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It was finally time to put on our Mexican Sombreros (not to be confused with Eastern Suburbs and their salary cap) and head south of the border into Victoria. Lakes Entrance was our chosen destination, located near an artificial dredged channel that connects the Gippsland Lakes to Bass Strait. We were surprised that Bass Strait lies offshore, as we were under the impression that it lies between Melbourne and Tasmania. With the Gippsland Lakes having the largest number of inland waterways in the southern hemisphere, it is no wonder that this area is the summer playground for Victorians.
On our first morning we drove to Nyerimilang Heritage Park, to visit the historic homestead and walk around the property perched on acreage high above Lakes Entrance. Our walk of 5.25 kms took in stunning views of wetlands and across Lakes Entrance. We even found a late model IPhone on our walk, which we were able to reunite with its grateful owner. The homestead dates back to the 1880’s, and remains in very good condition thanks to a volunteer group called the Friends of Nyerimilang Park. On our return to Lakes Entrance, we enjoyed lunch and coffee at the Funky Monkey Café.
The next morning we walked across the Cunninghame Arm Footbridge and on to Ninety Mile Beach. We walked just three and a half kms of this massively long beach down to the Lake Channel, which was quite a way given the soft sand, and weren’t really tempted to dive in the ocean. The water was cold, the ocean was rough, there was no one around, and Lakes Entrance has one of two resident Great White Shark nurseries on the East Coast of Australia. We did have an unusual find as we walked along the beach. We stumbled upon a large whale vertebrae on the edge of the surf, which I dragged onto the sand in order to photograph it. Although only a small section of a whale vertebrae, it was quite heavy, and I could only conclude that the whale had been washed up on the beach at some stage, leaving just the vertebrae to be exposed by the tides. Stopping at the channel entrance to watch the outgoing tidal flow rip past, we watched fur seals swimming effortlessly against the strong current, diving down to feed on fish.
On our drive up the mountain we stopped to
take in a lookout with a view of the Lake Entrance, and were surprised to find a map indicating a grid of oil rigs lying offshore. Each of the oil rigs is named after a type of fish, and we could see in the distance the Snapper Oil Platform. Once again we were under the impression that the Bass Strait oil rigs were located below Melbourne. Given that Lakes Entrance has the largest fishing industry in Victoria, could you imagine the environmental outcry if the authorities tried to develop these oilfields today.
Fellow travellers along the way had recommended a visit to Metung, a small lakeside town nearby, so we drove there and were impressed with the peaceful beauty of the place. There are hot springs located near the golf course, which have developed the springs into a Wellness Destination. From Metung, we drove to Swan Reach, which lies on the picturesque Tambo River.
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