26 - 30 August 2012 Goolwa to Warrnambool

After a leisurely start to the day at Goolwa, we left town at around 11.30 am. First though, we went whale watching (nothing) and to the barrages where the salt water from the ocean is contained from the fresh water of the Murray River. Here though was a wildlife moment watching. Fur seals frolicking on and around the piers. From Goolwa, it was onward to the Coonawarra wine region through Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend and Keith. We saw heaps of canola fields with the bright yellow paddocks for as far as the eye could see. Free camped at Padthaway.

Monday was spent wine tasting (tough day!) and off to the Mount Gambier area for overnight. The Coonawarra ends at Penola - a place with a tie to Saint Mary McKillop but more interestingly, a little street called Petticoat Lane with a couple of well- preserved cottages dating back to 1850. Mount Gambier is an interesting place. It's surrounded by volcano craters. In fact, the mount (from Mount Gambier) is an extinct volcano. We free camped on another crater called Mt Schank - about 15km out of town. The next day, the boys went to see a movie called "Volcano" which was all about how the area was formed. They found it very interesting. I went to a really delightful coffee shop - sat by the fire with a latte and chatted with Laura on the phone. A much better idea, I thought. On we pushed over the SA/Victoria border to Nelson - a sleepy little fishing village just over the border. We had heard of a great place to camp called Forest Camp South on the Glenelg River. So we paid our $30 for two nights for the three of us and headed there. Just heaven!! The campsite was right on the river with our own little jetty to fish from.

Thursday 30 August - After a wild and windy night we set off for the Great Ocean Blow - ah …. I mean Road. Boy, we thought it was windy last night but once we got out of the forest, we realised that we were actually protected where we spent the last couple of days. Morning tea was at Portland - a busy working port and we watched them unload trucks after truck of wood chip. The way they did it was to drive the truck up a ramp and on to a large metal bridge. Once it was in position, the whole bridge was raised at one end causing the entire truck to be elevated at 45 degrees and the contents emptied into the hopper. Up the road from Portland, at Codrington, there was a huge wind farm - put there for obvious reasons. We could hardly stand up!! Next stop Port Fairy - a lovely coastal town with 50 historic trust sites in the town. Even the local motel seemed to combine the old and the new very well. The fish co-op on the pier proved irrestable to us so it was fresh prawns for lunch. Unfortunately, as we paid for them, we then found out that they were in fact Queensland prawns and not so local. Would've been a good question to ask prior to the exchange of money. I love the farms going right up to the coast. I'm sure there would be no problems getting the washing dry around here.

Warrnambool is aboriginal for "frigging windy". A few circuits around town to find a protected site for overnight in a caravan park. It's hair washing day!!