Blogs from Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, Oceania

Gidday all. Sorry for the late entry. I'm in Warrnambool at the moment. So far Ive stopped at the Werribee treatment plant to photograph birds. Visited the Youyangs and Anekie Gorge. My first night was spent in a free camp adjacent to Brisbane ranges NP. near Anekie. The Youyangs have been on my radar for some time. As I have been seeing them from across the bay for the last 50 years. Well finally made the leap to get there. As Anne Morley has mentioned in the Royal Auto magazine there are plenty of walking and mountain bike tracks. Also the view is great. Next step was to check out Port Arlington and St Leonards. Last time I visited was a boat trip from Rye one school Holiday. Not much has changed in 40+ years. Day ... read more

Geo: -37.8143, 144.963Only too pleased to be checking out of this lamentable hotel we started off on our journey to Warrnambool Having set up the TomTom sat nav which we paid extra for the first thing it reported was that the maps were more than a year out of date! After only 30 minutes or so on the freeway we came to the conclusion this vehicle was a bag of s**t, it's got very little power and more surprisingly NO cruise control which with the Aussie police's aggressive attitude towards speeding with an allowance of only 2km over the speed limit it makes for interesting journeys ahead. We checked into our motel dropped all our luggage off and set off for Logans Beach famed for its whale sightings, it was still very windy with some fantastic ... read more

My Great Ocean Road holiday on Australia's southeastern coast was an amazing experience. This road winds for 150 miles through the state of Victoria. The trip gave me the opportunity to enjoy nature, learn about Australia's history, shop and sample local cuisine.My adventure began when I landed at Melbourne Airport in Melbourne. I then headed southeast along the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool . I chose a car hire as my means of transportation ( full list of all car hire providers in Warrnambool here ). This allowed me to stop at any place ... read more

In the bush on the outskirts of Panmure, way down the highway from Melbourne, in South West Victoria lies a secluded classic old Aussie Bush Shack. A retreat from the world, gradually added to and built up over the years by a family friend of ours, a place where men meet and share a bbq, some beers, some stories, go hunting and take the slow pace of life for a Sunday afternoon... It is a classic place built from what was gathered around the bush & nearby, the 'make do' attitude and 'she'll be right'.. Armchairs and seating are crudely axed out of old tree logs, an outside toilet offers options of indoors & out-outdoor versions for your comfort or needs! Old bits of corrugated iron from water tanks and old farm sheds are re used ... read more

Saturday 30th. As it happens you will find it at Warrnambool at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum. The museum has a special theme, The Loch Ard, but also artefacts from various maritime disasters on this rugged coast of South West Victoria. About 2000 people lost their lives on this coast, and over 60 kilometres, the list of ship wrecks is frightening. 17 just in the coast at Warrnambool, and some areas are even more littered with disasters. The story of the Loch Ard starts in the UK where this powerful steel hulled sailing ship carrying fifty three thousand pounds worth of cargo for the colony, a combined 54 people on board, crew and just a few fair paying passengers. Unlike the ships who brought the poor to Australia, these passengers travelled at speed, non stop to ... read more