Purposeful Meandering Around Victoria - Week 3

Week 3: Our final week on the road and we’ve decided to take a leisurely pace up the east coast as we head for home. Monday morning and we checked out of our inner city apartment, we commented how much fun we’d had living in the heart of a capital city (for a brief change). Our first stop was the caravan manufactures who base themselves predominantly in the one area of Melbourne, but getting there meant we had to negotiate the streets of Melbourne. Trams, right turns from the left lane, weird lines painted on the road, fences in the middle of the road and rules I’d never heard of…….. how hard can it be?

We spent almost 3hrs trolling various makers getting ideas for what our next van will look like. Anyway by early afternoon we were heading east with no fixed plan of where we were staying the night. We had stops in Warragul and Moe before finally pulling up in Sale for the night. We often say “your travelling experiences are made up of the places you stay”. We opted for a motel for the night which could have doubled as a retirement village based on its vintage. Nonetheless it was a bed for the night and we were grateful.

Tuesday and google said it was only 3.5hr drive to Mallacoota so the kids were super happy, but we packed so much into the day that we didn’t arrive in Mallacoota till almost dinner time. Along the way we detoured out to Paynesville (part of the Gippsland Lake system) where we stumbled across the Mitchell Silt Jetties…… wow, wow, wow! Back in Bairnsdale we found a sneaky pie shop to indulge our hunger. I’m sure we could write a book on pie shops of Australia. Pushing further north finally made it to Lakes Entrance where we made the obligatory stop overlooking the lakes and the entrance. Leonie and I had been here almost 20 years ago so a lot but nothing had changed (if that makes sense). With our day slipping away we kept going, the next 2+ hours seemed to take forever, the rest of the car were all catching flies at one point or another, only to all wake up as we drove into Cann River where the Police blocked the whole highway to do RBT. Finally, we arrived in Mallacoota, it’s a place none of us had ever been to but I’d heard so much about it, especially when the 19/20 bushfires isolated the town forcing residents to be evacuated by the Navy off the beaches.

Note: internet photo

With a 2-night stay planned for Mallacoota we all felt like we’d earned a sleep-in, however the relentless southerly winds kept everything rattling but we did manage a lazy morning in the van park before heading out to do a bit of exploring in the car. It was quickly evident by its beauty why the town swells to 8 times its population over the festive period. Beach swimming, coastal walks and a labyrinth of estuaries that must have boaties and fishermen super excited. By late afternoon we’d changed modes of transport as we strolled up and down the shops and through the campgrounds before capping off our walk with ice-creams.

Thursday was moving day. It was only 20 or so km’s back to the highway and then a short drive north before you see the signs welcoming you to NSW and you instantly feel like you’re home, or a local at least. We stopped in Eden to check out the local tourist attractions, the views of Twofold Bay from Eden lookout and a picturesque Quarantine Bay before moving up the coast to Pambula where we caught up with a long-term friend for coffee and a chat. Pushing northwards along the coast to Tathra we were surprised by the growth in the coastal towns. Reflecting we had to remind ourselves it’d been many years since we’d been on the far south-coast. The winds of the past few days hadn’t abated so most towns didn’t feel warm or inviting simple because of the strong winds. By mid-afternoon we found ourselves in Moruya and we decided this was as good a place as any for an overnight stay, but for the 2nd time in a week our accommodation choices let us down. Without saying anymore, it was a bad choice.

Friday morning and we were all excited as we’d be home today. The overnight rains had persisted but by mid-morning the clouds had burnt off leaving a sunny and still windy day. We had stops in Mogo and Bateman’s Bay before stopping in Ulladulla to check out a few sites. The last 90min from Ulladulla seemed to drag over with so much roadworks happening on the south coast, but by mid-afternoon we were “Home Sweet Home”.

In 3-weeks we’d travelled over 4200km across much of Victoria, a small part of South Australia and the south coast of NSW. As we pulled in the driveway we all commented how nice it was to get away and for us, it completed our last part of exploring mainland Australia as a family. 

Purposeful Meandering Around Victoria - Week 2

Week 2 on the road has gone at a frenetic pace and at every turn it’s been action packed. Monday saw us broadening our wings out from Geelong, to the southern coastline where we visited the famous Bells Beach and an enjoyable meander through Torquay. This part of the coast wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Chocolaterie & Ice Creamy shop, needless to say we walked away with a few samples. By late afternoon we’d headed back into Geelong township for nice sunset photos.

On Tuesday we left our charming Geelong Airbnb with a plan of doing something a bit different, we headed out to Queenscliff where we utilized the car ferry service across to Sorrento saving us almost 3hrs and a few hundred kms driving. Arriving in Sorrento we enjoyed some time exploring the Mornington Peninsula which included the old Quarantine Station, The Pillars and the views from Arthur’s Seat before heading to Point Leo for a relaxing night of beach camping.

Wednesday was probably the highlight of our trip, we packed up with the temps already nudging 30deg and made our way out to Phillip Island. Being Australia Day it appeared everyone else had the same idea as getting a patch of sand at the beach was impossible. Instead we decided to go to our 2nd chocolate factory in 3 days where Sam and Leonie were like kids in a candy store. No surprise, we had more samples to take with us. The next stop was more to my liking, Phillip Island raceway where I witnessed a bike club day enjoying the spoils of having the track to themselves. By late afternoon we’d rested up at our accommodation before heading back out to watch the famous penguin parade at the southern end of the island. These little guys who numbered over 900 penguins on the night we were there, put on a great display of cuteness as they waddled up the beach and found their burrow’s for the night.

Thursday dawned with Melbourne and surrounding suburbs being lashed by severe thunderstorms and flash-flooding. It was our first rain of the trip but didn’t slow us down or dampen our enthusiasm. We headed across to the Dandenong Ranges where we watched the Puffing Billy steam train traverse the trestle bridge. By mid-afternoon we’d made our way into the Melbourne CBD for a few days of city life. Between negotiating trams, right turns from left lanes and crazy narrow laneways, I was glad to park the car and use other modes of transport for the next few days. We’d jagged a trendy little apartment over-looking Chinatown that was perfectly situated to everything.

A lazy start to Friday suited all of us, by mid-morning we’d ventured out for our first taste of Melbourne shopping. The girls had picked out a few DFO outlets which ultimately would have them satisfied for the next few days. By early afternoon I’d splintered away from the girls to do some local geocaching. Right on que and at my furthest point from the apartment I found myself stranded in the Botanical Gardens as another wild thunderstorm lashed the area. I found myself sharing a gazebo with 20 other strangers as we all tried to keep dry. Needless to say by the time I returned to the apartment I resembled a drowned rat and any thoughts of heading to the BBL final were squashed as the weather hadn’t improved.

Saturday saw us back in the car as we headed to the suburbs for the day. Our first stop was a trendy café in Richmond for breakfast and a chance to spot tennis notoriety, needless to say we failed on spotting any one famous, but we did enjoy a nice breakfast. We continued exploring Port Phillip Bay to the Brighton Bath Boxes where the milder weather ensured crowds were low and the boxes were all locked up displaying their full colours. We were in awe as we googled some of the crazy selling prices these basic 3x3m wooden boxes fetch. Back in the car and we headed back towards the city, we stopped at Melbourne’s Luna Park where a familiar big laughing face and rides greeted us. By late afternoon we were back in the CBD where we enjoyed a mostly relaxing afternoon exploring some cafes and alleyways around town. Like the rest of the nation we spent the night watching “Ash Barty” make us all proud. 

Sunday is meant to be a day rest, I wish the local patrons and shop owners adhered to that. On numerous occasions we were woken to the clanking of hundreds of bottles and cans as neighboring streets were cleaned up and rubbish discarded. After a lazy breakfast and a bit of grocery shopping for the days ahead, I’d surprised Leonie with the news that we’d be heading to the matinee show of the “Moulin Rouge Musical”. By 3pm we were seated in the majestic Regent Theatre as the stage come alive with some amazing dancing, singer and provocative costumes told a love story for the packed crowd…… We capped off our stay in Melbourne with dinner out on the town and another night of some great tennis.

Week 2 is done and dusted.

Purposeful Meandering Around Victoria - week 1

We’ve all got something or somewhere that COVID has limited our enjoyment, I could name multiple trips or destinations that we’ve planned, only for COVID restrictions to spoil our dreams. For us, sitting at home wasn’t the way to manage COVID so we decided to embark on our first family holiday in over 2 years.

With much of the country opening up we packed the car and headed south towards Mexico (Victoria). With Dave already in Wangaratta, that seemed like a logical place to start our 3 weeks adventure of Victoria. Arriving in Wang the temperatures were nudging 35deg so it was straight to the Ovens River for a relieving swim before heading out to the Warby-Ovens NP for a night’s camping. Unfortunately overnight temps offered little relief and a sticky sleepless night marred our first night of holidays. Undeterred by a restless night the following day we headed towards Bendigo where we checked out the local pottery, while the kids got a glimpse of their first tram. Continuing southward, we stopped at Hepburn Springs with an expectation of thermal springs or something similar, how wrong were we….haha! Before days end we’d arrived in Ballarat where we found a lovely 2-bedroom cottage for the next couple of nights.

Our cozy cottage and cooler overnight temps ensured a lazy start to Tuesday, but it wasn’t long before we hit the tourist attractions of the Eureka Stockade, Sovereign Hill and a glimpse of when the 1956 Olympics came to town. By days end we all commented that we’d packed a lot into one day.

Wednesday saw us heading further west, the towns of Aarat, Stawell and Seppelts Wines all demanded a quick inspection before heading to Halls Gap, and The Grampians. I could have easily spent a few days here exploring the many adventures or sights on offer but we’d made a family decision that we’d simply drive through this time, vowing to return another time for a specific holiday in the Grampians. By mid-afternoon with the temps in the mid 30’s we snuck across the border into South Australia. Actually, there was no border enforcement, leaving us both to comment on how nice it felt that most of our country could work as one nation. We were soon in Mount Gambier which was our home for the next couple of days. The town is known for its Limestone history which has created numerous sinkholes around the region and its pre-historic volcanic activity with many old volcanoes now filled with water for both recreational and human consumption. Blue Lake immediately grabs your attention due to its amazing turquoise colour.

With lots to see ‘n’ do on Thursday we headed out reasonably early to take in the sights. Our first stop was Mount Schank, Australia’s youngest extinct volcano allows visitors to walk around the rim or even venture into the earth filled crater, an experience we all enjoyed. A short drive south saw us on the limestone coast at Port MacDonnell where coastal erosion provides an amazing rugged rocky scenery. A plaque at the old lighthouse reminded us of how tough the early settlers did it, with 35 ships being lost at sea throughout the late 1800’s. Our next stop/s were the numerous sinkholes and caves that litter the landscape, Little Blue Lake provided a great opportunity to cool off while other sinkholes were for the more experienced cave divers. Back in the heart of Mount Gambier a must-see was the Cave Gardens and Umpherston Sinkhole. Our day culminated with us exploring the beauty of Blue Lake and a picnic dinner beside Valley Lake.

Friday we were on the road again and back in Victoria, the coastal towns of Portland, Port Fairy and Warrnambool all provided some amazing sights, none more than in Portland where the local timber exporting industry takes place. B-double semi-trailers laden with wood chip are hoist into the air at almost 60deg which unloads their cargo at an amazing rate, the whole process only taking minutes before the next semi-trailers move in to do the same. Leaving Warrnambool we soon found ourselves on the picturesque “Great Ocean Rd” and our first glimpses of the amazing coastline didn’t disappoint with the Bay of Islands provided a perfect example of what lay ahead. We seemed to spend more time getting in and out of the car over the next few hours as every point of interest was worthy of a stop. By days end we’d made it to Port Campbell where the temperatures once again demanded we cool off with a swim…. Has anyone ever said swimming in the Southern Ocean in summer can be very cold? Needless to say it was a short but refreshing swim. Our day concluded with some sunset pictures overlooking the 12 Apostles.

More driving along the Great Ocean Rd beckoned on Saturday and once again the sights were breathtaking, a walk into Loch Ard Gorge and the early morning sun on the 12 Apostles was beautiful. The road soon leaves the coast as it heads into the Otways and does scenery, rainforest and mountainous trees filled the void for the next few hours before we once again popped out on the coast at Apollo Bay. The abundance of crowds was the first thing to grab our attention, it seem every Victorian heads to Apollo Bay or Lorne for summer holidays. Continuing east we did the final stint of the Great Ocean Rd as it winds it way along the waterline with its towering cliffs swapping from either side of the road. By days’ end we’d arrived in Geelong at a quaint Airbnb which would be home for the next few days.

Our first week on the road culminated with a lazy Sunday morning, we caught up on numerous loads of washing and restocked our food supplies before deciding to head downtown and explore the foreshore and surrounding city centre. Another glorious hot day ensured all the water vantage points were busy jostling for somewhere to cool off. As our first week of holidays came to end we caught up with friends for dinner who we’d met travelling Australia back in 2014, lots of laughs and reminiscing of past travels ensued.

Week 1 is done