Here We Go Again - Chapter 98 - 80 Mile Beach Day 4

The feast from last night caused all sorts of issues with my sleep. Tossing and turning as my stomach tried to digest the over-abundance of fuel deposited in it, I wake not very refreshed, even though the C-Pap machine suggests I have been head down for in excess of 10 hours. The water well in the machine will have evaporated long ago meaning the dry air being forced past my deviated septum will not have been as humid as desired.

It’s a slow start. The tide will be an hour later than yesterday. Robyn, seeing it is Sunday is of a want to indulge in scones. The reception/shop does scones and cream morning tea and we are customers. I am not sure I can consume anything after last night but in the spirit of joining in, I accompany her on the walk. We end up sharing a serving of scones. About as much as either of us can consume.

Returning to the van I am questioned by the neighbours about the use of the solar panel, given we are attached to power here. We talk about the maintenance of charge to the auxiliary battery and it is suggested I should be using the power from the van in reverse, but given the issues we have had with power, I am more than happy to leave the solar panel out and dealing with the it in that manner.

Having discussed the fishing, and knowing Robyn and Rose are potential non-starters this afternoon. I offer my neighbour a spot in the Cruiser for the adventure down the beach. He declines, explaining him and his other neighbour have a pact (read here are in a competition between themselves), the rules of which suggest they are to head to the beach, travel no more than 1,300 metres away from the access point, which will allow the women folk to get in a brisk walk to join them during the competition.

Not one to assist with cheating in a competition, I see his point and suggest we may be requiring a “side bet” against Silver Leader and I. It is joyfully accepted.

The girls change their minds and are dutifully in the respective Cruisers ready to go. Well, Robyn is. Again Rose and Silver Leader will “see us down there”. Replenished with a couple of kilograms of bait, we are well set for another battle against the piscatorial combatants of the deep.

Out on the beach I settle the Cruiser in behind a quad bike. It is a fisherman from the park, just up from us and he and his wife are off in the same direction we are. Robyn suggest we stop as she can see a couple of Oyster Catchers with chicks running on the beach. We capture them on our cameras before the male starts to walk menacingly in our direction. Hmmm Oyster Catcher, small bird, against the might of the Cruiser. We back away and continue on our way. 

A good story for his grandchildren – the day he took on the big grey monster and started it down.

The quad bike is nowhere to be seen. I would have liked to see where he might have ended up, but for us, the same spot as yesterday will do. Given Silver Leader is still to join us, the suggested spot is the best option rather than have him “lost” looking for us. In any event, we have all the bait.

We find the odd-looking rock that was adjacent to our fishing spot yesterday and park. I get chairs out for Robyn and she settles into reading her book. Before Silver Leader and Rose arrive I have a much bigger Salmon on the beach than yesterday. 

The sharks seem a little cagier today or the multitude of smaller fish I toy with are keeping them at bay. Over and over I catch Grunter and small Salmon, some go straight back, and others become live bait. Silver Leader, fishing “big” is simply losing baits to them. As well as the big gear which manages to get attacked from time to time, I am using my very light gear, playing with the small fish, and enjoying the game. Silver Leader is not.

The big gear goes off again, and again the bait comes back bodiless (as opposed to headless), the fish hitting it behind the hooks.

Whilst the melee with the smaller fish is fun, it is not as productive as we might want. Silver Leader has had enough and he pulls his gear apart and joins the girls. Not wanting to be a dirty stop out, I last only a few more minutes before doing the same. Again we lunch, enjoy the view then file everything away and head back. I have a Salmon of about 750mm, not bad if I have to say so myself, which I will fillet and deposit in the freezer.

At the park I drop Robyn off and head to the cleaning table. The quad bike fisherman is there. I throw my Salmon on the table and begin the processing. He does the same, only his fish is some 1,100mm in length as opposed to mine being 750mm. I just about get over my feeling of inadequacy when the midnight fishermen from a few nights ago do the same thing. 

Now there are 2 monster fish on the table paling mine into insignificance. I finish my filleting and then wander over to the air compressor to inflate the tyres back to highway pressures. I expect the industrial sized machine to do a quick job, but in all honesty I could have done it quicker with the machine I have in the Cruiser.

Sunday night in the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park is roast night and Robyn has booked us in. The four of us wander up to the reception area for our food. The roast itself is not spectacular but we didn’t cook it, and it has vegetable we would normally not have in our larder, so it’s a good change. 

Desert on the other hand is a different story. Lime Swirl Cheesecake, not something I would order where there were options are more of a chocolate nature but it is what it is and it was very nice.

When we were here last time I managed to fluke some very interesting shots of the stars. I must try again, so Robyn and I waddle down to the beach after dinner and set up on the steps away from the light pollution.

The initial results are poor, but then I remember some settings I need to have on my phone for the best outcomes. The shots are not aimed as they were last time but the results are just as spectacular. I send them through to the astrophysicist daughter who laments the light pollution in Sydney which prevents her from getting similar shots, although rather than simply laying the phone on the ground nestled on a rock for direction, she would have one of her many telescopes attached to her phone for maximum telescopy and get her shots much better than mine.

At least the time lapse function on the phone allows me to have the phone perfectly still when the aperture is open, as it is for many seconds in such dull light.

Its cold out here on the beach, even with a jumper on and insulated by a hearty meal and generous libations. We are off again tomorrow on the next leg and a good night’s sleep is required.

Eighty Mile Beach again has proven a great break.