There they are – no time to waste!” The swirling dark shadow of a school of Australian salmon flits through the water just metres off the beach. David ‘Lunch’ Doudle’s excitement is as palpable now as it must’ve been when he was a child on these very same beaches.
For Lunch is very much a creature of this environment on the remote west coast of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Growing up on a nearby farm, his youth was spent fishing, surfing, scaling dunes, exploring, playing footy and cricket and basically being deeply immersed in all things Eyre Peninsula.
This passion has translated into a thriving business – Australian Coastal Safaris – which sees Lunch sharing his intimate knowledge of his home turf with a wide range of people from all over the world. His enthusiasm is contagious. “Quick mate – grab the rod – now cast it out: take it behind you to about 10 o’clock and flick it to 12. That’s it! When they bite, you’ll know it and you’ve gotta reef it back hard to set the hook,” he says, grinning, “Then the game’s on!”
Above, the bright blue of a seemingly endless sky meets rolling ocean on the far horizon, while the view to the north and south is edged by massive dunes and cliffs stretching as far as the eye can see. This is typical of the landscape in the beautiful Coffin Bay National Park, and just one of the many options on offer when travelling with Australian Coastal Safaris. “I reckon if we see anyone else, it’s too crowded and we’ve come to the wrong spot,” Lunch laughs.
Operating out of Port Lincoln on the southern tip of the peninsula, this bespoke touring outfit ensures guests have privileged access and insight into life in this remarkable part of Australia. It is home to dynamic farming and grazing operations, commercial and recreational fishing enterprises, aquaculture businesses, national parks and private reserves, sea lion colonies, koala enclaves, wonderful birdlife, and a succession of knowledgeable, friendly locals, many of whom are only too happy to share their passion.
“It’s a cracker of a place,” Lunch says. “Whether you’ve got just a day up your sleeve, or you’re really keen on an extended tour of the region, we’re here to help make sure you have a great time, and maybe let some of it get right under your skin – in the best possible way.”
Depending on what you’re interested in, the opportunities and experiences abound. You could be back in the roasting room of a local coffee beanery, sampling new flavours and testing whether the espresso martini has just the right balance. Or you might find yourself tucked away in an oyster shed up the coast with the blokes who just that morning were harvesting these jewels of the sea as they explain the grading methodology and life cycle of the succulent molluscs and how that fits into a broader framework of a thriving business.
Alternatively, you could be spending time with a renowned sculptor being taken through the biodynamics of an osprey and how that influences how its wing feathers flare and what it’s like to capture that in clay before moving onto the arcane processes of casting in bronze. Later still, it would not be out of the question that you’re greeted like family in a restaurant that prides itself on sourcing the finest produce the region has to offer, and being taken through the menu by the smiling owner as the kind of banter that signifies long-held relationships of humour and respect pings back and forth across the table.
If something more exotic takes your fancy, you might be seated around a table under the stars next to a crackling campfire in a forest full of koalas as a sumptuous roasted meal is laid before you, complete with matching wines and mouth-watering side dishes, having spent an afternoon sandboarding, e-biking and 4WDing in and out of the nooks and crannies of the wild back country.
“Really, we’re only limited by our imaginations and our energy levels,” Lunch says. “And both of those are stoked pretty high out here!”
