A Christmas Away

An exploration of South-Western Victoria

By Thomas Feng

January 11^th, 2015

A Stopover in Colac

We drove to the small city of Colac 150km south-west from Melbourne. Sunny weather accompanied us along the way, with the salty flesh of the half-dry Lake Colac a stark to the home-made sugary lemon iced tea we sipped on. To the east of the board-walk was the Lake’s bird reserve which provided sanctuary to Great Egrets and other fauna.

spontaneous detour: Triplet Falls

As we cruised our way down towards the Great Ocean Rd from Lake Colac, a random left turn instead of right lead us past some beautiful highland country and into the Otway Forest, where down a narrow gravel road lay a track towards some beautiful waterfalls. After two kilometres of walking up and down hills and through the forest with the roar of rushing water a constant tease, Triplet Falls revealed itself upon us: three separate streams harmonising into a rapid synchronised cascade which stunned us in awe.

the storm: the "twelve" Apostles

Upon coming back on track after a few hours detour, we rolled into the now Seven Apostles as the storm rolled into the coast. It is sights like these which force us to appreciate the ocean’s wild power in creating and destroying these limestone stacks as her fury blows gale force winds into the mainland. Helicopters which circle the Apostles provide a unique albeit expensive view to tourists mean that there is no respite from the howling breezes. Hats are not recommended.

Four of the remaining seven Apostles left. The other three could be captured with these from the original viewing point.

A nymphlike region: port fairy

We found our little cabin in Warrnambool on Christmas evening and earned some rest before rising bright and early on Boxing Day to head 30 kilometres further west to Port Fairy. A historic fishing town located where the Moyne river meets the ocean, Port Fairy provided beautiful scenery all-round: the fisherman’s wharf protected by the sea wall; an abundance of pristine beaches with soft sand and crystal clear water; the main street with its various local boutiques, op shops, cafes, an IGA and the Chinese takeaway fill the 50 buildings protected by the National Trust of Australia; and Griffiths Island with its local colony of shearwater birds and black wallabies is only a pedestrian bridge away and has a breathtaking lighthouse looking out to the sea.

heartwarmth in warrnambool

The third day was spent down in the heart of Warrnambool. We had morning tea by Lake Pertobe which is right across from the beach and is extremely family-friendly with boats available for hire and various playgrounds (the flying-fox is amazing). Afterwards we hired bikes and rode along the promenade beach side to the sea wall and back, dodging a surfer here or there and speeding past pedestrians as the sea breeze dragged us along the trail. Twas a relaxing end indeed to a Christmas Away.