DAYS 126-128: PORT JULIA

20 – 22 OCTOBER

Leaving Point Turton after breakfast on 20 October, we drove across the Peninsular from Spencer Gulf to St Vincent Gulf. The next stop on schedule was at Port Julia, named after Daughter-in-Law Hayley’s GG Grandmother, Julia, an English lady, who married German born, Louis Freiderich Wurm back in the mid 1880’s.

The Port Julia Reichenbach Memorial Park welcomes caravaners and campers. When we called in, the Caretakeres shared an interesting local history booklet which often referred to Hayey’s ancestors. We discovered that Port Julia was just part of the story. ‘Fred’ went on to be a very influential gain merchant and trader. He also developed an olive and fruit plantation, which is still there today; just north of Stansbury, where Tony Wurm, Hayley’s gentle Pa, passed away only a year or so ago.

There are delightfully sweeping views across golden fields from our front door. It was not long before Eva Cassidy was singing her beautiful song, ‘Fields of Gold’ across the camp from my iPhone..

AMBLING AROUND PORT JULIA

The impressive red-orange cliffs that shelter the port reminded me of those along The Big Bend on the Murray River.

LOOKING DOWN TO PORT JULIA FROM RED POINT

PORT VINCENT

When we stopped to explore the three granite ‘Erratics’ on the beach behind the Marina, Rosie was particularly eager to get down there. I realised why, when she raced out onto the piles of smelly old ribbon weed and rolled in it. It made even more sense as I discovered that the indigenous people described the rocks nearby as dog droppings.

‘THE OLIVES’ AND STANSBURY

Although we had visited Stansbury with its brightly painted murals, from Point Turton; this time we understood more of the history of this lovely old town. There were many very old olive trees still producing fruit on the old property, which had sweeping views down to the water and across to the town.