16. Port Parham Campground, Parham

Month: March
Days Stayed: 14 days
Weather: Variety of sunny, very windy, some rain
We arrived at the camping area in the afternoon and it was already quite full, so we decided to leave the van coupled and move tomorrow if a better spot was available.
Next morning, we had the pick of the area and managed to park in a

very nice spot (no-one can park us in and protected), however, it reminded me of my Aunty in Tassy as we looked onto the toilets. Thankfully they were flushing, so no smell and no noisy doors.

Oh my Goodness:
The Top Secret Mission man- The Poo Suitcase
The sign at the beginning of the park showed a map as to where one could dump one's effluence down the road in the next town- They had a dump point there.

Well.... There was one resident who had a very dubious looking pop top. The pop top didn't pot up all the way around, the door was held shut with a padlock, the windows didn't open with the curtains all closed 24/7, and an interesting, what looked like a homemade connection to a grey water tank that sat on the ground.

The only time we saw the matie in the van was when he'd come struggling to the toilet, leaving big ruts in the ground, rolling along this black suitcase. On his way back the suitcase seemed to be very easy to roll. He thought he was 'incognito', however, everyone in the park new exactly what he was doing- dumping his beep, beep, beep!!!
We thought he was a 'permanent', however, he actually drives that 'thing' on the road- wouldn't be allowed in NSW!

Highlights:
The 'Shooting bombs' neighbours:
The army has a base 'down the road' in Port Wakefield. I was sitting down minding my own business when all of a sudden I heard this almighty big BOOOOM with booming aftershocks. Don't worry, it's only the army testing out some ammunition- shooting 26 miles into the sea. On the beach near the boat ramp, about 1/2 klm from our camp sat an army hovercraft and 3 army maties in a 'fourbie' watching the beach. Their job was to race over to anyone 'crabbing' and get them off the beach while this bombing was occurring.
That hovercraft has also a noise of its own. I was again sitting quietly at camp when I hear this almighty big noise that sounded like a rocket fighter coming, over ready to drop more bombs. Alas, it was only the hovercraft near us shooing people off the beach! What a dangerous place!

Reformed Church:
We went into Adelaide and visited the Reformed church and who should be preaching, but the minister that married us in Sutherland, 50 years ago- Fred VanderBlom. Henk enjoyed catching up, however, he remembered our names but not us. Why did he say: I know all your sins??? It was great to be back home in fellowship with the same church. They had an old people home and hospital in the same complex and run on the same principals as WCCS- all Christian staff.

Port Adelaide: The Train Museum:
This was very interesting reading and seeing the Tea and Sugar train. It used to be like a travelling shop with banking, butcher, haircuts, library etc all aboard. We took a ride and the mini train around the complex.

Port Adelaide Aircraft Museum:
Now we're talking- Father was in his element. I'm glad they had lots of chairs in there. It was great to be able to climb into many of the exhibitions. I was then privileged to have a running commentary about each of them- from father of course!

Campsite Excitement:
A series of events that had the helicopter police and the fire brigade, road closures and gale winds sending dust storms all over Adelaide.
Sequence of events:
Day 1: This car comes zooming in and around the the campsite and then zooms out.
Next thing we hear this helicopter flying back and forth, back and forth looking. They were o low we could see the people in the helicopter.
Day 2: we read in the paper that the police were searching for a car for some criminal act.
That day there were gale force winds sending dust everywhere to the point that they closed the highway. Thankfully, we had just returned from shopping in the closet town, 50 klms away, so we were able to make it home.
That night, we saw a fire about 2 klms down the road. Father rang the

fire brigade. Someone had tried to burn an old farmhouse. After the Fire brigade and Police finished securing the fire, father went to talk SH%$#T to the police man.

Day 3: Crime investigators went to the scene. Apparently it was deliberately set and we believed that these local youths had done the deed due to their over excited talking near our campsite last night about keeping away from the police otherwise they will be considered witness and we don't want to get in trouble. Thankfully, that was the end of that excitement! My mum would've said: What a rough area!!!

Parham's humour:
The people in this tiny town have a good sense of humour! The Toilet Tree! The Tram House and High rise vehicles!!!

The Highway Sculpture:
We sent the 'Urban Observers' photo to Gerard. I asked him if he'd like the job-ha ha!

Sunsets:
The sunsets every night were stunning!

The Dust Storm:
It was terrible. You could not see the horizon because of the dust. The powers that be eventually closed the highway due to lack of visibility.