"Fellow Travellers had told us about Tumby Bay and how it was worth a visit especially for fishing. Tumby is a lovely little country town that thrives on fishing and grain farms also. The town is fairly small but it has everything you require with an IGA food store, and a dozen other essential shops all only 1 km from the van park. The van park has views of the bay and the township is very flat and protected from most winds.

The Van Park accommodates about 100 sites, but there are only about 4 fellow travellers here. So we have everything to ourselves. The jetty is just out the front and a short walk from us. Tony actually went fishing there and caught a squid. Chilli sqid for tea tonight. The neighbour came home with six squid. I wouldn't want 6....There is only so many you can eat.

The weather is still not that wonderful, you can feel the chill coming from the Antartic. The Van park has a great kitchen with a TV in it, so I usually watch TV and do my patchwork quilt when the weather isn't good. When the weather is better we explore the area on our bikes. We decided to stay here a week as I have a sore shoulder and can't stand being in the car for too long. I think the cold weather has a lot to do with it. This town has a great craft shop as do most of these small towns. I can spend hours in them and the local people are so friendly and want to hear all about your travel stories. I rode my bike down to the local IGA shop yesterday to buy some supplies, when I went to pay the $50, I realized I left my wallet behind. The checkout girl said "no worries", and asked for my name and phone number and told me to take the groceries home and bring the money back later. Who from the city has every heard of this happening, especially with a total stranger??? I refused to take the groceries anyway and returned 10 minutes later with the cash in hand.

On the southern side of the town, is a huge new estate with homes and canals built in amongst it with great private jettys. This place is obviously growing. Everyone seems to be also growing great roses. The climate is obviously perfect here for roses and wonderful gardens. It must be all the rain??? We whinge about the rain but the locals love it!"

Generously provided by Muldy's Movements travel blog.

"From start to finish, our recent holiday away, turned into absolutely the most memorable experience ever. Making it a marvelous way to celebrate my Husband Trevor Bannigan’s 75th Birthday.

We were even offered an extra day, making it 6 fantastic days, spent relaxing in the lovely picturesque, peaceful, unspoilt, sheltered bay on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula, in the township of Tumby Bay.

Very often when your traveling the thing that can spoil a whole holiday, can be the terribly uncomfortable beds.  However! at Modra’s Apartments they were just ‘Great’.  Fully self-contained accommodation, also with under cover parking, complimented by fantastic service, oodles of bargain gift vouchers, provided courtesy of Damian and Kristy Modra, and wonderful, thoughtful friendly folk, everywhere that we went…

Yes! Tumby Bay has it all in spades! Interesting little craft shop, a museum, art gallery, yummy bakery, great meals at both hotels, takeaway’s, coffee shops, and a great selection of other local gift shopping, in short a very interesting place with lots to see and do…  Our accommodation wasn’t far away, from their lovely new Tumby Bay Marina.

Another most interesting place was their Skills Centre Building, where they are among other things beginning to grow and market olives. It’s a very large Building, with lots to see inside, it is also used for the School children’s cooking, and is a catering Function place too!  In addition it had some wonderful displays of C.W.A needlework. While I looked around, Trevor was shown an interesting new touch screen tourist presentation.  Then later taken outside to see the new Olive Marketing operation, which is still being completed.

In spite of some rainy weather, Trevor and I still managed to cram some wonderful sight seeing all over the place into those few short days. Our whole trip away, was a bit of a nostalgic trip, for my Husband Trevor Bannigan formally from Adelaide. As in his younger days, Trevor was a keen yachting enthusiast, and a crew member in eighteen–“ Port Lincoln Yatch Races”. Trevor also was in three – “Sydney To Hobart Yatch Races too! .So we made a trip over to Port Lincoln, had at great meal at the Marina Hotel, bought some opals and did some wonderful sight seeing, at Winters Hill… before traveling out further to Sleaford Bay to view the ocean, and take some great ocean photographs.

Another day, we went over to Coffin Bay, and we also travelled out further to Point Avoid, and took shots of the main island in the middle of the turbulent sea, this place certainly lives up to it’s deadly reputation as a place in the sea to avoid…. Also more terrific ocean views at Golden Island, Yangie Bay National park.

One night in Tumby Bay, we had the most scrumptious King George Seafood Special Pizza, the best Pizza, I’ve ever eaten. Literally handfuls of freshly caught seafood. Courtesy of George Barber’s takeaway.

Another day we took a trip out into the rolling hills of Koppio, with their magnificent gum trees, and found the most delightful village property Koppio Museum, set out in a similar fashion to Olde Tailem Town at Tailem Bend .SA.

However for Trevor the icing on the cake, was the surprising Birthday gift, of a meal voucher, from Damian and Kristy Modra, completed by a second dessert Birthday gift voucher, from the management (Steve White & Sharon Rogers) of the Seabreeze Hotel. Which just topped off his birthday perfectly… The meals were great, and it became one of our favourite eating-places.

Another highlight of our trip for Trevor was the opportunity on our return trip home, to call into the Whyalla Maritime Museum, to see the H.M.A.S. Whyalla, that his father served on, as a Commissioned Engineer in W.W. 2. His visit there also enabled Trevor to receive a special commemoration certificate and important documentation concerning his Father’s tour of duty, which had also included time as a minesweeper after the W.W.2. for 3 years.

Our Tumby Bay Holiday was part of an Travel Auction package, I’ve made a successful bid twice now and been lucky enough to have been selected both times… Because Tumby Bay was so far away, we split our journey home into several days. Thanks to all the towns’ folk at Tumby Bay who just made our Holiday away so PERFECT…."

Written By Annette Bannigan © 1st October 2010 Journalist & Columnist

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