Birthday: Part 2

The day after my birthday was a much more relaxed affair. I woke slowly, took a long bath and watched a House Rules marathon before my tummy started rumbling. 

Port Lincoln is the self-proclaimed 'sea food capital of Australia' and so with it coming up to mid-day, and with the sun streaming through the curtains, I ventured out for fish at little cafe my taxi driver recommended. 

I found Del Giorno's on the main strip with cracking views out to the ocean and barely a table free - always a good sign! 

Once I'd managed to find a little spot, I ordered myself a big glass of wine and set up camp for an afternoon of free wifi and good food. 

Before long, I was joined by my starter - Salt and Pepper Calamari. This dish seems to be a winner in Australia. You can find it literally everywhere and, according to my housemate, is a good tester of how good a restaurant is. So, in I went. 

It was a funny one. The squid was, unfortunately, slightly overcooked making it a little tough. Having said that though, I actually really enjoyed it. The coating was perfectly light, the lime and sweet chilli ailoi it came with was moreish, and I'm not quite sure what they did with that salad but I could have eaten a bucket of it. So an initially disappointing starter ended up being a delicious entree! 

Next up, I indulged. The tuna in Australia is abundant but for the life of me I have been unable to find tuna steak anywhere. One of the main drawing points of Port Lincoln is the tuna though, so if I was to find a good tuna steak, it would be here. And, praise the Lord, it was! 

Just look at it, sitting there on its bed of chargrilled vegetables all seductive, that caper berry and cream sauce gently caressing the beautiful tuna. Food porn at its finest. This was easily the best tuna steak I have ever had. It melted away the moment I popped it on my tongue and married with the rest of the flavours wonderfully. I'd also never had capers that big before so that was an extra bonus. (Simple pleasures). Just telling you about is making me seriously contemplate jumping back on a plane over there just for tonight's evening meal. If ever you are in the area, promise me you will try it. Pinky Promise. You can find all their details here!

Once I'd scraped every last morsel from the plate and ended the meal with a nice coffee, I popped out into the sunshine and took a stroll along the beach. 

In the sun, the water looked much more inviting and instead of hurrying into the shops like the previous day I took a stroll along the pier. 

Doesn't it just call out for you to dive right in? Or at least dip a toe?

As the sun started its slow descent, I made my way back to the hotel stopping for some snaps of all the boats lined up in the harbour.

A wonderfully chilled day to help ease myself into my 21st year. Ideal.