003 - Whyalla

Day 3 already?!? It feels like we’ve just left…

We’ve decided to shack up here in Whyalla for a few days and catch our breath which I think all and sundry appreciate. The weather as well is pretty ordinary so it’s nice to be able stay put and not trying to fight the elements to get somewhere.

Today was what I call the first day of our Adventure. Up to this point it was about getting here, and now focussing on what to do from here on. With no set time frames or plans it’s pretty nice living day to day and with only a few outlines of what to do.

For example, today we knew we’d tick off our first museum and the “big kids” and I are due to tour around the steel works tomorrow morning. From there… who knows. The place where we are staying are running a discounted rate for 4 nights, with the drawcard of roast rolls and live music on Saturday night… I’m not sure I have the will power to resist that kind of dangling carrot.

And I still need to fit a few things to the truck and van which I didn’t get the chance to do before leaving so we might just take up the chance to tie up a few loose ends.

But enough rambling… what did today bring?

Firstly, I’ve come up with a new “ritual” where we mark up the HEMA map with where we’ve been. We stood around and with the highlighter recounted the trip from the past two days and etched it into paper forever. I know it can be done online (and probably will be), but perhaps I’m an old romantic and love paper maps. And I love daydreaming in our book, scanning roads less travelled and strangely named towns like “Worlds End”, “Belvedere” and “Chinkapook”.

Want to make sure you get the right road... I don't think White Out would work too well here...

Not wanting to muck around we dabbled with schooling for the first time. I don’t think it was a deliberate decision, but the kids wanted something to do and out came the exercise books. I took the chance to do the brekkie dishes with James and then search the campground for as many things starting with the letter ‘B’.

Whilst on our journey I met another gentleman who was travelling around Australia as well. With 3 kids. In a caravan. Towing with a Colorado. And his name was Matt. And he was also a charming and disgustingly good looking as well, so really it was like shining a mirror into my own life….

By the time we got back after an hour or so, I found Sam and Evie squirrelling away at books and B sitting there comfortable and happy as if this could just about be the most perfect classroom she’s ever taught in.

No rest for the wicked. Need to make sure we don't let Mrs Underwood and Mr Oliver down...

After school, it was into the car and off to the Whyalla Maritime Museum for a visit and a tour of the HMAS Whyalla. Sam and I have discussed and have set a “100 Museum Challenge” whilst we are away. And this was #1…

Was a fantastic joint, and far more involved than I was giving it credit for. Proudly displaying models and memorabilia of yesteryear and Whyalla’s rich ship building and maritime involvement. 

A very RSL feel to the entrance, understated and unassuming. 

James fascinated, as was I, with the model ships. This was the largest but there certainly were others...

...like these ones!

Obviously sharks are prevalent to the area. Reasonable set of jaws these ones...

James learning what a dolphin skeleton looks like.

Interestingly (and surprisingly) it had quite an elaborate and extensive model train installation which also showcased life around the region, in particular the work involved in getting ore from inland to the coast. I think we spent the most time watching these little trains trundle around and had it not been for the tour of the HMAS Whyalla, we might still be there, trying to pry the boys off the glass.

Lots of points!!

One half of the models

From there we were taken on a trip around the HMAS Whyalla, which stands proudly over the Whyalla Tourist Centre. Built in Whyalla in 1941, she was a Corvette class ship sent off to war as a mine sweeper before returning to Melbourne, being renamed “The Rip” and helping blast the shipping channel in the mouth of Port Phillip Bay. Eventually she was retired, bought by the town of Whyalla for the princely sum of $5000 and returned home, renamed back to the original name, and then with immense amounts of horsepower, dragged onto land and mounted 2m off the ground.

As you can imagine she stands out when driving by on the main drag

A colourful history...

Perhaps a better idea of the size of the ship, and perhaps the effort required to get her there...

It's an impressive ship in it’s own right, and after visiting the HMS Belfast in London, these kind of ships always intrigued me. The conditions the men (and sometimes women) who served on this ship were borderline abuse, unless of course you were an officer. But they were committed to a cause, believed in something and due to their efforts, allow me and my family the opportunity to do what we are doing right now. I recognise and appreciate their efforts.

  

It was funny watching the kids go around the ship as if it was a giant playground, whilst I had to clumsily stumble around banging my head-on doorways and cautiously descending stairs. I was not built for the sea I don’t think…

Still, it was a good tour, albeit with a lady who was somewhat going through the motions. At one point, she described the gun at the front of the boat with the exact description as the gun at the back. This is despite I’m sure one being an anti-aircraft gun (~40mm machine gun) and the other firing mortar shells 2.5 miles off into the distance… Still it was crappy weather on a random Thursday for her and I’m sure she’d rather have been in the warm office playing solitaire on her PC.

Captain Moo

"If I could turn back time...."

 "...if I could find a way"

Oh how the other half lived. This was the officers mess. The galley was not as extravagent.

The kids loved the fact they could sound the horn of the ship and blast cars off the road. Apparently it's unpopular with local golfers. Stiff I say...

Moo at the front of the ship. The front gun could hit the hill just over her right shoulder in it's day. Cool.

 Perks of life on the road and midweek visits. Theatre to ourselves!

Lastly, we caught a movie on how the ship was brought ashore (probably should have watched it prior) before jumping in the car and heading back to the park. Just some routine shopping, some nice spaghetti and meatballs for tea and a lazy stroll around the park before retiring for the evening listening to the wind once again batter us from across the Spencer Gulf.

So off to learn about steel tomorrow, before getting around to some “work” as we get used to our new lifestyle.

I think we are all happy to still stay out of the car for a while…