the cliffs, to capture the sun setting over the ocean.   What a way to finish the day! 
Friday 16th:  Today we went to Hahndorf and had lunch with Kevin and Val.  It was good to see them again and tell of our travels.  They won't be back in Geraldton until after we have come back and started the second chapter of our travels.  So it was perfect to meet up again.  The first comment of the blokes about Hahndorf was "That they were in one of those gypsy places again".  They haven't forgotten our afternoon in Berry in NSW!  After a very nice lunch at the 'Stables', we said our goodbyes and walked up and back the street, making a few purchases.  We ran into each other again three or four times!Our final stop was to a winery in McLaren Flat.  On recommendation from Gary and Julie we went to the 'Scarpantoni Estate Winery'.  Very nice too!   We are now stocked up for our trip up the middle.  In fact Pete is enjoying a drop now, as he watches Pav playing his 300th game and Ballantyne getting the crowd to their feet! Go Dockers!