SPIRITED AWAY

The Spirit of Tasmania waiting for us to board

Waiting in queue

Last time I sat down to write, we were still in the delightful little hamlet of Kennett River. We are now in downtown Devonport. I am in major catch up mode, so will try to keep this fairly brief. I do however want to give a fairly accurate description of what is involved in catching the ferry over to Tasmania with your car and van. I have to admit to having a few butterflies about the whole thing and realise now that a little sound information would have avoided most of my nerves.

From Kennett River we headed east to Lorne and then took off northwards toward Whittlesea, thus avoiding towing the van over the eastern most section of the Great Ocean Road. As I mentioned last time, we drove that stretch without the van so didn’t need to repeat that bit. Actually, the worst of the road (curves/hills wise) was west of Lorne anyway, so it didn’t really make that much difference except that we managed to cover more country and see more of beautiful Victoria. The road to Whittlesea wound through the Otway Ranges and was quite spectacular in its own right. From Whittlesea the countryside was much less hilly and we meandered through some very pretty rural countryside until we reached our off-ramp to Werribee. The caravan park was in South Werribee right down next to the sea. The park was a ‘council’ park but the managers were brilliant and the park a friendly one.


In Queue - looking at the Westgage Bridge


It was quite interesting in fact to see just how many permanent and semi-permanent vans were there. By our WA standards, the area is not particularly scenic – just mobs of market gardens set on really flat low-lying land, finishing abruptly at the bay. Regardless of this, it seems that it is very popular. Quite a few folk there spend their winters in Queensland and their summers at Werribee! Anyway, as I said the park was very friendly and we made some new mates there and re-connected with a couple we had met on our way across.

Even though Werribee is some 40ks out of Melbourne and away from the ferry, it seems to be a favourite spot for ferry travellers to stay pending boarding The Spirit. I suppose their reasoning was similar to ours. Close enough for an early morning drive in without being right in the insanity of a big city. It turned out there were 3 other couples all leaving on the Ferry at the same time as us – excellent!

Speaking of big city insanity, one of my plans was to meet up with one of my Victorian relatives whilst there. My father’s cousin Edna, lives in Malvern, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. WELL..............................DD was that day, Daring Douglas as we headed off to cross the Westgate Bridge and fight our way through Melbourne traffic to find Edna’s house. We had intended to take a drive over the bridge anyway just to determine where our exit ramp for the ferry was, but to actually head over and into major city traffic, now that was something else. We did have a photocopy of a map to help us, but as these things go, we did become for a little while at least, hopelessly lost. DD was wonderful and kept his cool amazingly as we dodged trams, buses, trains, heavy lorries, bustling cars and the odd (and I do mean odd) cyclist. Eventually in some desperation we activated our GPS and miraculously soon found ourselves in front of Edna’s little home. I have to say here girls, that even tho’ DD was at his sterling best that day, he still didn’t want to believe the dulcet female voice emanating from the GPS and I had to really push for him to follow her instructions. Perhaps we would do better if I changed the voice to a male one – blokes, as we know, usually listen to other blokes.

Anyway, back to Edna’s little home. This house has been in the family forever and is a tiny weatherboard home tucked between large commercial enterprises on all sides. The home is in Malvern Road Malvern and the tram (along with the rest of the world) goes past the front door. Edna and her hubby Bill are both octogenarians albeit very young ones. They were delightful and made us completely at home. I have had very little to do with this side of my family and it was both a pleasure and a revelation to hear some of the family history.

Aside from visiting Edna, DD also took us over to Hopper’s Crossing to find a Harvey Norman store where we purchased my new camera. The traffic over there was also pretty daunting. It all boils down to not really knowing where you are going. Not a problem in some backwater town, but more alarming when in a major metropolis.

Oh, one last item regarding Melbourne and the traffic – Edna mentioned in passing the bridge over the road in front of the Alfred Hospital. Helicopters land on the bridge bringing in patients from – you know, I don’t know where from, but I suppose out back somewhere. Anyway, as usual I listened with half an ear, but I’m glad that I did hear her. As we were fighting our way back to the caravan, lo and behold, a big chopper lowered itself right in front of us onto that very same bridge. The whole scene was surreal. Traffic everywhere and there in the middle of everything, this helicopter dropping down right in front of us! It was a good thing I had my trusty camera handy!

Helicopter Landing Right in Front of Us!

So back to the caravan park – we met a lovely couple there, Nellie & Martin – Nellie T is a very accomplished lady and a singer to boot. We purchased one of her CDs and will cherish that reminder and her beautiful voice. We also reconnected with Alan and Roz who we met previously in Port Campbell. This lovely couple were responsible for us staying at Kennett River and have earned our gratitude for that great tip.

I mentioned how good the manager at Werribee CP was, nice bloke by the name of Brett, was just so helpful. When we arrived there, he had already photocopied the map and highlighted the path to the Ferry Terminal for us. The big benefit to this, was that there were two ways to go, and without his advice we would most probably have taken the alternative route, which we now know would have been a pain as it encompasses a track just full of speed bumps. We caravanners hate speed bumps!!

So..............deep breath....................to get to the terminal, one needs to drive over the amazing Westgate Bridge and take the first exit after the bridge – Todd Street. From there it is pretty simple, but either a GPS or a copy of a map would be a good idea. We had a day-berth leaving at 9am on Sunday morning. Day trips are pretty much reserved for the summer months – the remainder of the year being pretty much dedicated to night crossings. We left the CP at 6am, and apart from having trouble getting Jezabelle through the exit gate at the CP we had a trouble free run to the terminal. When we arrived there, we joined a queue of fellow caravanners sitting in line waiting to board. We were really pleased to have been in company of the other 3 couples leaving from the Werribee CP – we more or less travelled in convoy and there was some comfort gained knowing we weren’t alone.

While we were waiting in line, we were approached by a security guard from the Spirit who questioned us regarding gas bottles, fuel and weapons. One cannot take loose gas bottles on board – these have to be handed over before the journey and they are returned at journeys end. We had several small bottles which belong to our small portable burner – we just placed them in a bag and retrieved them when we arrived in Devonport after passing through customs. The same rule applies to weapons. Any fuel receptacles, like the ones many of us carry on the back of vans, must be empty. One of the blokes in our group declared his brand new axe (weapon!) and he had all sorts of trouble retrieving it when he arrived in Devonport.

Looking down the line in front of us - still waiting in queue!

Slowly the line of vans inched forward and eventually we all drove into the very bowels of the ship. It was really interesting and not at all scary. The ferry personnel are very good and guide you at every turn (literally) and make sure that nothing goes amiss. Once in place, you simply jump out of your car, lock up and go upstairs for a look around. The ferry is quite large – although I still marvel at just how many cars, vans and trucks they manage to fit in- and quite comfortable. Level 10, there is a bar and plenty of seating; level 7 – a couple of eateries, live entertainment, theatrette and more casual seating. I believe level 8 is for cabins, but didn’t check this out.

Sister Ship Crossing Opposite Direction

We were on board by around 8 am and the ferry pulled out just after 9am. We had brilliant weather all the way across, and only felt the motion of the ship for a short period around half way across. We passed the sister ferry heading in the opposite direction at the mid-point. The day passed very easily, having a coffee, lunch, watching shorts on Tassie, chatting, sitting on deck and playing the odd hand of cards. All in all it was a very pleasant experience.


Level 10 - relaxing on board


We approached the port of Devonport around 6.30 and just before arrival we were called on the PA to move down to our vehicles. An orderly descent to the level where the van was parked and we then simply awaited further instructions. In due course, we were able to drive off to the awaiting quarantine personnel. If there were any complaints at all it would be that they could probably do this bit a little more efficiently. It was slow going and we didn’t reach our CP just around the corner until around 8.30pm.

I believe the day trips are all but finished until the end of the year and so when we go back it will most likely be an evening crossing, and probably not quite so calm, but having done this once now, I have no qualms about the return trip, whenever that may be. If you are curious about the cost, it cost us just over $800 one way – the price is based on the combined length of the van and towing vehicle (ours being 14.3m). If you travel at night, you would probably also have to factor in the cost of a cabin (around $100).

The meals on board were fairly average, but I noticed many folk came better prepared than us and had snack food and sandwiches with them. I think tho’ it is nice to have a coffee in one of the little eateries and perhaps a small something. It makes it all a bit more special.

So, we are now in Devonport, Tasmania – have been here for 5 days and leave here tomorrow for Stanley on the north- west corner of the island. We absolutely love the Apple Isle so far, but I will save my ravings for the next blog. Until then, smooth sailing – Steph.

KOALAS AT KENNETT RIVER

Cute as a Button



The leaves always look greener on the next tree




Well there you have it – koalas at Kennett River. This is an absolute haven for wild-life. Every so often we find a place which really strikes a chord with us and which we really wish to share with everyone. This is one of those places. We would recommend it to anyone, so long as you don’t expect plush surroundings. The camp is, admittedly, a little rustic, but well worth the effort. Before I wax lyrical about this place though, first, to other issues; Due partly to the type of road we are dealing with, and due in part too, to how much we like this place, we have extended our stay here until Wednesday 13th at which time we will hitch up and drive directly to Werribee. We will stay at Werribee until boarding the ferry on the 17th. We won’t drag the van along the remainder of the Ocean Road, but instead leave it at Lorne and head up through Winchelsea.

Beautiful old building at Queenscliff

Yesterday we took a big long drive to the end of The Great Ocean Road to make sure we had a good look at everything along the way. So much easier for DD when he isn’t towing the van! Even without the van behind us tho’ the road is still pretty scary. The road continued to hug the coastline along very precarious and high roads clinging to the cliff sides up to Lorne where it eased off and ran alongside the beach for a while. We drove through Lorne, Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Torquay, Barwon Heads and out to the historic town of Queenscliff. It was all very pretty and we were blown away by the number of Victorians who come out to play on weekends. Despite fairly average weather by WA standards, the beaches were packed. All the little towns we passed were well populated by folk sitting in cafes, strolling the streets and playing in the parks. The world and his mate all seemed to be out on The Great Ocean Road, many on motorbikes and almost as many again in jazzy little sports cars. It was interesting to see that it seemed the majority of the sports car drivers were young women. In addition to this, there were copious numbers of Lycra clad cyclists risking their very lives along with a number of joggers and walkers all joining the throngs of adrenalin junkies along the Drive. Speaking of adrenalin junkies, the waves were liberally decorated with surfers. We drove down to Bells Beach but the waves there were not happening. Other spots along the way had some reasonable waves tho’ and they were certainly being enjoyed by the masses.

Surf Carnival along the way



Hotels and cafes at Lorne


The traffic along the way made us very glad indeed we didn’t have the van behind us. Mind you, we didn’t see anyone taking any undue risks and most people seemed to be doing the right thing. There were just so many people. After being out of the mainstream of things for the last couple of months it was all a bit of a culture shock for us.

Another beautiful old lady at Queenscliff

I think we have been so spoiled for beauty, most of what we saw yesterday seemed a bit commonplace. The little towns were very pretty and we would have happily settled in most of them I guess, but it did all seem a bit ho hum. As I said, we have been spoiled of late.

My little shoot and click camera has died, and whilst DD has assured me I will get new one before we embark for Tasmania, he has pushed me to learn how to use his much more sophisticated beast. After some hesitation on my part, due largely to the size of his camera (makes my hands and wrists sore) and just good old resistance to something new, I did start to use his camera. This meant that all the way back from Queenscliff, when we had the ocean on the left hand side of the car, yours truly, the one that is not comfortable with heights, was head out of the car along the preci-pusses – camera strapped around neck, door firmly locked, and click-happy all the way home. DD is one of those people, who won’t leave well enough alone. He had me outside this morning too, practising with different lenses. All well and good, but it interrupts my doing very littleness. Anyway, what I am getting around to is that the quality of the photos may just suffer a bit while I learn the proverbial ropes.

Head out of the window

Car door securely locked

Now, back to Kennett River – roughly half way between Apollo Bay and Lorne right on the Great Ocean Road. The down side is that the water pressure here is almost non- existent and the water is drawn from the Kennett River. We were warned by fellow campers of the dubious quality, despite the fact there is an ultra-violet treatment plant utilised here. The unusually low rainfall this summer has people a little worried. Regardless of that however, we do have our own water on board (from Mt Gambier) and use it for drinking. We cope with the low water pressure for our other needs. Showering in the van is a bit challenging, if I put the high pulse head on the shower I get exactly four jets – believe it or not, it will do. Very good for water conservation! The park is not pet friendly so you cannot come in here with pooches. When you see the number of koalas and parrots in the park the reason is self-evident. The ablution block is OK and there is a small sell-anything shop next to the park.


Western Rosella



Kings making themselves at home

The positives far outweigh the negatives here. Just for a start, the park abounds with koalas. They can be seen in the numerous trees, sleeping in the forks of the gums or on occasion, stretching out to nibble some tender young shoots. One very young koala is so tentative in her movements in the high branches you have your heart in your mouth the whole time she is moving around. These docile and charming creatures come alive at night and you just wouldn’t believe the amazing noises they make. Loud grunts, groans, growls and coughs right outside your window – DD thought they sounded like Bunyips!

We have noticed a great many dead eucalyptus in the vicinity and have been told they are due to too many koalas. It seems the population of some 2000 in this area is just too much for the local flora – they are literally eating themselves out of a home. The same sort of thing happened on Kangaroo Island. There is some talk of ‘doing something’ about it – but just what is a bit vague. The logical thing would seem to be a relocation program to those areas where the koala populations are waning. Just one of the down-sides for the koalas is that they are destroying the canopy and in the process exposing themselves to the heat and destructive rays of the sun. As I mentioned earlier, the rainfall in Victoria generally is well down this year too, this doesn’t help the recovery rate of the trees.

Aside from the koalas, the place is alive with brightly coloured parrots. Blue and Red Western Rosellas combine with bright red and green King Parrots to colour the park. All the parrots love black sunflower seeds, and whilst they are not really very good for them, DD, bless his little cotton socks, bought a bag of these treats. I have walked outside a couple of times with hands full of seeds and have found myself pretty well covered with parrots. They perch on head, shoulder and arms to peck the seeds from your hands. As I am reasonably well endowed, they also find a perch along my ‘front veranda’. They are actually reasonably gentle and so not a real problem. I did have one of them taste two of my fingers yesterday, not in any vicious manner but a definite taste nevertheless. Once she realised they didn’t taste very good, she went back to the seeds.


Pretty little Fairy Wren strutting his stuff



Daisy has moved into our water bowl

The park also has a myriad of fairy wrens, ducks and maggies. There are some very beautiful songbirds here too – not too sure what they are, but their song in the morning is truly beautiful.

The park is part of the Otway ranges and the tall hills slope down onto the shoreline here. I admit to being at a loss to do the beauty here justice, so will once again have to rely on the photos. This time I will show you mainly the beasties and the birdies.

Until next time, let nature be your salve. Steph



Early morning bird seeking the worm



Are You Lookin' at Me Mate?

OH MY GOODNESS

Looking down at the Rain Forrest on the Right Hand



And down across the hills on the Left




Well, it finally happened. On the run from Port Campbell to Kennett River I ran out of superlatives. Over the past 24 hours I must have used the term ‘Oh My Goodness’ at least 100 times. Surely Tassie can’t be any better than this! In fact we have met up with a couple of Victorians along the way who have assured us Victoria is better in many ways. Time, will I guess, tell the story.


Out of the Forrest and along the Ocean



Enough to Drive You Around the Bend!

Once again, I won’t bore you with my rhetoric but let the photos tell the story. In short, we left Port Campbell around 9am yesterday morning, travelling alongside the Apostles until the road left the ocean. Almost imperceptibly we climbed, and very suddenly we found ourselves deep into The Otway National Park and lush rain forest. We soon discovered what all the road warnings had been about as the road twisted, turned, climbed and plummeted amongst the towering trees and fronded tree ferns. It was truly amazing and I really felt for my Daring Douglas as he towed Jezzy on that roller-coaster. He seemed un-fazed and in fact I think he enjoyed the challenge. My ears popped and un-popped constantly as we climbed up and down that range.

Igneous Rock and Stunning Ocean

Looking Down on Top of Gian Tree Ferns

We were very fortunate with the traffic, most of which was going against us, meaning we didn’t have to pull over more than once or twice to allow faster traffic to overtake. We did have one scary moment when a large semi coming the other way decided he wanted more than his share of the road. The road incidentally is only two lanes all the way – almost entirely double white lines. We did encounter some places where the road is delineated with one continuous white line – we have never encountered this before and are not really sure that it means. The powers that be have done quite well placing little ‘pull-outs’ at strategic places. These are just small bays, just barely big enough for us, where the vans and trucks can pull over briefly to allow for passing traffic. Apart from a lack of prior notice, they work quite well.

Across the tops to the sea

When we hit Apollo Bay we heaved a sigh of relief as we seemingly left the precarious winding roads of the forest behind us. Too soon we relaxed as the road, when it left Apollo Bay, clung tenaciously to the very steep cliffs and hills that dropped dramatically into the turquoise ocean on our left. I have never been very good with heights and found myself clenching pretty much everything as we swung along that road. The views were stunning of course, and once again DD was amazing in his calm approach. The ocean was interesting with pretty sandy beaches interspersed with black igneous rocky coastline along the way. It would appear that this region was extremely volcanic in the dim distant past as much of the coastline is lined with the debris of ancient eruptions.


Asleep in the tree next to the van




You woke me for what?


Eventually we pulled into the pretty little seaside hamlet of Kennett River. This is our sort of park – a tad rustic and just full of God’s creatures. When we backed into our bay we discovered the gum tree right behind our van was occupied by a large Koala. He was not a particularly active type and had much to contend with as DD and the blokes parked behind us directed tourist after tourist to have a gander at our special mate. It seems he and his friends kept our neighbours awake most of the previous night and our neighbour had decided it was pay- back time, disturbing our furry friend as much as possible. Needless to say, this morning our Koala had moved to a quieter tree. I am really looking forward to our stay here. Until next time be quietly confident - Steph



Comin' at ya!




Hm, per'aps not.



THE APOSTLES

Apostles, sunning in the early morning light

"Mists rolling in from the sea"

Hooray! Today for the first time in quite a little while, we awoke to clear blue skies. The down-side however, was that the temperature plummeted and the little river behind the van decorated herself with drifts of white mist, which swirled in the early morning breeze. Last night we were lulled to sleep by the roaring of the enormous surf pounding on the rocky breakwaters. The day promised sunny splendour and spectacular surf.


A very watery Princetown


We were not disappointed. We headed out early again, eastward this time to the very watery village of Princetown. The Gellibrand River flows through this pretty little hamlet and the place abounds with water-fowl. The early morning sun captured the crests of the golden hills and provided mysterious dark gullies and vales. Brave and cold sheep grazed contentedly along the way and the maggies fossicked along the road-side for the proverbial early morning worms.


Lace Fringed Waves



L

White fluffy mist cuddled into the valleys and a wafted in from the sea. Glimpses of deep turquoise ocean fringed with abundant white lace delighted the eye as we drove towards our goal. Pretty little wallabies leapt into the thick scrub by the roadside and those rascally rabbits hopped around in all innocence of their bad press.

Loch Ard - site of a tragic ship-wreck & 2 valient survivors

All in all, it was a picture perfect morning. The ‘12’ Apostles were of course amazing as the photos will tell, but in fact after yesterdays bonanza of incredible coastal sculptures, we were probably less impressed that one might have expected. I think that after a little while we get spoilt with all the splendour. It is I think, a little like having crayfish every night for tea – after a while it becomes almost passé. Please don’t think we are complaining; far from it in fact. We are now doing what we love most. Our own special form of exploring, cruising along the roads and by-ways in Zed, slipping off down obscure little roads and tracks, chatting to everyone and anyone, and just generally enjoying this amazing world we live in.

Amazing Colours of the Coast at Port Campbell

Incidentally, I had a little brainstorm – yes, that is what people with little brains have – and thought that we should incorporate some words from Doug in each blog. The lad was very enthusiastic about this idea, but actually getting any words from the boy, now that is something else. When I asked him for his input today, his response was “Ahhh, I think I’ve OD’d on Apostles”. While I waited with worm on tongue (baited breath) and fingers poised above the keyboard, waiting for the next gem, a resounding “Zzzzzz” emanated from the bed onto which he had just laid his weary body. When you think about it, I guess that is wisdom personified. DD is full of wonderful little witticisms, just the other day he asked me what sort of bird we were looking at, and being told it was a Plover, burst into song – you guessed it – “Plovers in the air...............” No wonder I love him so much. DD’s capacity to make me laugh is one of his most endearing accomplishments.

Looking down on our campsite

Anyway, enough of this waffle. Enjoy the photos and get plenty of sleep; talk to you next time. Steph

Just us and the Apostles

GREAT OCEAN ROAD



Bay of Islands




Amazing Natural Sculptures


I could not possibly describe this any better – this is the GREAT Ocean Road. I could have labelled this THE HAND OF GOD I suppose, as His touch is very evident here. I know all my good mates out there, the Thomas’s of this world are smirking to themselves right now, congratulating themselves at their superior thinking and laughing at my gullibility but you know what, I just don’t care. I will pray for you my friends. One glimpse of this coastline would have been enough to convince me of His powers. Mind you, it is known here as the ‘Shipwreck Coast’ and I suppose it could be argued that another agent of a less loving nature could have had a hand in this. Certainly I would not have liked to be one of those poor souls who encountered the pure savagery of this coastline in a sailing ship.

Magical - The Grotto

London Bridge

Anyway, we are in the pretty little coastal town of Port Campbell, the first of our stops on the Great Ocean Road. Once again we have been super lucky as we have, we believe, the best site in the camp, our site running down to a pretty little river, habituated by water fowl and fairy wrens. We do seem to have more than our fair share of these wonderful bays.


Our Own Little Water Park Behind the Van



Surreal Moon-Scape at The Arch

All is good in our world, and for once, I am going to shut up and just let the photos talk for themselves. Rather than doing one single blog for this area, I intend to post several posts which will comprise mainly of photos.

Enjoy!!! Steph.

Sign we spotted at picturesque Peterborough - DD's Comment - "Being an 'ex'-golfer I really know the feeling!"

Painted by Nature!

WINDY WARRNAMBOOL

Coastal Reefs Warrnambool

Windy, wintery, wet, ......................all of the above. We are not sure if this is typical Victorian summer or if we have just struck a spot of odd weather. Please understand we are not complaining. Considering the drenching some of the country is getting right now, we have been blessed. Fire and Flood certainly are the predominant problems within this wonderful country of ours right now. That and of course, the glasses our Prime Minister has suddenly taken to wearing – perhaps to stare down Tim with?!! After his last little outburst about prostate cancer, can’t say that I blame her really (that has to be a first)!

Anyway, Warrnambool – gateway to The Great Ocean Road according to the brochures! OK, we can’t comment on that one as we have gone no further east than our comfortable Caravan Park at Hopkins River, some 5 ks east of the main city of Warrnambool. Warrnambool is quite a big place and the bloke has done nothing but Complain Loudly ever since we arrived here. We are no longer accustomed to finding our way amongst traffic lights and lots of cars and trucks. Unfortunately you cannot go anywhere here without at least driving thru’ the town once. If I was to try to identify Warrnambool with a WA town I would most likely come up with perhaps a Bunbury for size. It is difficult to say why the town has grown here, most likely simply as a service point for the surrounding rural areas. Of course there are some good beaches here and a little bit of ocean scenery. I think we must be more than a bit spoiled tho’ as we can’t seem to find much enthusiasm for the local scenery. It is nice enough but doesn’t sing to us.

Good Surfing

In fairness to Warrnambool and its fair inhabitants, (Warrnamboolians?) the weather has been ‘upta’ pretty much since we arrived. I have quite enjoyed the wet and cool change but I think our lad would have preferred a little more sun. Added to the wet and the cool, there has been a wee bit of wind. I must say, since losing our awning last year we are now both a little paranoid. DD has very kindly just jumped up off the bed (oh around 2.45pm) to go and take a photo of the van and its accompanying ropes and drops. See what I mean, paranoid!! The wet weather has given us the prime opportunity to test out our new ‘drops’. Don’t know what else to call them, but the things that you attach to the sides of the awning to form a pseudo annex. We bought new ones just before leaving Perth, these being more substantial than our old ones. We figured that in Tassie we might be happy to have a little more protection from the elements. We are very pleased with these new additions – they definitely do protect our various bits and pieces and also give us a protected and fairly private little area outside the van. The bonus as far as I am concerned is that they also hide a bit of the general detritus that DD always seems to accumulate outside the van.

Paranoi Strikes - The Awning Goes - Zed Goes!!

What is Warrnambool like? Its a nice enough town/city but as you probably have guessed by now, we are not into towns at all. The place is big and almost bustling. The local beaches are quite good and I’m sure the locals find them beautiful. I would say that the surfing here would be excellent as there are a couple of long surf beaches. There is also a stretch of rough and picturesque coastline featuring some small islets and reefs just alongside the town. The Hopkins River runs through the town and out to the surrounding countryside.

We took a drive westwards to visit the little holiday town of Port Fairy – very much a tourist town, although pretty and historically minded. We found it to be quite picturesque with homes clambering down the banks of the local river. We found tho’ that there really wasn’t a great deal to see at Port Fairy. What we are discovering however, is that these little tourist books each town puts out must be read with the proverbial ‘pinch of salt’. They really do exaggerate the finer points, making mileage out of very basic stuff indeed. We understand their need to promote their areas and regions of course, but now take a slightly sceptical viewpoint when reading the promotional blurbs.

Pretty Port Fairy

On the way back from Port Fairy we took a side trip to the Tower Hill Reserve. This really is the wrong time of the year to see this ancient volcanic area. The reserve, rich in wild-life, generally is also rich in water, but at the moment much of the lakes and lagoons have virtually dried up. The park was still beautiful and I really enjoyed our drive thru’ the steep & winding roads of the park.

Not So Wet Wet-Lands Tower Hill

Speaking of Steep and Winding, our very good mate Steve, has indicated (why now Steve?) that the Great Ocean Road is dangerous and he is in awe of us dragging our big heavy van along the way. We were a bit perturbed by this news as we had not heard before that the road was anything out of the ordinary safety - wise. We have since spoken to a couple of locals who have advised us that as long as we are sensible we should be OK. It seems that the really tough section is towards Lorne at the eastern end of the route. Looking at all the maps and reading the aforementioned blurbs, there are numerous caravan parks along the way indicating that it is safe for vans. I guess we will see when we get to that stage. I don’t really want our lad to be stressed about the driving. If anyone other than Steve had mentioned it, we would have most likely dismissed it as foolish, but we have for quite some time now, been in awe of Steve’s prowess at driving thru’ all sorts of dangerous situations. Steve & his wonderful wife Sylvia are tough and adventurous off-road types who will generally pull their van or camper trailer thru’ anything, including croc invested rivers. In our estimation if Steve thinks a road is dangerous, it is probably suicidal.

River trips, we really have a passion for these gems and found yet another cruise here in Warrnambool. This time the cost was only $16 ph and the boat trip was a one hour cruise up the Hopkins River. It was very pleasant and well worth the money with good commentary along the way. We were mind blown to be told that the new suburban sprawl along the riverside was inundated with water not many years ago. Why on earth the powers that be have allowed this development is beyond us, especially considering the dramas in Queensland at the moment.

From the boat - Hopkins River

So............as you will have guessed by now, I really don’t have a great deal to tell you about Warrnambool. Our lad has been a little on the quiet side this week and not inclined to explore so we have had a quiet five days. We were to head out today but have delayed our departure until tomorrow when the weather promises to be a little better. We have had a little foretaste of Tassie weather I think, so much that DD scurried off to buy himself some thermal underwear. That will be interesting, seeing our lanky lad compress himself into those long-johns!! Oh well, who am I to laugh, seeing as how my natural insulation is so great as to not need the added warmth of thermals.

Tomorrow we hitch up and head to Port Campbell where we will be in Great Ocean Road territory well and truly. Lookin’ towards it!

Until next time spare a thought and prayer for all those caught up in the floods and fires around our country. Smile at each other from time to time won’t you! Steph.

Stormy Seas