Posts Tagged ‘Port Fairy’

This is a must-do trip with your camper, enjoying the spoils on offer along the Great Ocean Road and keeping the navigation simple – stay in on your left-hand side!

A shopping trip at Torquay should be first on your list and the best bargains are found in the warehouses located behind the main surf shop strip. Good quality wetsuits, fins, mask and snorkel are mandatory and easily packed in the camper.  For the more adventurous, a surfboard is worth the effort too.

Stay on the Great Ocean Road from Torquay to Warrnambool.  There are many great places to stop along the way but Apollo Bay and Port Fairy are highly recommended – plan to stay at least one day at each town.

A terrific little (and not well known) camping ground is at Yambuk about 30km west of Port Fairy which is sensational, with a beautiful ocean beach and inland river. It caters for all water sports and all ages. Seafood lovers will be in heaven at Port MacDonnell, a popular and busy fishing port. The local seafood is well priced and very fresh. Camping at the council campground is recommended, with well priced camping, nice grassy sites and a short walk to the beach. Diving/snorkeling enthusiasts should visit the local Mt Gambier caves.  Permits are required (bookings required prior to arrival via SA National Parks). Piccinini and Ewans Ponds are both world renowned for their spectacular formations, clear water and ease of accessibility. Try to book in and do it around midday when the sun is directly overhead, giving maximum light to these underwater delights.

For architecture enthusiasts, or those who simply enjoy panoramic ocean views, Robe will not disappoint. Camping at the local campground on the hilltop will provide awesome ocean views and five star facilities. We recommend you make a straight run for Kangaroo Island from Robe and catch the afternoon ferry to the Island. Check you have a full fuel tank, as fuel supplies are limited on the Island. If arriving late there are a number of nice campsites at Antechamber Bay with good wind protection and plenty of wildlife. Wheatons Beach has magnificent views of the ocean and plenty of designated camping sites along the coastal road.  For those seeking a bit of fast action, the quad bikes at Vivonne Bay are worth a go.

No trip to Kangaroo Island is complete without a visit to Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch (approxiamately 10km apart).  Take the camera and get creative – the rocks provide a great contrast to the wild ocean. The office desk photo is easy to arrange here. The Island is abuzz with wildlife and don’t be surprised to meet a wallaby, koala or even echidna along the way. New Zealand seals and penguins also call the Island home. Be sure to have the camera on the ready for some great wildlife shots. Regular ferries run from the Island but it is recommended to book in advance (www.sealink.com.au).

Pack for all weather conditions, but expect awesome scenery, great food and meeting friendly people and wildlife along the way.

BMAN & SAMMO

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