One day while we were busy working away at Eucla, Ryan got an unexpected phone call from his boss back in Esperance, John. After a quick discussion between the two of them, it was revealed to me that a job opportunity had come up in a place called Streaky Bay. The job proposed would be for Ryan to partake in the seeding season for a family friend of Johns, between Streaky Bay and Venus Bay. After chatting about our upcoming plans and how this would fit in, we quickly decided that the experience of living somewhere different and doing something new is something that we would both value. So. Ryan accepted the job and I began the search of my next employment while we finished up our time in Eucla.

We didn’t need to be in Streaky until the 25th of April, when the yearly rain usually came indicating the start of seeding. We left Eucla on the 15th, giving us 10 days to slowly meander 600km between the two towns and check out a small portion of what South Australia has to offer. I was ridiculously unaware of the beauty of the south aus coastline, it genuinely blew my mind when we drove in to Cactus bay to make our first stop of the trip. I had heard about it countless times from travellers while working in the roadhouse bar, but coming from Esperance my standards for a beach are pretty high and I usually expect to be a little underwhelmed. But I was starting to get it, the reason people have come here for decades just to be in that one spot. Not only is the surf world renowned, but the rugged and untouched feeling makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time to the 70s. And much of what we seen in South Australia felt like that, with slower tourism ensuring that the locals are able to enjoy their land without changing it to keep up. I fucking loved it.

Over those 10 days we explored as much as the van would allow us, checking out spots like Lake Macdonnell, Wittelbee Conservation Park, Ceduna, Smoky Bay, Point Brown, Perlubie and Venus Bay. Every turn off seemed to lead to a hidden beach or incredible coast (except for ceduna, my advice, drive straight through). We took drone shots of the lake, ate fresh oysters in Smoky Bay, decided to start fishing as a hobby at the Ceduna jetty, played around with photography and started to get used to living life out of a vehicle. We free camped the whole time, pulling up to designated areas and setting up the van in the afternoon, just in time for a couple beers and some cards as the sun set around us.

When we finally got to Streaky, we walked around the town for the morning as I hyped myself up to try and get a job. I went into the Streaky Bay Hotel, the main pub right in the middle of town, and spoke to the owners Penny and Tony. I walked out with my first shift in two days time, excited and nervous, it was time for a celebratory glass of wine. The next day we went to Venus bay to meet Ryan’s new boss and see the house that would be our home for the next few weeks. Once again, all expectations were blown out of the water when we pulled in to a beautiful seaside house on the foreshore of the tiny bay. Venus bay, for my Esperance readers, feels like a trip out to the Duke; with holiday houses and small batches all there to enjoy the surrounding tranquility. There is a caravan park and a general store and the closest pub is in Port Kenny, a mere 15 minute drive away. It felt like heaven. We met Angus, Ryan’s boss, and had a beer with him while we talked about how the next few weeks would work. We settled in and quickly became at home.

My job in streaky was about a 45 minute drive from Venus bay and I worked from Wednesday through to Sunday, so I usually stayed at the pubs accomodation for my work week and would come and visit Ryan in Venus for my weekend. It was a great little system and due to the lack of rain and delayed seeding, we got a lot of time together to explore the surrounding areas while the weather was still warm.

Working at the pub couldn’t have been a better fit, I met some incredible locals through that job, either fellow staff or regular customers coming in for their daily schooner of west end. Over the weeks I was there I started to really view Streaky as home, with my social cup filled up from being behind the bar, I spent my off time reading by the beach, crocheting in the van while watching drive to survive, sleeping in and walking around little tracks while listening to podcasts. My main work crew consisted of Jess, Gonz, Tayla, Jane, Ronny (Coot) and Scott. They trained me up, drunk after work beers with me, had deep yarns and overall life chats and watched me transition from happy and energetic to tired and annoyed once the clock struck 10pm. We worked through quiet nights and busy holidays and the time flew by.

Some of my most notable memories that I don’t want to forget include; lightly denting the work van, setting the fire alarm off trying to cook ribs, driving out to perlubie with jess at 1am as our last job for the shift, serving 28 bottles of bundy in one night, having drinks with Gonz and Jane after our later Saturday shifts, having over the bar yarns with Gary, Nikki, Dave, Graham and Phil, driving the courtesy bus around town at all hours of the day, crocheting Jane a west coast eagles bag, eating fish and chips from the Venus Bay Caravan Park and watching farmer wants a wife with Ryan, serving the footy boys South Aves and the old blokes west ends, skating with Gonz and learning to play golf with Tom and Geoff.

Streaky, I love you, we will see you again next April.