Wallaroo, all grown now, warts and all

Wallaroo's silos - really big, and still Important.

Yes, folks, Wallaroo is all grown up for sure, and exporting the Golden Grain. Here we are, so close to Australia Day that my patriotic streak has risen, like a swirl of bue-green algae in the Torrens Lake. The Yorke Peninsula and Mid-North farmers get their income from sales by Vitera and others ( I think) and the Port of Wallaroo is focal to this. Enough. An elderly farmer called me a 'bloody schoolteacher' the other day so no more good press, despite the fact that we still get our export rocks off through grain sales.  But that's not all. YP Barley makes the best beer. Yes, folks, Coopers and a fair bucket of ALL the other beers brewed in Adelaide use YP Barley, and West End makes beer for so many brands you would not believe it. Even VICTORIAN beer.... Does Wallaroo have anything to do with that? Probably not, but it's a nice thing to pop in there since we spent tonight having seafood and a tinkle at  the Coopers Alehouse on the Marina here.  Three dolphins popped up outside the dining room and did their thing in the pre-dinner period - as did several dinky-pops 'fishin' boats.  The boats went out for a sunset cruise and maybe a squid or two - although I don't think their owners would appreciate any INK on their rigs. Each had half a dozen more rods than occupants and everybody concerned was pleased.

Alongside the Marina, the last Chimney of the smelters

We decided to try out the Wallaroo Community Centre's wonderful indoor bowling facility, having been told by everybody around the place how much better their blue carpet, indoor, was than our green carpet, outdoor, at Clare Bowling Club.  So we went, having finally discovered where it was from Mr Google.  We also had noted Fish for Sale on the way in the other day and that meant we'd have a full day.
Shower, Pete. It's a weekday with an M in it.  Buy paper, breakfast and read; that takes two and a half hours.  Wash the front half of Jethro, re-solder the lead to the reversing camera. Another hour. Go and collect Roger Pearce's shoes and have a bowl in the new arena. Catch up with a couple more blokes I knew years ago, a Brand to go with Roger Spry. And an offer!  "Want a game tomorrow? We're having Publican's Day and we need another player." Dean Stringer, once from Mundoora (and later the West Coast) being nice to me??  On the footy field no Stringer was ever so hospitable...

Zan unpacks the Pink Aeros

The indoor lighting was off and the glare made it really difficult
to get your length - especially for Zan

On the way home we bought a couple of kilos of local prawns - $20 a kilo - and then spruced up a bit for dinner at the Marina, as I told you.
Big day!

Despite the day-time ocean breezes which are just a bit too enthusiastic for some, Wallaroo is a good spot in mid-to-late January, as the kids are about to head back to school and the spaces open up a bit.  Sure, the place is still knee-deep in kids - gor, we counted about a dozen on the Sunday, all in metre-deep water in the bay, lining up to for a burn on a boucing tube behind a lumbering cabin cruiser. The kids roam the park all day, mostly on bikes, boards, or whatever, and they are safe and happy. Most of the adults are great, 'tho we have had a mob of typical dead-beats camped out on the lawns in front of us. Their site hasn't a shady green spot so they infest this park-like bit until sunset when they get told to move. And what do they do? They bring their ute, chairs, eskies, kids, and sit in a circle looking at each other all day. They smoke, drink, and sit. The kids argue, run wildly round screaming and then flake out. Then they get told to go, and not till then do they move.

More fun tomorrow. We also need to shop for Tonic Water so Z can have a G & T at sunset. La, the pace of life here by the sea.

Our view out the front window

POST SCRIPT

The Publican's Day was wonderful. Zan took the  morning off but in the afternoon, Heather, the wife of the Skip (Rod) I played with, invited Zan for a roll-up and a drink, and to see the results of the day.  I found myself with Geoff and Les (88 years old but deadly as a leader) and Rod.  We all seemed to find our lines quickly and after an easy win against some beguiling beginners found our second opposing skipper to be a local legend. He didn't have his usual four with him and we managed a really good win, and after another easy game in the last round made SECOND!  You beauty. Everybody got prizes so the fun was worth far more than the win.  

We headed home to eat the prawns and wash them down with Leo Buring's Reisling.  Yumm Yum, goodnight chum!