To get here we drove on a causeway between shallow salt lakes which reflected pink, Cheltenham Salt is 'mined' here.
PENONG, aboriginal word meaning "waterhole". Penong is known as the town of 100 windmills, we did not see that many, these are apparently owned by individuals for their water supply.
I need to explain the importance of the characters in this chapter...there is us.
In Ceduna Doug and Jean Hawke from Kerang caught up with us, our intention is to travel together as it suits catch up here and there, each year we have spent alot of travel time together.Micks' cousin Jim Greer and his wife Julie ex Whorouly South and from Kerang also, not known to Doug and Jean, by staying in contact with family we knew Jim and Julie were going to be in Fowlers Bay..hence the catch up. Jim sends us a message that Jan managing caravan park will be known to Doug and Jean...and so when we go to book in for a few days there is Darren and Jan also from Kerang!! a tremendous, fun loving couple on a 'sea-change'...our few days ended up being 11 days and we reluctantly left, to return one day.
As we aproached Fowlers over the rise we saw a beautiful blue bay, tide in, long jetty, white sand dunes and a few houses, picture card perfect. The permanent population is 19. Mick andI had stayed there overnight many years ago.
Cousin Jim and Julie are staying there till maybe Oct, as they look after the amenities about an hour a day and are enjoying a travel lifestyle too. There is only the park office in the town with a few supplies, pies coffee and cake. Ceduna is 160km away and the ladies make it a day out at least every 10 days on average. No mobile service, internet or TV unless you have a satelite dish, the locals all have satelite setups, own water supply from 'soaks' and water tanks and solar systems, there is no grid power, no water service, no RATES ..and a great friendly community spirit.
Fowlers Bay from the dunes, there is a Motel which operates when the Whale season commences, June-Oct, and in summer and other hols.
Whales come into the bay to calf and rest, we were too early to see any although there had been some sightings. People talked about he whales coming in and rubbing on the jetty to get their barnicles off!!
On the edge of town at the base of the dunes, which incidentaly keep moving...are the 'soaks' ie fresh water pushed up by the tides, quite amazing and a good fresh water supply, no more new soaks are available. Mostly the water is pumped by the windmills but currently the park has a solar pump on theirs.
We attended a Morning tea fund raiser for Breast Cancer in the local hall. About 50 people enjoyed a delicious morning tea of sweet and savoury country cooking and there were many prizes to be won..we won none! Over $2000 was raised on the day, some $'s were donated online.
A Saturday night 'lamb on the spit' nite at the hall,cooke dby the lads...roast vegs and sweets and coffee..$15 each, another $800 for the night with abround 50 in attendance mainly from the caravan park. The hall has a new kitchen, has been rendered inside and out to stop the salt damp, new windows arrive in July and the next project is to line the roof..small community great energy, proud to live in Fowlers Bay.
Darren and Jan have a 'cook up' at the caravan park each weekend if nothing on at the hall.There is a comfortable camp kitchen and tables and a pit fire is lit each evening for anyone to gather around and have some social interaction.
First night out on the lit, 300 +meter jetty and Doug lands 2 huge squid..40+cm tubes. One was delicious stuffed with a flavoured rice and cooked in a hot oven for 15 minutes, then sliced, very nice.
Mexican Hat is this area, and another nearby beach is Scotts Beach, good for salmon fishing, about a 15 km dive from Fowlers, you can also camp in these areas but the caravan park was great and the jetty kept us busy, trevalley, mullet proved to be good eating and tommy ruffs for bait and a few leather jackets, we caught a few more smaller squid then they disappeared!
Jean and I had a 3 hour walk up and along the dunes, good workout.
On the very very top we could see all they way to Mexican Hat
The history of the area is well documented, I liked these....
On Sunday Jan and Darren have 3 hours off for the week so off we went over the dunes..
To see the sea lions, bask and swim, beautiful sight from up on the cliff.
BBQ lunch on the cliff top, blue sky, serene.
Lionel the local showing the novices how to cliff fish!! They caught about 18 'sweep' on cockles in a short time which was enough after Mick went around and took a photo pf the 25meter face! 
Whaling was a big time industry here, the sand dunes have covered up much of the evidence
At the end of a great day Lionel says come around and I will cook the fish!! We negotiate with Rosalie his partner that we will bring, me fried rice, Julie a salad and Jean made 2 apple pies and Jan arrived with some nibbles ..a great evening was had by us in Lionel and Rosalies shed..fish and chips, cooked on 4 burner gas rings in camp ovens using canola oil, hot as... quick as...best fish I have eaten this way, a great night..Fowlers Bay hospitality was the best!
There is heaps more I could say about Fowlers Bay, early morning walking group, not real speedy but still out there, I only went once, but was able to do heaps of other walks, plenty of them on the jetty, day and night always action there.
The caravan park is small, has a great atmosphere and is fanatically clean and tidy.. and herb beds, every park should have these!
This sausage we bought in Ceduna, nice...kangaroo
Brutus, every ones friend, he would meet you at the jetty start barking and run along and get excited right above a school of fish!
So ends Fowlers ...lots of nice people visit there, come for a day stay for many.
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