If you are looking to spent one to two hours on a leisurely hike with some beautiful views of the ocean, Cape Schanck is the place to go. It is situated on the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula separating the turbulent waters of Bass Strait from the slightly calmer waters of Western Port.
Cape Schanck is better known for its iconic lighthouse and boardwalk. The Cape Schanck Lighthouse has served shipping since 1859. Constructed from dressed limestone and sandstone, the original mechanisms are still in place – which makes this lighthouse pretty unique!
Well-maintained, wooden boardwalk with views of the light house and Cape Schanck.
Positioned near the lighthouse, the boardwalk provides a scenic walk to the beach below with spectacular ocean views, dramatic volcanic features, unspoilt beaches and pleasant walking tracks. The waters are frosty blue in colour, and seals or dolphins can sometimes be spotted in the area. The stoney beach is scattered with rock pools while the tall, basalt cliffs lend a touch of mystery to the rugged backdrop.
From the carpark, take the walking track to the left of the kiosk. This short circuit walk takes visitors to the start of the wooden staircase and boardwalk which descends to the beach and rock platform. There are several lookout points along the way that offer stunning views of geological formations created millions of years ago.
Cape Schanck is a great place to visit at any time of the year but remember to bring a jacket as it can get windy and chilly even with the sun shining overhead. The beach at the bottom of the boardwalk can get quite slippery with strong waves moving in and breaking across the rocky platform, so it’s best to keep out of harm’s way and not to stand too close to the water’s edge.
Wilsons Promontory, lying about 200km south-east of Melbourne, is one of Victoria’s best loved national parks in the Gippsland region. Fondly known as ‘The Prom’, this 50,000-hectare park offers sandy white beaches, rugged mountains, evergreen rainforests, numerous walking trails and rocky offshore islands. If you enjoy raw nature, stunning landscapes and wildlife, then The Prom should be in your must-visit list.
Over the years, I have been to Melbourne many times, but had never heard of Wilsons Promontory until my recent visit in June 2018. While flipping through the pages of a travel booklet on short Australian getaways, I came across Wilsons Promontory and immediately signed up for a day trip as I was due to leave Australia in two days’ time. At 7:00am on a Melbourne winter morning, I joined 8 others on a 3-hour journey from the City to Wilsons Promontory.
Our first stop was at The Prom Wildlife Walk, probably one of the best places to observe Australia’s native animals like kangaroos, wallabies, emus, echidnas and wombats. I was pretty excited to see so many kangaroos so soon into our arrival and took this as a positive sign that it was going to be a memorable day! Our driver and guide, Jeremy, led us on a short tour behind the wildlife viewing area where we got a glimpse of the native animals’ natural habitat.
This is wombat poo – cylindrical and flat at both ends.The emus only came out in the late afternoon.
Mount Bishop
We then headed towards Lilly Pilly Gully for what I thought was to be just a nature walk. This section of the trail cuts across Aussie bush, flowers and eucalyptus, allowing a glimpse into The Prom’s forested interior.
After walking for approximately 1.4 km, Jeremy told us to stop at the point where the trail forked into two. He asked who wanted to take the narrower and steeper left trail and continue for another 2.4km to the summit of Mount Bishop. The second option was to go along the more gentle Lilly Pilly Gully track that winds down a valley ending back at the carpark.
The hike to Mount Bishop.
Truth be told, I was not psychologically prepared to climb a mountain on that day. As it turned out, everyone except me voted to hike up to Mount Bishop. Jeremy started to brief me on my lone walk down the Lilly Pilly Gully track and told me to wait at the carpark for the others to return from Mount Bishop. The idea of doing the deserted Lilly Pilly Gully track did not appeal to me because I did not see any other hikers throughout the time we were using the trail. What if something unexpected happens and I cannot call for help? Did I mention that I am very prone to sprains? I even sprained my foot two weeks earlier at Hanging Rock! I changed my mind and decided to join the rest to Mount Bishop.
Mount Bishop is a 6.8 km, grade 3 return hike which takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Early sections are relatively easy-going, but the track becomes steeper and narrower, requiring you to step over granite rocks, logs and branches on the way. On reaching the top you need to continue a little further to a second set of boulders before the stunning views of The Prom’s coastline and offshore islands open up. This itself made the rock scramble to the top worth it.
Squeaky Beach
The next stop was to Squeaky Beach. If you’re wondering how this beach got its funny name, it’s because the even-sized silica grains of sand rub against each other, making a squeaking sound when you walk on the sand.
First view of Squeaky BeachThe sand is superfine, white and soft.
There is a medium-size stream running across at the beach’s entrance, so you need to walk in water or make a “bridge” from fallen branches to get across. I felt that I was agile enough to jump across and took a leap of faith to get across – just barely made it to the other side without getting my shoes wet!
Squeaky Beach is beautiful. The nearby rock formations create a range of rock pools and sandy passages worthy of exploration. The sea is a captivating shade of aqua, with strong waves breaking and spreading quickly across the rocks before receding back to sea.
While the rest made their way towards Tidal River, I opted to remain behind to take in the scenery for a bit longer.
The group on its way to Tidal River
Fifteen minutes later, the both of us got into the mini bus and drove to our meeting point at Tidal River carpark. There is only one general store, a Visitor Centre and a public toilet. By the time we got there, however, both the local store and Visitor Centre had already closed for the day.
While waiting for the rest to show up, I went to check out the surroundings…and what do you know? A wombat came right up my path and loitered around for quite some time.
I felt quite ecstatic to see this furry critter nibbling nonchalantly at the grass in front of me. It appeared totally unperturbed by my presence. The cute fellow even crossed the path and made its way right under the bench where our guide was sitting! By the time the others crossed Tidal River bridge and walked towards us, the wombat decided that it had had enough of humans clicking away with their mobile phones and disappeared into the bushes.
A seagull perched on a wooden bench at the Visitor Centre carpark
I had a great time at Wilsons Promontory and the day was over all too quickly. It’s really no wonder that many people return to The Prom year after year to enjoy what Nature has to offer.
Hanging Rock or Mount Diogenes lies near the townships of Woodend and Mount Macedon. This jagged outcrop, rising up from an open plain around 50 miles north-west of Melbourne, is the eroded remains of an extinct volcano. The rock is over 6 million years old, formed by an eruption of magma. Over time ice and wind shaped the unique rock pinnacles seen today.
This former volcano tells many tales about the history of the Macedon Ranges. It is very important both culturally and spiritually to the area’s 100 or so indigenous peoples. The site was used for sacred ceremonies and rituals. However, they avoided venturing to the rock’s summit, which they believed to be inhabited by evil spirits.
Perhaps Hanging Rock is more famously known as the main setting for Joan Lindsay’s 1967 best-selling book, “Picnic at Hanging Rock” and Peter Weir’s film of the same title.
This sci-fi, psychological thriller set in 1900 tells about a group of girls in an Australian boarding school who mysteriously vanish at Hanging Rock while on a Valentine’s Day picnic. Although the novel is entirely fictional, it is framed as though it is a true story, leaving audiences at the edge of their seats with many unanswered questions.
After their picnic lunch, four of the girls, Miranda, Edith, Irma and Marion, decide to climb and explore Hanging Rock with their teacher, Ms McCraw. In an inexplicable turn of events, the girls simply vanish – except for Edith who is hysterical and cannot explain what actually happened!
The boarding school and entire community is thrown into chaos and an intensive search for the girls ensues. One of the missing girls, Irma, is found at Hanging Rock, unconscious but unharmed. A series of terrible events follow with students pulling out from the boarding school, teachers quitting unexpectedly, a schoolgirl committing suicide and the headmistress, Mrs Appleyard killing herself by jumping off Hanging Rock. The community is not spared either and the story ends with the school and police station going up in flames.
The ending for the novel and film leaves audiences “hanging” in suspense as none of the missing girls are ever found. Fiction or folklore? We will never know!
Hanging Rock still commads an air of history, mystery and intrigue today. It remains a popular picnic spot and provides a backdrop for music concerts, markets and horse races.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be born into a wealthy family, grow up in a mansion and spend your childhood days playing and running around in your very own sprawling garden that extends as far as the eyes can see?
Just nine kilometres away from Melbourne’s CBD is Rippon Lea, one of Australia’s most historic heritage homes spreading across 17 hectares of land.
Rippon Lea mansion was built for Sir Frederick Sargood, a business man and politician. The name “Rippon” was taken after Sargood’s mother’s maiden name and “Lea” is an English word for “meadow”.
This 33-room Victorian mansion was home to Sargood, his wife, Marian, and their nine children. Rippon Lea provides a walk back through time, giving visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of the very rich, as well as a fascinating insight into the habits of the upper class of Melbourne during the period between 1860 and 1970.
The Sargoods enjoyed a little help in the form of 7 maids, a butler, 7 gardeners, a coachman and a groom. If you have ever watched the TV series, “Upstairs, Downstairs” and “Downton Abbey”, it is safe to conclude that there must have been a wide gap in lifestyle between the “upstairs” and “downstairs” people at Rippon Lea.
Being a typical Victorian man, Sargood was both practical and visionary. Rippon Lea mansion was one of the first homes in Melbourne to get its own electricity supply. He also developed an elaborate underground watering system – an clever example of early engineering works in Australia, particularly for a private property. As a gardening enthusiast, Sargood was particularly keen on orchids and ferns, and even imported some of his plants.
Guests arriving in their carriages would pull up at the mansion’s grand entrance.
Although Rippon Lea’s architecture and its outbuildings are impressive, it is the mansion’s gardens which are a sight to behold.
A walk in the grounds reveals a 1930’s swimming pool, a conservatory, sweeping lawns, majestic trees, orchards, a fernery and bridges running across an ornamental lake. Rippon Lea is where nature, tranquility and elegance come together in letting the imagination take flight.
The Gatehouse Tea Room serves a range of sandwiches, cakes and beverages.
Today, Rippon Lea is run as a museum by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). The Trust works towards conserving the architecture and the landscape, and sharing stories of the previous owners and their servants.
This was my third visit to Rippon Lea and there is always something new and beautiful to discover when visiting. The place is enticing at any time of the day. There is a small fee to pay but it’s well worth the money. There are shady paths for a leisurely stroll and the spacious lawns are open for family picnics and for children to play.
The grounds are available for hire for garden weddings, birthday parties, family gatherings or festive celebrations. The Ballroom is a venue for wedding receptions, gala dinners and corporate events.
I was ready to spend a quiet afternoon at home when my sister called to ask if I would be interested to join her and her husband to check out the previous neighbourhood that she used to live in before getting married. After some reminiscing and driving around for a bit, we found ourselves at Beaumaris.
This affluent beachside suburb is located some 20 km south-east of Melbourne’s central business district.
Beaumari sits on a headland surrounded on three sides by water. A pedestrian and bicycle trail passes through the entire length of the coastline, along the clifftop and beach. The beach is made up of wide stretches of sand, with the shallow waters making it safe for swimming. There are several rock platforms which extend out into the bay and form part of the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary.
I was told by my brother-in-law that he and his brother used to frequent this place as little boys, to fish and catch shrimps.
The Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron has it base along this section of the coast and the complex includes a function centre, jetty and boat ramp.The coastline consists of cliffs with native bushland along their tops and scattered pockets of sand at their base, stretching eastwards to Mentone.
It was too bad that we only arrived at Beaumaris in the late afternoon, with very little time to enjoy a leisurely stroll along the quiet nature trail, as darkness started to envelope the surroundings very quickly.
On the third day of my stay in Australia, my younger sister offered to bring me to the National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda, situated high up in the Dandenong hills about an hour’s drive from Melbourne.
After passing through many suburbs on the Marundah Highway, we made a left exit that took us on a narrow, winding climb up Fern Tree Gully Road. A couple of minutes later, we found ourselves at the pretty village of Olinda, 569 m (1,867 ft) above sea level.
Driving 500m further in from Olinda, we arrived at the carpark surrounded by giant trees called Mountain Ash that boast of being among the tallest trees in the world.
The 104-acre National Rhododendron Gardens is known to house some of the Australia’s most unique and exciting collection of plants, showcasing a variety of brilliantly-coloured blooms including rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, cherries and daffodils.
Rhododendron Gardens is an amazing place to visit at any time of the year and there is no charge to enter. When not in bloom, you can still soak in the beauty of rich bark textures, seed capsules, plant shapes and natural scents that fill the air as you stroll along the well-maintained, undulating tarmac paths.
It’s a great place to spend some relaxing time with friends and family. There are lots of opportunities for photography, exercise as well as spotting wildlife and birds.
Mention the word ‘koala’ to me and the first image that comes to mind is a cute, furry grey animal with a white stomach and no tail, found in souvenir shops, wildlife magazines and at best, in an Aussie zoo! Yes, I’ve caught glimpses of koalas in the wild. However, those sightings were not only rare, but difficult to spot as koalas usually sit high up in eucalyptus branches.
Driver: Look, there’s one up there!
Me: Where? Where?
Driver: See the big tree in the middle? (Duh???) She’s right there.
Me: I see only lots of trees. Where?
Driver: It’s a bit dark but you can still see her. Up there. Look, she’s moving now.
Me: Where? Where?
Everyone else: Yes, there she is! Aww! That’s so cute!
Me: Where? Where?
Driver: That’s all, folks. The koala’s gone!
I had never really seen a koala in its natural habitat until I visited the Koala Conservation Centre in Phillip Island. The Centre plays host to a special koala breeding programme, ensuring it remains a key player in the conservation of these iconic animals.
The unique treetop boardwalks in a eucalypt woodland area gives visitors the chance to see how these amazing creatures live as they would in the wild. Even while strolling, two or three koalas could be seen relaxing in the trees directly above me.
It was super exciting to see them face-to-face. Never in my life had I come this close to a koala. This fella was like on a branch five feet away from me and I could literally touch him if I leaned forward and stretched out my hand.
I was half expecting the koala to move away but instead, he moved even nearer towards me, bringing the both of us to eye level by his sheer weight on the branch. We just stared at each other for around a minute, waiting to see the other’s next move. It was perfect timing for a photograph (or selfie) but I didn’t want to scare him off with a lens in front of my face. That was a very special moment for me and one which I will never forget.
Certain stretches of the wooden boardwalk have more koala poo than others, indicating that koalas have their favourite spots to hang out. When walking along this part of the bridge, you need to be on your toes (pardon the pun) to avoid stepping on koala poo and keep looking upwards occasionally to make sure that no koala does its toilet business on you!
I have to admit that I’ve never ever seen a koala walk on the ground before! It was specially thrilling to see this cute fella casually climbing down the tree trunk and sitting on a log for a quick rest…
…before making his way under the boardwalk where I was standing. He appeared on the other side and proceeded to climb up another tree! How I wished I had videotaped the scene but I was so excited to see the koala on the ground that I couldn’t think straight!
Kennett River situated along the coastal bushland between Lorne and Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road is one of the best places in Australia to see koalas in the wild. This area is home to hundreds of colonies that live in both the forests and more urbanised areas. You are practically guaranteed close koala sightings if you drive up the Grey River Road. Here, they can be found in trees surrounding the houses, in peoples’ gardens, relaxing on someone’s balcony and occasionally crossing the road!
Hearing this catchy tune on the way back to Melbourne, “Please Don’t Call Me a Koala Bear‘ by Don Spencer, sealed the end of a thoroughly enjoyable day with the koalas!
Please Don’t Call Me a Koala Bear
I’m a koala not a bear
And I don’t think it’s fair The way that people always add a word that isn’t there I’m a marsupial and proud of it And there can be no doubt of it I’m closer to a kangaroo than I am to a bear
So please don’t call me a koala bear Coz I’m not a bear at all Please don’t call me a koala bear It’s driving me up the wall If your name was Tom And everyone called you Dick Perhaps you’d understand why I’m sick, sick, sick I’m simply a koala And I want the name to stick
So please don’t call me a koala bear
I live here in Australia In a eucalyptus tree I’m as cuddly, cute and charming as an animal can be I don’t understand fair dinkum How anyone could think them Grizzly bears and polar bears Are anything like me
So please dont call me a koala bear Coz I’m not a bear at all Please don’t call me a koala bear It’s driving me up the wall If your name was Tom And everyone called you Dick Perhaps you’d understand why I’m sick, sick, sick I’m simply a koala And I want the name to stick
Just 235 kilometres west of Melbourne is Grampians National Park which is down on Australia’s National Heritage List for its outstanding natural beauty. The Park boasts of one of the richest aboriginal rock art sites in south-eastern Australia, with some of the best bush scenery against a backdrop of rugged sandstone mountains that can reach as high up as 1000 metres.
I had never been to The Grampians during my previous visits to Australia – until last year. Of all days, I had to sign up for a day tour during one of the wettest and coldest days in Victoria! It was too late to pull out from the trip by the time it was announced that heavy showers were expected the next day.
I felt less apprehensive when the Driver/Guide explained that The Grampians had its own climate and eco system, so the wet weather forecast need not necessarily apply to the National Park. With this assurance, I didn’t think too much about the intermittent showers that accompanied our small group during the 3-hour journey.
Brambuk Cultural Centre
The coach drove into the township of Halls Gap and dropped us off at the Brambuk Culture Centre. Owned and operated by five Aboriginal communities, Brambuk Culture Centre is the longest running Aboriginal cultural centre in Australia, offering information on the Grampians National Park as well as local aboriginal culture and history. The architecture of the centre looks like a flying cockatoo, a symbol of the local Aboriginal communities.
There was a lot of interesting things on display at the Centre – multimedia shows, art exhibitions, aboriginal artefacts, cultural talks, an aboriginal museum, and activities such as didgeridoo music, traditional dance, basket weaving, boomerang throwing and painting. I even managed to spot a number of wallabies roaming freely in the garden.
The Brambuk Cutural Centre with the towering sandstone mountains of The Grampians
The group was scheduled to have lunch at Halls Gap and I was really looking forward to checking out this interesting-looking town. Once we got inside the coach, however, the Guide broke the news that we would be by-passing Halls Gap and heading straight for MacKenzie Falls instead. Storm clouds had already started to form in the distance and he wanted to make sure that we got the chance to visit the Park’s major attraction before the rain. We began the 40-minute drive up the winding mountain road towards MacKenzie Falls.
On the way, I could see evidence of the destructive forces responsible for shaping the landscape – burnt, charred, naked trees everywhere with no birds or animals in sight.
In the past ten years, Grampians National Park has been hit by a series of natural disasters, namely bushfires and floods. In 2006, a major bushfire devastated about 50 percent of the park, followed five years later by a major flood that damaged a significant amount of the park’s infrastructure, particularly along the MacKenzie River.
The road we followed marked a transection between two distinct vegetation types – healthy woodlands on one side and scorched eucalyptus trees standing out of rock and ash on the other. The lonely trees, dark clouds and stillness of the surroundings gave the area a bleak and gloomy feel, as if waiting in quiet anticipation for something to happen.
MacKenzie Falls
After a hurried lunch at the picnic area, I made my way down the 1.9 km path leading to the waterfalls. MacKenzie Falls is one of Victoria`s largest and most spectacular waterfalls. It is independent of weather and season, and flows all year round.
The falls sees torrents of water cascade over huge cliffs and plunging into a deep pool, sending fine sprays of rainbow mist high into the air above a stunning gorge.
Small streams seen along the way to MacKenzie Falls.
The weather seemed to favour us, with the grey clouds being held in check by the wind. At first, the hike seemed to be an easy one but as I walked further in, the path became progressively steeper, involving many stairs going down to reach the base of the waterfall. In any case, it wasn’t nearly as tiring as climbing back up!
The pool at the base of MacKenzie Falls looked tempting especially after the long walk. However, the water is deceptively deep and the rocks slippery. Swimming is discouraged as some people have drowned here in recent years. It’s best to stay out of the water and just enjoy the scenery.
Reed Lookout and The Balconies
Just as the coach made its way out of the carpark, the clouds gave way and it started to pour. It was still raining very heavily when we arrived at Reed Lookout.
Reed Lookout right across the carpark is supposed to be a fantastic platform for enjoying sweeping views of the Victoria Valley on one side and Lake Wartook on the other. This lookout is also the starting point of the track to the rock formation known as The Balconies.
Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to capture any views from Reed Lookout due to the rainfall, clouds and thick fog which reduced visibility to near zero. We remained inside the coach, hoping for the storm to subside soon. It was freezing cold outside and everyone just stayed put on their seats! I was beginning to think that this would be another one of those disappointing trips where I had to make my way home without accomplishing what I had set out to do.
Luckily, the rain eased to a moderate drizzle 15 minutes later and I decided to make the 2-kilometre walk to The Balconies that takes about 25 minutes one way. Apart from the fact that the ground was wet and a bit slippery, it turned out to be a pleasant walk on a gentle dirt track with some interesting sights along the way. I walked past a rocky outcrop of stacked rocks and through a forest with lush bush and wildflowers.
Toadstool rock with Lake Wartook in the distanceStorm clouds over Lake Wartook
There were seats hewn from tree trunks for resting, before arriving at the highlight of the Grampians – the rock formation called The Balconies, better known as The Jaws of Death.
At one time, there used to be uninhibited access to this lookout and people could walk all the way to the edge of the ‘jaw’ to take in the scenery. Today, the path is sealed off to visitors to allow the bush around the rock formation time to recover from the bush fires. I suspect that the real reason behind the closure has something to do with safety because someone accidentally slipped and fell to her death some years back.
Visibility at The Balconies was blurry and misty – not what they could have been. Still, The Jaws of Death is admirably huge, jutting out fearlessly and majestically, and beckoning the daring and suicidal to walk out of its upper lip and mouth for stunning views of the valley below.
Just as I started to make my way back it started to rain again – a light drizzle at first, turning quickly into a shower and culminating in a downpour midway along the trail. I started to run all the way back, but was soaking wet and numb with cold by the time I got inside the coach. Ahh! It was so nice to have the air-conditioning turned up and feel warm again. I took this opportunity to space out and let my mind wander while waiting for the others to make their way round the bend and back!
Boroka Lookout
The last stop was to Boroka Lookout, a 10-minute drive up the mountain from Reed Lookout. This is an easy lookout as it is accessible via sealed roads and therefore suited for those with limited mobility. A casual stroll through an open forest leads to two viewing platforms giving a bird’s-eye view of the Fyans Valley, Lake Bellfield and more.
In my case, getting to the lookout involved a light sprint instead of a stroll as it was still raining. While most of the others remained inside the coach still recovering from the damp and cold experienced earlier, I made a dash for Boroka Lookout, taking a shortcut through the forest and bushes. For my efforts, I was rewarded with views of the fog, more fog and not much else!
Fog scenery beyond the walkway.Negative space at the Boroka platform.A sign of desperation. No views so I turned to photographing the trees instead!
So…it was not exactly the best day to visit Grampians National Park. I must say, however, that the gloomy weather had a special quality of its own, bringing to attention other ordinary elements that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. In retrospect, I enjoyed myself immensely, although in an unexpected way! I’d love to go back there again and spend a night or two at Halls Gap to explore more walking trails, lakes and waterfalls and take more photos in better weather!
While putting up at my mother’s place in Melbourne last year, I decided to sign up for a day tour of the Great Ocean Road. This was my third visit to the scenic coastline. I still remember my second tour of the same road many years ago. That was the time we took our 2-year-old daughter, C, on her first overseas trip.
I had made sure that C slept most of the time during our flight so that the journey would not seem so long. When the pilot announced that we would be touching down at Tullamarine Airport in 90 minutes, the both of us felt relieved that the long flight had turned out better than expected. C had woken up by then and was trying to make friends with the little boy seated directly behind us. By and by, our attention turned to the airline stewardess who was running up and down the aisle and seemed rather flustered. Guess what? The little boy behind us had thrown up in the plane! The stewardess was doing her best to clean up the mess and reassure the embarrassed parents that everything was going to be alright. As the stench of vomit began to fill our nostrils, I started to feel queasy and turned to my husband for a sick bag. Unfortunately, he had his eyes closed while clutching a sick bag! I managed to find another one for myself and took deep gulps while doing mental workouts for the retching feeling to go away. Seconds later, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was my husband gesturing to me that C looked like she was about to throw up! I had to act fast and quickly shoved my bag in front of her. Methinks the stewardess should have thanked me for saving her from cleaning up another mess. As for me, all that frantic gulping, swallowing and mind control actually worked!
The moment we got in the coach for the Great Ocean Road tour, I knew we had made a big mistake. Barely an hour into the journey, C started to show signs of nausea. Viewing stops in the itinerary were spent inside the Visitor Centre or in the cold outdoors, desperately trying to get C to recover sufficiently so that we could continue the next leg of our journey. What was supposed to have been an enjoyable day out on the Great Ocean Road turned out to be a nightmare. It was a huge relief when we finally made it back to Melbourne in the late evening!
This time, I was determined to make the most of the tour. So on a very cold and wet morning in August 2015, my sister, two nephews and I boarded the train to Flinders Street Station and waited outside St Paul’s Cathedral for the coach that would take us on the Reverse Great Ocean Road Tour!
Colac Park
Our first stop for morning tea was at Colac Park. The town is built next to the huge Lake Colac and sits on the doorstep to the Great Otway National Park. While we were helping ourselves to coffee and biscuits, I noticed that my 14-year old nephew was unusually quiet and asked him if anything was wrong. He told me that the memory card in his camera was full and that he didn’t have an extra one. Oh no! I hadn’t anticipated this! How could he have used up 8GB of memory within a few days of buying the camera?
The quiet breath of Lake Colac at dawn
I asked our Tour Guide/Driver if we could make a quick stop in Colac town to buy an SD card. She said “no” as we were on a very tight itinerary and it would be unfair to keep the other passengers waiting. What a crappy excuse! I would have been able to accept it if she had said that it was too early in the morning for the shops to be opened! Seeing my nephew so dejected, I allowed him to use my SD card from my cellphone – but not before issuing a veiled threat that there would be hell to pay if he lost any data or stored images. This act of kindness cheered him up immediately and he was soon back to his usual cheerful self. I was waiting for him to shed tears of gratitude but that moment never came!
London Bridge
London Bridge is an impressive rock formation, offering sweeping views of the great Southern Ocean. During my first visit many years back, London Bridge was a double-span archway and tunnel which allowed me to walk right across to the furthest end of the cliff. In 1990, I read the news that the arch closest to the shore had collapsed, becoming a bridge without a middle. It’s good to know that I was one of those lucky ones who managed to make it all the way across before London Bridge fell down!
Loch Ard Gorge
If you are looking to find a spot on the Great Ocean Road that has it all, then Loch Ard Gorge wins hands down! Where else can you find rugged natural beauty, towering limestone cliffs, offshore stacks, mysterious blowholes and friendly nature trails to explore? Oh yes! Let’s not forget the stories of shipwreck and survival!
Twelve Apostles
There’s no better place to leave behind life’s daily trivia than the dramatic and wind-swept coastline where the iconic Twelve Apostles sit. I first saw the golden cliffs and crumbling pillars from a helicopter during my first tour of the Great Ocean Road. At that time, nine apostles were still visible. My second time here is not worth mentioning as I only got as far as the Visitor Centre!
This third time, however, I was determined to see something – anything, so I made my way under a tunnel leading out to an extensive walkway complete with viewing platforms.
Powerful waves and wind of the Southern Ocean pound the rugged, windswept coastline, carving them into caves, then arches, and eventually battering them down into columns that rise up to 45 metres high! They used to be connected to the cliffs of the mainland some 20 million years ago. The stacks continue to be eroded at a rate of roughly 2 centimetres a year. Over the years, some have given up the battle against nature and today, only seven stacks remain.
Long ago, the Twelve Apostles was known as “The Sow and Piglets”. However, I’m sure you’ll agree that the name “Twelve Apostles” lends more credence and dignity to this weather-beaten magnificent landscape.
It’s an invigorating, end-of-the-earth feeling to watch this dramatic coastline being whipped by howling winds and foaming seas. No photograph or video can accurately capture the ocean’s raw power and the emotion it brings out, unless you’re standing there yourself.
Walkway leading to the Twelve Apostles
Seen behind the Visitor Centre. The narrow path less travelled.
Proof that I was here!
Pond behind the Visitor Centre that attracts birdlife
Wild Koalas and Birdlife at Kennet River
Native animals and wildlife are certainly not shy in the Kennett River area, located half way between the seaside towns of Apollo Bay and Lorne. In fact, the wildlife appear to coexist with the residents there. How refreshing it must be to look outside everyday and spot a koala or kookaburra in the trees!
A popular stop to see koalas, king parrots, rosellas and kookaburra is the Grey River Road. This dirt road winds up amongst some beautiful eucalyptus trees with wild koalas feeling right at home in their natural habitat. There are wild birds and cockatoos in the trees near the parking area. They are so used to humans gawking at them that they are no longer camera-shy – like this kookaburra below!
Memorial Arch
Memorial Arch marks the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. The arch is a tribute to the 3,000 returned soldiers from WWI who built the road between 1919 and 1932.
The 243-kilometre stretch of road itself was built as a memorial for all those who had lost their lives in WWI. It extends from Torquay to Allansford and is the longest war memorial in the world.
Next to Memorial Arch is a sculpture of two returned soldiers working on the Great Ocean Road. The sculpture was built to honour the men who used only pickaxes and shovels to clear the way and smoothen the road. The difficult and dangerous nature of the work resulted in a high level of turnover and a number of deaths.
To give an idea of what life was like back then, bush camps were set up at the site, with a piano, gramophone, playing cards, games, newspapers and magazines for recreation and relaxation. Accommodation was in individual tents, with a communal dining marquee and a kitchen. The soldiers were paid 10 shillings and sixpence ($1.05) for an eight-hour day and worked a half-day on Saturdays. Meals were not provided, and food costs came up to 10 shillings week. Due to the distances involved, few soldiers were able to go home to their families during their rest days, so swimming, fishing and hunting became popular weekend pastimes.
Sunset at Memorial Arch.
Surf Beaches
The Great Ocean Road is dotted with many surf spots, attracting surfing professionals from around the world.
Torquay, at the beginning of the Great Ocean Road, is the birthplace of surf culture. The leading surf brands of Rip Curl and Quiksliver were established here more than 30 years ago and are now global market leaders in clothing and equipment for surf, snow and adventure sports. The internationally renowned Bells Beach is home to the famous annual Rip Curl Pro event.
We stopped at Torquay for a hearty Bubba’s Pizza dinner, spread across a barbecue bench next to the beach. There was a full moon that evening and its light across the darkened sky signalled the end of an enjoyable and satisfying day on the Great Ocean Road!
Loch Ard Gorge is a must-stop point along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. It’s found in Port Campbell National Park, just three minutes away from the world-famous Twelve Apostles.
Flanked by two cliff faces and tufts of vibrant greenery, this scenic gorge is home to a secluded, turquoise-coloured bay with rolling waves caressing a narrow, sandy beach. However, Loch Ard Gorge isn’t just another natural Aussie attraction. It has a history of tragedy, irony and heroism that started from a voyage 130 years ago.
In 1878, the Loch Ard, a magnificent three-masted square-rigged iron clipper ship set sail from Gravesend (I’m serious!) in Kent, UK. Measuring 263 feet long with a beam of 38 feet, it carried onboard 17 passengers and 37 crew for a 3-month voyage to Melbourne. For the past 90 days at sea, it had been smooth-sailing and everyone was in good spirits, looking forward to their arrival in Melbourne the next day. On the night of 31 May 1878, a party was organised to celebrate the end of a long voyage.
Many days of fog and poor weather had made it difficult for the newly married, 29-year-old Captain Gibb to calculate his exact position for the critical passage into the western entrance of Bass Strait. By the time the mist lifted around 4:00am, the Loch Ard was greeted by powerful breakers and treacherous cliffs of the Victorian coast just two miles away. The Captain and his crew tried desperately to drop their anchors in an effort to steady the ship and turn her about, but it was too late. There was not enough space to manoeuvre such a large vessel, particularly with the wind and current against her. The Loch Ard struck Mutton Bird Island, crashing against the reef, dislodging rocks from the limestone cliffs onto the ship’s decks.
Pandemonium broke out as the crew struggled to launch the lifeboats, while passengers screamed in terror as the ship started to disintegrate. Many of the crew and passengers were washed overboard, and others trapped as the sea began to invade the ship. The Loch Ard sank within 15 minutes of the crash, with passengers having little chance of survival in the icy and treacherous waters.
Fifty-two people went down with the ship on that day. Only 4 bodies were eventually recovered and later buried in the clifftop cemetery – in coffins made from piano crates!
Only two people survived the Loch Ard Shipwreck – Tom Pearce, an apprentice seaman aged 18 years, and Eva Carmichael, also 18, a passenger emigrating with her family to start a new life in Australia. When the Loch Ard was going down, Eva had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening, only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship, before being swept off by a huge wave. She could not swim and clung fiercely to a chicken coop for 5 hours. As the angry waves carried her nearer towards the entrance of a long, narrow gorge, she saw a lone figure on the distant beach and screamed for help.
Tom Pearce, a member of the crew, was swept into the sea while helping to launch a lifeboat. He managed to hold on underneath the upturned boat and was swept into the same deep gorge that now bears the name Loch Ard Gorge. He managed to swim to shore and was recuperating in a sea cave when he heard Eva’s cries for help. Although himself exhausted, he bravely dashed back out into the raging sea to rescue Eva. It took him an hour to swim out to Eva and pull her ashore. He brought Eva to a nearby cave in the gorge where she collapsed from her ordeal. After a few hours of resting, Tom climbed up the surrounding cliff and walked over three miles to seek help.
Stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the limestone cliffs.
He managed to raise the alarm from the nearby Glenample Homestead and both survivors spent the rest of their time recovering at the farmhouse.
These days, there is a wooden stairway for visitors to get to the beach. Back in the 1800s, there were no steps and climbing the cliff was very difficult.
Tom and Eva became the subject of intense media attention and romantic speculation. On the one hand, there was the romantic expectation for them to marry. On the other, Victorian attitudes suggested that she was compromised by sleeping in a cave with a young sailor, and he should do the right thing by offering to marry her. Disappointingly for the romantics amongst us, Tom and Eva went their separate ways. They never saw each other again. Eva returned to Ireland where she later got married. Tom went back to sea and his heroism earned him a medal from the Humane Society.
Visitors to the area today can see the Gorge where the disaster took place, the rock stack of Mutton Bird Island that brought down the Loch Ard, the beach where Tom and Eva struggled ashore, and the cave where she lay exhausted while Tom went for help.
The other survivor of the shipwreck is a life-sized, brilliantly-coloured 1.5-metre-tall Minton porcelain peacock, perched on a rock. It was on its way from England to be displayed at Melbourne’s Great International Exhibition of 1880. Apart from a small chip on its beak, it was undamaged and is Australia’s most valuable shipwreck relic on display at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum with an estimated worth of $4m.
Life After the Shipwreck
What became of Tom and Eva after they went their separate ways?
After recuperating for 6 weeks at Glenample Homestead, Eva boarded a steamship and went back to Ireland! Brave young woman to dare board a ship after all that had happened just a few weeks ago!
Eva married a Captain Townshend who had the same first name as her rescuer – Thomas (Tom for short). Okay. Perhaps I’m nitpicking here. ‘Thomas’ may have been a very common name for boys at that time!
Could Tom Pearce have been jinxed – or as we Asians call it – suay! Before the Loch Ard, Tom Pearce had previously survived another shipwreck 3 years earlier in 1875 when the Eliza Ramsden went down near the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. After the Loch Ard tragedy in 1878, Tom returned to sea in 1879. The ship Loch Sunart he was in hit a rock off Ballywalter in what is Northern Ireland today. The story goes that Tom was washed ashore and carried unconscious to the nearest house. Guess whose house it was? Eva Townshend’s! Coincidence? Fate?
If you are thinking of going on a cruise, be sure to find out the names of the ship’s crew. If you see the name ‘Tom Pearce’, don’t board the ship!
Tom eventually married a woman who happened to be the relative of another ship apprentice that went down with the Loch Ard. He retired in 1908 and died in his Southhampton home at the age of 49. It’s a bit of an irony that Tom managed to survive 3 shipwrecks but didn’t get to reach his 50th birthday! Perhaps he had cheated Death one too many times and his time was finally up!
Tom Pearce was born Thomas Richard Millett. When his civil engineer father died in 1874, Tom’s widowed mother married Captain James Pearce and Tom took on the surname ‘Pearce’ from then on. Tom’s stepfather, James Pearce, happened to be the captain of the ill-fated SS Gothenburg that wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in February 1875!
Tom’s family history is littered with tragedy. Both his sons followed in their father’s footsteps and became sailors. However while Tom managed to survive three shipwrecks, his sons were not so lucky and both boys died at sea. Tom’s daughter was killed in a road crash and a granddaughter committed suicide.
Back to present-day Loch Ard Gorge where yesterday’s tragedy has become today’s tourist attraction. I felt very small standing on this narrow stretch of sand, sandwiched between towering cliffs on both sides. While some of the fascination has rubbed off, the coast has not been tamed. It’s really not difficult to imagine the chaos, destruction and danger that sweeps across this part of the Great Ocean Road during a thunderstorm.
To be honest, you’re not likely to go ga-ga at the mention of Phillip Island’s Forrest Caves, unless you have a passion for surfing. There are three exposed beaches on this 1.3 km of coastline with extensive rocks, reefs and bluffs around. These waves have strong rips with a number of breaks over the reefs. Breaking the waves, flipping the board, turtle roll! You can realise all these moves here!
A 45-minute return walk along some large sand dunes will bring you to Forrest Caves. These are large sea caverns in the rock carved by the unceasing erosive action of the waves. The caves become exposed and are accessible only during low tide.
Forrest Caves carpark viewed from the wooden steps.First view of the ocean from the viewing platform.
You get to see some beautiful colours on this walk – the red stained tuff rocks, grey boulders, green tussock grass, the blue sky, white waves and golden sands. Best of all, the whole beach was deserted. What a special way to be spending my last few hours in Phillip Island!
The Nobbies is actually the more popular name for Point Grant, located at the western tip of Phillip Island. In addition to boasting of panoramic ocean views and dramatic sea bluffs, the Nobbies is home to one of the largest fur seal colonies in Australia. It’s not quite certain as to how the Nobbies got its name. Perhaps it was from the domes at the end of the point, or from the rocks that protrude from the water like knobs when the tide reaches a certain level.
Unlike Cape Woolamai where the hike can be quite challenging, the one-kilometre walk around the Nobbies is a relaxing one via a series of wooden boardwalks and stairs that wind around the edge of the cliffs, offering uninterrupted views of fiery waves and white water crashing against the rocks.
The Nobbies showcases nature at its best. There are many native birds and wildlife in the surrounding area, and they turn up at the most unexpected moments. If you are thinking of coming here, consider bringing along a pair of binoculars. We spotted quite a number of wallabies hopping about, and admiring us while we admired them. Elsewhere, there were Grey Geese wandering about with their goslings. It’s amazing to think that little penguins land here and climb the cliffs to their burrows every night. We spotted many man-made burrows and even spied little penguins inside some of them.
Wallabies are plentiful here.
A penguin inside her burrow.
Birds are abundant.
After crossing a level stretch of the boardwalk, we arrived at a viewing platform for the Nobbies Blowhole. There is a 12-metre-deep sea cave just below the boardwalk. When smashed by a strong wave, the blowhole returns fire with a mist of air and water that sprays out of the hole. It was mesmerising to watch this phenomenon from the safety of the platform.
There is a sign along the boardwalk to explain how this force of nature works. Those with a physics bias will appreciate this additional information.
1. A large wave enters the blowhole. 2. The wave fills the tunnel from floor to ceiling, compressing air against the rear wall. 3. The wave hits the rear wall and rebounds, its speed increased by the explosive force of the compressed air. This creates a jet spray from the tunnel entrance.
Are those white streaks caused by seals, dolphins or whales?
The plus point about the rugged scenery of the Nobbies is that there are no entrance charges for the the pram-friendly boardwalk. Free. Now that’s a word I rarely hear these days! Don’t forget your jacket and scarf as it can get very cold especially if you are visiting during winter and spring.
It’s not often that I get the chance to catch the sunrise in a beach setting. So very early the next morning, I forced myself out of the warm bedcovers, grabbed my jacket, camera and torchlight and used a shortcut to Cowes beach. The entire neighbourhood was still in slumber as I walked right to the end of the street. I made my way across the grass and into some bushes and trees that hid a narrow trail until I came to a flight of wooden stairs leading straight to the beach. As I made my way through the foliage, I could hear the distinctive calls of birds and insects as well as movements and cracking branches coming from the trees above me. This is what I love about Phillip Island. You get to really experience close encounters with wildlife in their natural habitat.
At that very early hour, I was the only person on the deserted beach. The sand was still wet and soft under my feet, forming little pools of water with every step forward. In the distance, I could make out the dim flicker of lights from the town and the black silhouette of trees against an emerging gold sky. I gazed at the waves ebbing lazily in their silver blue-grey coat and waited. A flock of seagulls kept me company as I watched the sky perform an elegant dance ritual of colours in blue, purple, pink, red and orange.
I felt as if I was in a huge open air concert hall and the light extravaganza was for my eyes only. What a humbling feeling!
All too soon, the magic of the moments came to an abrupt end. The sun’s golden rays had appeared surreptitiously but quickly, casting its light over the landscape and staking its claim on a new day.
Going to Melbourne and spending some time with family is always something I look forward to. Besides being able to put up at Mom’s place for as long as I wish, my two married sisters will always make sure that my time in Melbourne is well-spent – be it catching up with close relatives, window shopping, visiting Melbourne’s historical monuments and city attractions, or joining their famiies for outings to explore Victoria’s many natural attractions.
This time round, my sister announced that she and her family would be bringing me to Philip Island, staying for three nights in a time-share resort. This would be my first time to Philip Island so I was pretty excited about the prospect of getting some great photographs. Getting the chance to join my sister, brother-in-law and nephew was the icing on the cake as the family are nature lovers, spending weekends in the outdoors and making short trips to those places less trodden without burning a big hole in the pocket!
The drive from Melbourne to Philip Island is about 130km and takes about an hour and forty-five minutes. Due to the after-office crawl on the highway, however, we only arrived in Phillip Island two-and-a-half hours later and checked into the villa after dark.
The next day, we drove to Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island’s most southerly point that’s world renown for its surf beaches, natural beauty and shearwater rookery (mutton birds). In fact, Cape Woolamai has been declared a National Surfing Reserve, where you can just enjoy the beach and watch daring surfers in action. If coming here is in your itinerary, make sure you are prepared to walk a few kilometres in from the Woolamai Beach Surf Lifesaving Club carpark.
From the carpark, we walked down a wooden ramp to the beach and made our way along a wide strip of sand towards an outcrop that juts out from Cape Woolamai. On the other side of this rocky point is the spectacular granite formation called the Pinnacles.
About 700 meters before reaching the end of the beach, we came to a wooden staircase leading up to the sandy grass-covered bluffs that connect the rocky end of Cape Woolamai with the rest of Phillip Island.
Once at the top, the rugged landscape of Cape Woolamai opens up to views of red cliffs, blue oceans, rocky shores and golden beaches.
There is a sign here highlighting four of the most rewarding walking track loops that run along the coastline and are interspersed with viewing platforms that offer superb views of Phillip Island. Each track is identified with a different colour marker, and varies in distance and terrain.
Pinnacles Walk – The green track is 4.5km long, with an estimated walking time of 2 hours return. The path winds along rugged granite cliffs and impressive rock formations known as The Pinnacles.
Cape Woolamai Beacon Walk – The black track is 7.4km long and continues past the Pinnacles to the light beacon at the high point of Cape Woolamai (118m) before looping back around the end of the cape. It has an estimated walking time of 3.5 hours
Old Granite Quarry Walk – The blue track is 5.6km long with an estimated walking time of 3 hours. It crosses over to the east side of the cape that was once the site of an old rock quarry.
Cape Woolamai Circuit Walk is 8km return and takes about 4.5 hours to compete all three walking tracks.
Our initial plan was to take the shortest of the three walks – the Pinnacles Walk (2 hours round trip), leave Cape Woolamai by 4pm and finish the day with a hearty dinner in town before returning to the resort.
However, by the time we arrived at the junction where the walking trails branched out, all initial plans were forgotten. Since my sister’s family had not tried out the inland route, we decided to start with the Cape Woolamai Beacon Walk first, and then head back via the Pinnacles Walk so that we could take in the ocean scenery for the remainder hike back to the carpark.
The Cape Woolamai Beacon trail enters some woodlands, which provide the only shady area in Cape Woolamai. As we approached the beacon, the trees gave way to shrubs and we continued the long hike on undulating terrain before finally arriving at Cape Woolamai’s beacon.
At an elevation of 118m, the beacon sits at the highest point on Cape Woolamai and all of Phillip Island. While looking seemingly ordinary, this light beacon is responsible for keeping ships from running into Phillip Island!
The beacon
It is also from this lookout point that we got to see stunning panoramas of the island, including the Bass Strait that separates Victoria from the island of Tasmania.
From the beacon, we took the left trail that looped round along the sheer cliff tops towards the direction of the Pinnacles. You know you’ve reach there when you see a wooden bench at the edge of the grassy bluff with spectacular views of granite formations that make up the Pinnacles. Here, sea stacks resembling connected rock columns rise out of the water and strong waves crash into the rocks, exuding energy, anticipation and excitement to the seascape. If the views are so mesmerising from the top, how stunning the Pinnacles must look if seen up close from the rocky shoreline!
However, none of us attempted to venture down the rocky shoreline as it was already getting dark and the path looked rather unsafe. You need to go down the narrow trail leading towards the steep embankment overlooking the bottom. Extra care is needed to make sure that you don’t slip on the soft soil held together with loose vegetation. I wasn’t prepared to take the risk of injuring myself so early into my stay in Australia.
During the hike, we spotted a number of curious wallabies and one echidna which was trying its best to hide away from us. Dotting the cliff sides, we also saw many burrows dug by short-tailed mutton birds.
Mutton birds are plucky creatures. Around the last week of September every year, they brave a 15,000km journey from Alaska via Siberia, South America, Antarctica and Japan to arrive on the shores of Philip Island. They remain for nearly six months to rest, build their burrows and mate, with each pair producing one large egg. The newly born chicks have an extraordinary penchant for survival – waiting up to two weeks between meals whilst the adult birds travel to as far as the Antarctica to feed on krill, which they regurgitate for their waiting chicks back in the burrows of Philip Island. We managed to see the occasional mutton bird and spotted a chick or two peeping out from their burrows.
While the walking routes at Cape Woolamai appear generally flat and undulating, it is a physically challenging one. The first half of the trail is over deep sand that gives way with every step. It was energy-draining and exhausting to walk on. Near the stairs, the beach becomes somewhat rocky and rough and the rest of the walk along the cliff is laden with loose stones that are quite slippery. If you’re not confident with your level of fitness, you might want to give this place a miss and check out Philip Island’s other natural but less strenuous attractions.
It’s also best to be accompanied by someone if you are thinking of doing this track. Should the unthinkable happen, at least someone can go for help.
In addition to your camera and binoculars, I would bring along a jacket, biscuits and a plentiful supply of water. While it may have looked like a nice, sunny day, the winds were strong and it was actually very cold. I had my jacket on during the entire 8.5km walk. A torch would be worth packing especially during the winter months when daylight hours are shortened. The most important thing is to make sure you wear solid shoes with a good grip for traction on the slippery rocks.
By the time we got back to the carpark, everyone was very hungry and looking forward to having fish ‘n chips for dinner. To our utter disappointment, most of the eating places in town were already shut by 7pm. We finally ended up having Chinese food in a small cafe.
Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are something of a Darwin institution. Held every Thursday and Sunday during the dry season months between May and October, the markets are a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, where you can sample a wide variety of flavours from the Asia-Pacific, shop and be entertained beneath the coconut trees swaying gently against the backdrop of a brilliant sunset.
The stalls sell bush art, clothes, puppets and pottery. For something to remember your visit, you can take home a didgeridoo, Aboriginal painting or a crocodile wallet, wristband or jewellery made from crocodile teeth.
All around the air is filled with delicious smells. This is the place to sample spicy Thai tom yum or green curry, or traditional Indonesian goodies like bakso (savoury meatball noodle soup), gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) and satay (barbecued meat morsels on skewers, marinated in turmeric) topped with a hearty dose of peanut sauce and served with ketupat (rice cakes)
Then there’s Malaysia’s laksa, mee siam and nasi goreng; Vietnam’s buncha (pork meatball and noodle salad), goi cuon (shrimp or pork with herbs rolled up in rice paper) and nem nuong xa (grilled meat on lemongrass skewers).
Closer to home, crocodile, buffalo and barramundi are just some of the fresh specialties for the taking. For those traditional foodies, there’s always the roasts, burgers, fish and chips. To finish off with something sweet, there’s tropical fruit, fresh juices and a great array of exotic desserts.
At dusk, the throngs of locals start arriving, armed with deck chairs, stools, rugs, mats and magazines to stake a space on the sandy beach and wait for the sun to sink below the horizon. The Sunday that I went was especially busy with the spillover of merrymakers who had gathered earlier in the afternoon for the 42nd Darwin Beer Can Regatta.
By the time I made my way to the beachfront, I could not find a nice spot on the sand. Everyone looked well-prepared except me. I had forgotten to bring something to sit on. As time was running out, I took off my shoes and sat on them. A few feet away from me, a resourceful French backpacker had appraoched a Dutch girl who had already secured her spot, and asked if she could share her rug.
So there was only me on the beach – along with a few hundred other people, waiting expectantly for the magic to happen. By and by, the murmurs, quiet chattering, shifting and movements stopped as the sun recede into the waters below.
The sky lit up into a blend of reds, oranges, yellows and even purple. The ebbing waves carried a hint of red, with dark blue streaks running across the waters. Everyone was transfixed and mesmerised. The contrast between the dark waters and the painted sky made the horizon look mysterious and beautiful at the same time. For a few moments, the world was quiet and restful as the sun transitioned from day into night.
A few minutes later, the silence was broken. Around me, a flurry of activity as people started to pack up and make their way out of the beach.
As for me, I couldn’t bring myself to leave so quickly. The last traces of light was still across the sky and I decided to just wait a little longer for the darkness to set in. I rummaged inside my bag to look for my little LED torch, just in case it became too dark to make my way out of an unfamiliar place. By the time I looked up again in those few short seconds, the fading sky had changed once again and transformed into a rich, creamy, blue canvas, spilling silver dust all over the water.
I sat there and waited until the beach was almost deserted. Then I dusted the sand from my toes, put on my shoes and made my way back to the hotel.
Darwin has come a long way from a laid-back frontier town to a modern city. She is arguably Australia’s most cosmopolitan city, boasting a population made up of people from more than 60 nationalities and 70 different ethnic backgrounds. Darwin’s multicultural mix is evident by its many exciting ethnic cultural festivals and weekly food and craft markets. Interestingly, Darwin has a youthful population with an average age of 33 years!
View of the blue sea from Bicentennial Park (The Esplanade) that runs the length of Darwin’s waterfront and Lameroo Beach.
Darwin city living is characterised by wide streets, shady parks, a pedestrian mall, authentic ethnic restaurants, contemporary and outback-style pubs, clubs, galleries and museums. Its facilities and amenities are at least equal to, and often better than, what you’ll find in Australia’s southern cities.
There are lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy.Shaded by tropical trees, Bicentennial Park is an excellent place to stroll.Plenty of sun in Darwin, and also plenty of shade.
At its heart is the Smith Street, a pedestrian-only shopping mall between Knuckey Street and Bennett Street. There are more than 200 specialty shops lining this Mall where you can find Aboriginal art and crafts, jewellery, tropical clothing and souvenirs. Two large supermarkets can also be found here – Coles and Woolworths.
The main entertainment district is Mitchell Street, with its cinemas, sidewalk cafes, open air bars, specialty restaurants, fast food joints, 5-star hotels and quaint Irish, English and Aussie pubs. A good number of budget accommodation catered towards backpackers are also found here. Overall, Mitchell Street has something to offer for groups, families or singles.
A short stroll from the Darwin CBD is the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. It’s family-style entertainment area with its seaside promenades, parklands, landscaped gardens, retail outlets, hotels and alfresco dining is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Darwin Waterfront’s unique appeal has something for everyone. There’s boardwalk dining overlooking the harbour where multicultural menus include Australian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, French, Greek, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Mexican and Indian influenced cuisine. It is reachable from the central business district via the Esplanade or an elevated walkway.
Making my way up the elevated walkway.View of the street below from the elevated walkway.First view of the Waterfront Precinct from the walkway.Flyboarding
The Darwin Waterfront Precinct is home to Northern Territory’s only Wave Lagoon. Offering safe year-round swimming for the entire family, the Wave Lagoon is open daily and is a great spot to cool off, relax or ride a wave. The size of the Wave Lagoon is over 4000 square metres with depths varying from 2m at the deepest point. The lagoon creates ten different wave patterns with the highest wave reaching 1.7 metres. Admission charges are AUD$7.00 for an adult and AUD18.000 for a family 2 adults and 3 children.
At the opposite end of Darwin’s Business District and a stone’s throw away from Mindil Beach is the George Brown Botanic Gardens. Built in 1886, the Botanic Gardens offers a wide range of environments in the form of monsoon forests, coastal dunes, mangroves and open woodlands. It showcases a host of Top End flora, including 450 species of palms and plantings from Tiwi Island and Arnhem Land. This historic place is one of the world’s few botanic gardens with marine and estuarine plants occurring naturally in its grounds. This is the place for plants and flowers enthusiasts!
I spent about 1.5 hours in the Botanic Gardens until it was time for me to make my way to Mindil Beach. At the entrance before crossing the little bridge, I looked up at the trees for any last-minute shots and couldn’t believe my eyes. Just above my head, resting in the shadows of a tree branch was a python! Was I thrilled! As no one else was around, I had the snake all to myself, clicking away with my camera and cursing the lack of sufficient light.
And then, when I was drafting this post, Google Search results showed up about a fake snake in George Brown Botanic Gardens. Oh no! This couldn’t be my snake!
I compared my photo with the snake in the article. As you can see, there is no similarity whatsoever! Made my day!
I made my way to Mindil Beach Sunset Markets which was crowded with people. The weekend’s festivities had already started much earlier with the 42nd Darwin Beer Can Regatta in full swing by the time I got there.
The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is a festival held annually since 1974 at Darwin’s Mindil Beach. Participants show off their creativity by building boats using empty beer cans, soda cans, soft drink bottles and milk cartons. The can boats are not tested prior to water events, and those that fall apart in the water become part of the fun and entertainment.
Mindil Beach’s Sunset Markets have up to 60 food stalls offering cuisine from all over the world – Turkey, Greece, Sri Lanka, South America, North Africa, India and all over South East Asia. In addition, the stalls sell Aboriginal arts and crafts and jewellery. There is a host of other activities like buskers, masseurs, tarot readers, leather tailors, jewellers, artists and magicians to add to the hustle, bustle and fun-filled atmosphere.
With its easy and relaxed charm, stress-free environment, little traffic and a small population, everyday is a holiday in Darwin – even if a lifelike python is thrown in front of the visitor to add to the excitement. It’s a good thing that I didn’t have to pay any entrance fees to get into the Botanic Gardens. Otherwise, I would have felt cheated that the snake wasn’t real!
If you are looking to have a break from the journey between Darwin and Katherine, then Emerald Springs Roadhouse is THE place for a stop-by. I visited the roadhouse twice – once for breakfast during the journey to Katherine Gorge and again for dinner before returning to Darwin.
One can be forgiven for not noticing this place, which sits just below the Stuart Highway. The exterior is rather nondescript and except for the signage, “Emerald Springs Roadhouse”, you would think that it is just another abandoned farmhouse. The narrow entrance at the side doesn’t help either. There are no signs to invite the weary traveller in for a good meal and refresh himself.
However, once I got past the door, a whole new world opened up in front of me. I was really impressed by the warm ambience, the vintage-style decor and wood furnishing. What a big difference between the outside and the inside! I will go so far as to say that once you are inside, you really don’t want to get back on the road too soon. Instead, you will want to pamper yourself with a hearty, value-for-money meal, sit back, relax and enjoy the retro-modern atmosphere.
The main dining area is air-conditioned and tastefully furnished with wooden tables, chairs and bar stools – perfect for enjoying an Aussie meal and stretching those weary muscles. The full bar, decorated with some interesting ornaments and wall hangings, offers an impressive wine list along with pub classics.
Next to the restaurant is a beer garden, great for chilling out and for the children to run around.
Out the back is a huge timber deck furnished with cane sofas and plush cushions. The huge ceiling fans, flowers in jars and potted plants, all add to the relaxed, laid-back mood of the 1950s era.
The toilet facilities are clean and well-maintained. The owners have added a nice touch by placing a fresh flower stalk on each hand basin – even in the men’s toilet!
Emerald Springs Roadhouse boasts of serving the best coffee along this stretch of the Stuart Highway, as they claim to own the only cappuccino machine between Darwin and Katherine.
We were given only 20 minutes for breakfast. Considering that I had to stand behind a long line for my breakfast selection, then join the queue again for ordering drinks and making payment at the bar, and finally queuing up for the toilet, it really didn’t leave me much time to appreciate my surrounding. What a pity! I decided to try out their famous scones topped with butter, jam and cream. So yummy! I would have happily gone for a second helping of scones, had it not been for our tour guide urging us to hurry, hurry, hurry, as we still had a long distance to cover!
Fortunately, things were not so so rushed when we stopped by again for dinner. I ordered the Chef’s Special of the Day – Grilled Barramundi with Potato Chips and Mixed Salad. It was lovely to have my meal out in the garden, waiting for the night to set in. It gave me the chance to reflect on the three National Parks I had visited in Northern Territory – each one giving me the permission to take back with me a small piece of their uniqueness, and finding a place in my suitcase of memories.
Granted that it wasn’t a brilliant sunset, this silhouette shot I took just before boarding the coach will always be a beautiful reminder of the cozy ambience, sumptuous food and wonderful people at Emerald Springs Roadhouse!
This marks my last post about my trip to the national parks in Australia’s Northern Territory. Up to today, I still cannot say which visit I enjoyed most – Maguk, NitmilukorJim Jim Falls. All I know is that whenever I recall these places, I tend to remember the journey there, rather than the destination!
It was super exciting to see them face-to-face. Never in my life had I come this close to a koala. This fella was like on a branch five feet away from me and I could literally touch him if I leaned forward and stretched out my hand.
From the carpark, we walked down a wooden ramp to the beach and made our way along a wide strip of sand towards an outcrop that juts out from Cape Woolamai. On the other side of this rocky point is the spectacular granite formation called the Pinnacles.
About 700 meters before reaching the end of the beach, we came to a wooden staircase leading up to the sandy grass-covered bluffs that connect the rocky end of Cape Woolamai with the rest of Phillip Island.
In addition to your camera and binoculars, I would bring along a jacket, biscuits and a plentiful supply of water. While it may have looked like a nice, sunny day, the winds were strong and it was actually very cold. I had my jacket on during the entire 8.5km walk. A torch would be worth packing especially during the winter months when daylight hours are shortened. The most important thing is to make sure you wear solid shoes with a good grip for traction on the slippery rocks.
Dancing With Shadows 