Day 136: Streaky Bay to Venus Bay

October 11, 2022

Start: 5:55am
Distance: 131km
Ride time: 7:10hours
Average: 18km/hr
Max: 44km/hr
Finish: 3:15pm

My alarm went off at 4am ready for a big day. I was so sleepy that I didn't get up for another hour.

It's only 76kms to Venus Bay if I take the main road. I took an alternate route which added 55kms, most of it on dirt roads.

The alternate route took me to the Point Labatt sea lion colony.

The viewing platform is high on a steep cliff and there is no way to get down to the beach where the sea lions are.

View from the cliff. The sea lions are in the centre of the pic.

This means I had to use the full zoom on my camera so the pictures are poor quality.

I was very excited to see them! I could also clearly hear them playing with each other. I saw about 25 of them separated into a few small groups.

This colony is the largest on the Australian mainland.

I think these are the Australian sea lions, Neohoca cinrea.

The sign said there are also New Zealand fur seals, Arctocephulas forsteri here too. I didn't see any of them.

I saw a few flowers after the sea lions.

Coronidium.

Sea box.

This lizard was playing possum. I think this is some type of bearded dragon. About 30cm long.

I saw 2 of these bearded dragons, 6 shingleback lizards, and one big black snake during the day.

On the top of a hill of a farmer's paddock were Murphy's Haystacks. Large rock (hiltaba granite) formations that seemed out of place. It was very cool.

After a very long day, I finally arrived at Venus Bay. It is a very small fishing village. The caravan park is on the beach. There is a general store that was closed on Tuesday afternoons. The caravan park does hamburgers so that was my dinner.

Afterwards some mature ladies were in the camp kitchen with me. They were friendly and offered me champagne and cheeses. I was tempted but I declined as I had already eaten and would go to bed early.

These pelicans were waiting for offcuts from the fish cleaning bench.

Pacific gull.

This is the view from the village lookout.

I watched the ocean for a while and saw 2 whales in the distance.

Today's ride: 131 km (81 miles)
Total: 8,136 km (5,052 miles)

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Chris DAVIDSONThose rocks, how they get like that, the wind? It looks like there was once a coastline there!
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2 years ago

Vince McCarthyIt's through erosion. If you click on the link you can read about it in detail.
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2 years ago

Rita McCarthyWe have fond memories of Venus Bay. Great to see your pictures.
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2 years ago