From our little shop in Stansbury… a coastal ramble

There is something very special about our community in Stansbury.

Where you ask?  Stansbury is a small coastal town on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia and home to our little book shop and record shop, Peninsula Records and Books.

I mean to be honest it is pretty reflective of most country towns. Different people from differing place and ideals converging together to make this small coastal town home. Its a seaside town so incredibly reliant on visitors to keep the cafes, pubs, shops and attractions busy.... but it is also full of people that are just willing to do something for you. Put your bins in if you are away. Or in our case pick up a box of books that has just been delivered from our verandah so it doesn't get wet and hold onto it until we next open the shop. We have an active progress association and sports club so as a result things get done; cleaned and upgraded. The post office will hold onto your parcels if they don't fit into your box. You get the drift....

So why the glowing reference.... this beautiful community is suffering. We have been significantly affected by the algal bloom that has hit the gulf in South Australia. If you were to imagine the worst kind of bushfire but on the floor of the ocean that is what are witnessing here. Sea life with gills are dying and so is the entire ecosystem that surrounds them. Our commercial fisherman who have been doing this for years cannot earn money, our oyster farmers have not had a scrap of income since March.

This is Gulf St Vincent. Our side of South Australia. It’s not a headline to scroll past… it’s daily life on the coast. Dead sea life washing up. Coral and seagrass beds knocked back like a burnt paddock under water. Some days storms whip up a strange foam along Adelaide’s beaches. It is dire. And it touches every small town that measures time by the tide.

What can you do to help..... be aware, raise awareness, ask questions. There is no easy solution and a tonne of conspiracies (none of which are useful)... We need answers and solutions to a problem that no one can really pinpoint how or why it happened and how long it will be around for.

And put us ... little ole Stansbury and the Yorke Peninsula on the map for your summer holidays... we can't guarantee you will be able to fish but you know what .... we offer so much more....
There is gorgeous sunshine, rugged coastlines, superb accommodation, seaside markets, a pub, cafe, gin distillery, quaint little shops (like ours), painted murals, and best of all super friendly locals. And we are just a short drive from exploring other towns, breweries, stunning beaches, national parks and more....

We’ll keep doing what small towns do… waving… helping… showing up. The ocean will feel better… we will too… but for now, please know what’s happening here on the Yorke Peninsula and talk about it.

Kate

peninsularecordsandbooks.com