A drizzly wee start to the day after initally positive looking sky! Slower start with brekky and then off to suss out the highly rated Mahalia Coffee Roastery. A quirky little destination cafe and roastery with a whole lot more including all things coffee related, lovely gifts, a children’s playground and outdoor eating area if it was fine! Bought very nice coffee to go and salted caramel yo-yos!

Then on down the coast for a quick stop at the cosy little town of Beachport and a drive along the Bowman Scenic Highway. Plenty of waves crashing into little coves – not known along here as the shipwreck coast for nothing!

Lovely drive through very scenic country, green sheep and cattle stations and glimpses of the coast, to Mt Gambier. Drizzly rain and a few heavy showers most of the way with some fine spells. Rain as we arrived at Mt. Gambier meant lunch first and then conveniently it was fine for exploring the Sunken Cave Garden and the Umpherson Sinkhole – also a garden in a sinkhole.

Sinkholes are formed when rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide from decaying vegetation on the land surface to form mild carbonic acid . This percolates through the cracks and weaknesses in the limestone dissolving the calcium carbonate. The cracks may then form large underground caverns which collapse and volia- steep sided circular openings known as sinkholes. Very pretty with vegetation, flowers, a cave and a waterfall at the Sunken Garden. Umpherson is a lot bigger with hanging ivy, rows of hydrangeas (unfortunately not in flower) and lilies. It is lit at night and apparently the possums come out to play!

Longer afternoon drive through Nelson, forest areas (reminiscent of the Tokoroa to Taupo drive) and rolling countryside.

Stopped in at Portland to see if the whales were visiting- they were not! Great views from the whale spotting platform though.

Some heavier rain but cleared by the time we reached Port Fairy. With more than 50 buildings classified by the National Trust and many fine examples of 1800s architecture, Port Fairy is a lovely little fishing spot  (crayfish and abalone) at the start/end of the Great Ocean road depending on which way you are going. Our accomodation is part of a property with a heritage listed house dating back to 1852. Douglas House has variously been a hotel, steam flour mill, post office and warehouse and is now a private residence. The property runs down to the lovely Moyne River and is downstream of a very cute little marina. Port Fairy has wide streets lined with nineteenth century fully restored white-washed cottages built by whalers and seamen alongside Georgian-style merchants’ homes, grand public buildings,  huge Norfolk pines and old stone churches.

We took a lovely late afternoon walk around Griffiths Island where a colony of  short-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds) have their home. The birds apparently arrive within 3 days of the 22nd September each year, settle in last years burrow, mate in early November, lay eggs in burrows about the 25th November and the young appear mid-January. In mid April they head off on their annual migration around the Pacific travelling an estimated 15,000 kms in 2 months. Also beautiful scenery and a lighthouse on the island.

Wildlife viewing on our travels today – one emu, several dead kangaroo on the roadside, one koala, two wallabies, various birds and fortunately no venomous striped tiger snakes on Griffiths Island! (I wasn’t the only one looking out for them!)

Photos On To Port Fairy

Author: Gill

Hi. I'm fun-loving, creative, mostly energetic and a mother of 3. My interests are family, culinary pursuits (I own just a few cookbooks...), socialising and entertaining, living and always learning.