Driving holidays – Adelaide to Warrnambool (SA)

On the road in South Australia

When leaving Adelaide behind, we headed off to our first morning tea stop in Harndorf. It’s such an awesome little town, and it’s world famous for its apple strudel. You simply cannot afford to miss this place. Harndorf is only a 90-minute drive from Adelaide. Watch the big hill heading out of Adelaide, however, as it’s a killer!

With full tummies, we cruised our way down to Robe for the night.  We stayed at the Big 4 park which is across the road from the beach –  and a great little swimming beach at that. The park has absolutely everything, including an indoor heated pool; way too spoilt for a caravan park!

We went out to some local farms to check out the dairy industry, comparing it with what we do in New Zealand. Most of it went straight over my head as I am still learning, but my wife Sheree talked for hours and was very impressed by the sheer size of some of the dairy units in and around Robe.  In the afternoon I hit the ship for a spot of fishing and gathered local seafood delicacies (see photo with a prized catch above!). Needless to say, that night’s dinner was the best we had had in many, many weeks.

Next day we headed off from Robe to Warrnambool, to see the sights of beautiful Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s best routes to drive.  Beautiful farmland one side, the glistening ocean on the other. Don’t forget your camera when in this part of the world because there are great photo opportunities. As a highlight, we even saw whales in the distance.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT

Driving holidays – Warrnambool (Victoria)

It’s the stuff of legend. Some call it Australia’s Loch Ness. It’s the Mahogany Ship, the mystery vessel, maybe a Portuguese caravel or even a Chinese junk, claimed to lie buried beneath the dunes between Warrnambool and Port Fairy on Victoria’s notorious Shipwreck Coast.

Historians predict that if found it could rewrite the history of Australia’s discovery.

You might not find it, but walking the sands and following the clues is heaps of fun.

The journey

From Melbourne there are two choices, with either Warrnambool or Port Fairy, a little beyond, as your base.

The inland route to Warrnambool, 269km or a 3.5-hour drive along the Princes Highway through Geelong, Colac and Camperdown, is the quickest, while your return can be via the spectacular Great Ocean Road, through Lorne and Apollo Bay, which takes a couple of hours longer.

Follow the clues

To get your bearings on the Mahogany Ship jigsaw, first visit Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum to soak up the atmosphere.

Then head west from Warrnambool toward historic Port Fairy. A popular spot to investigate is Gormans Road, on the left just beyond the Tower Hill State Game Reserve (also worth a visit). Follow the road toward the coast and wander east among the dunes where many believes the ship lies.

Or, to take it all in, follow the 23km Mahogany Ship Walking Track between Port Fairy and Warrnambool. It passes all of the main sites where searches have been undertaken since the dark-timbered wreck supposedly disappeared beneath the shifting sands more than 150 years ago.

I did my sleuthing in a lightning two days but ideally four or five would be the go, particularly if you like to take all those side roads.

There’s plentiful motel accommodation (booking is advisable) in Warrnambool, although a local pub or a B&B in Warrnambool or Port Fairy can be more down-home-ish.

Who knows, you might solve the mystery. If not, you’ll enjoy one of Australia’s most fascinating pieces of coastline.

For a modern-day adventure it’s 8 out of 10 – plus there’s the lure of local wineries, world heritage sites and beaches.

Scott