Monday April 1st From time to time I have seen traveller's pictures of Port Fairy in Victoria and thought I would love to visit this quaint town. Today we did a half day trip from Koroit and discovered that the settlement was originally called Belfast, so the Irish connection and theme followed again today, but maybe not as obvious as at Koroit. Both towns are in Moyne Shire, and that I think maybe another hint of the Irish settlement of this part of the colony. As we drove into town we noted many old cottages and buildings before stopping at the wharf. I have seen some magic photos here with low light, still water, and reflections setting the mood. Today was cold, windy, occasional showers and not conducive of magical reflections. We walked around the business ... 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

Tuesday 26th After days of strong winds and cool temperatures, we awoke to calm and a beautiful sunrise. The drive to Peterborough is along the Great Ocean Road after initially climbing back up through the Otway Forests. Even before coming to the coast, the beauty of the area is a joy to the eyes. David and Mary stopped at Castle Cove for photos, and then we continued the climb inland and then west to the coast line. We stopped briefly at Princetown for a cuppa, and from there to Peterborough would be less than an hour drive. it took us 6 hours, and no one said ‘Are we nearly there yet’. If Victoria has a world renown coastal feature, it has to be the Twelve Apostles. And we are grateful to The God of the Apostles ... read more

Sunday 24thThe day dawned dismal, wind, the odd shower and definitely cold. Marg, Mary and I had planned to go to the Otway Fly, or more precisely the Otway Tree Top Walk. There were no takers from us to do The Fly, (flying Fox) but heaps of young folk did the trip down the valley hanging from the cable. The journey to The Fly is about 30ks passing through Castle Cove and crossing the Aire River. Just north of Castle Cove we came across a caravanner in trouble with left side in the grass but tail stuck out onto the highway. They had their travelling companion stopped a little further up the hill and managing traffic until help could arrive. Not sure if it was a flat tyre on the left or something more serious, but ... read more

Friday 22nd While we slept well, the gusty winds which had reaped havoc on on Melbourne overnight, also rocked the boat at Wye River, but not as severely. The rain continued overnight, but not as heavy, and by morning we had sprinkles of drizzle. What we have found is that as we go south and west, the combined effect of daylight saving and location has the sun rise at 7.30 am, good for photographers who sleep in! So around that time I wandered down onto the Wye River foreshore and took a couple of happy snaps. I walked the 50 meters back to the MH and called out to the others that there was an interesting sunrise to photograph. One member of the team was heard to say that they were having breakfast. The response was ... read more