Goolwa is a great word. Is it animal, vegetable or mineral? None of these. It is the village at the mouth of the Mighty Murray River.
Farther north on the Murray River was the site of our old lady boat ride last week in the heat of a lazy December day. Now we are down at the mouth of the river where the fresh water of the river meets the salt water of Encounter Bay. This is a sacred place to the aborigines.
We sometimes forget that it is summer here and in summer, people go to the beach. Some go just to sit and soak up the sound of the ocean. Others board and body surf and swim in the waves.
The day is clear, sunny and a little brisk. Surfers are in their wet suits. Little kids are running around with nothing on. And some people are sitting quietly on a bench warming in the sun.
The land here is a flat plain with sandy soil and smell of salt breezes. Beach grasses and flowers blow in the wind.
We take a long sea walk watching shore birds and families play on the beach. On the way home we ride with the windows down and stop to buy fresh cherries at a roadside fruit stand. Mediterranean summer. Paradise.
MedFlies 
Was the water warm enough for swimming? Was it mid-week? There weren’t a lot of people on the beach. Makes me a bit wistful of our summer just past now that we’ve had our first snowfall.
It was a Monday so not much of a crowd. And the water in Encounter Bay is warm enough to swim. We heard it was 14 degrees in Santa Fe and snowing today. They will have a white Chritmas.
Looks much like the beach North of San Diego.
Actually, it reminded me more of Cape Cod. It is very flat with salt marshes and the houses being more cape style in the little beach enclaves.
Glad you two are enjoying the beach. We’re looking at the snow outside and the weather gauge that says 2.5 degrees windchill!
I saw the New Mexican this morning and really felt sorry for all of you back there in the cold and the snow. I would send you cherries if I could. 🙂