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Published: February 7th 2012
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We were sorry to be leaving our lovely, roomy motel room in Rawson after an exciting couple of days but on Friday 3
rd February we began our journey further east towards Lakes Entrance. A few kilometres out of Rawson Graham spotted a sign for Peterson’s Lookout and since we had plenty of time we decided to explore. Unlike the gravel road to Mount Erica the road to Peterson’s Lookout was poor but, again unlike Mount Erica, the end result was excellent. The poor gravel road led to an even worse gravel walking track which had seen better days but the final views were sensational. The industrial areas that Grant had warned us about (Moe, Traralgon and Morwell) were visible in the very far distance and we could see four power stations. The immediate views, however, reminded us of Karijini – a steep, wooded gorge with flowing water meandering through the valley a long way below. Back on the road we found our way to Sale and decided to buy some rolls and to find a spot for a picnic. A handily placed bakery yielded some chicken wraps and a short drive away were two small lakes – Guthridge and Guyatt –
with beautiful wetland surrounds and plenty of seats and picnic tables. The theme was definitely wildlife with two metal pelicans ‘flying’ above us and wooden carvings of frogs and snakes resting in the grass. The sun was too strong to sit at the picnic tables but a shaded lakeside seat was an ideal spot for an early lunch. Later on our journey to Lakes Entrance we diverted to the village of Eagle Point for mid-afternoon tea on the shores of Lake King which was delightful.
We arrived at Lakes Entrance at about 3:30pm and it was just as we remembered it from about 15 years ago. It’s a touristy town but is in a splendid position with a river estuary and a series of large lagoons sheltering it from the ocean. We struggled, at first, to find the motel we had booked via the internet as the property numbering system seemed a bit awry. It turned out to be at the opposite end of the waterfront to where we expected it to be. It was delightfully placed – on the edge of town away from the hustle and bustle but handy enough to take advantage of everything on offer.
Petersons Lookout
Named after Jim Peterson, a tireless conservation worker in the Latrobe Valley and the Moondarra Tyers Park The gardens led down to the water and a walk just a short distance away followed the waterfront where black swans abounded. We got ourselves a take-away for our evening meal – a seafood platter with chips – but although it was plentiful there was a bit too much batter for my liking. Graham watched the twenty20 cricket from Melbourne while I went for a short stroll along the waterfront and enjoyed the antics of the swans and other waterbirds. I was a bit too early to see what would probably have been a stunning sunset over the lagoons. The motel room was perfect – large with a lovely bathroom and all the facilities required (except a hairdryer!!).
Saturday 4
th February was a fabulous day – cloudless sky, hot and calm. We were up early to make contact with Sarah and Darryl who were visiting Aunty Enid for one of their regular Friday night fish and chip suppers. The Skype system didn’t seem to work too well so we used the mobile to ring and have a chat – much more expensive than Skype but well worth while. After breakfast we drove the short distance to the edge of
town where we parked and walked across the foot-bridge to the island where the main beach is situated. It looked idyllic but actually the waves were quite powerful and it was telling that no-one was swimming. I had the obligatory paddle and almost came a cropper when I was surprised by the force of the waves (I soon dried off though!) We had a stroll before finding a sheltered seat to admire the view looking back towards the town. We contemplated hiring a paddle boat but decided against it and just watched another couple having fun in the lagoon. We then meandered into town along the waterfront past all of the yachts and fishing boats. The beautiful walk took us past some carved wooden sculptures – they had been made to honour the men and women who died in WWI. The town was beginning to bustle with weekend visitors and we took advantage of a well placed “floating” café to have an early lunch which, according to the menu, was actually a late breakfast. It was now just after midday and we continued our wander around the town and then made our way back to the car. We visited the
From Tyers Lookout we could see 4 power stations
The one in this photo is one of 2 Loy Yang power stations local Safeway super-market and the attached fuel station before going back to the motel for a swim and a rest. The pool was lovely and entirely ours so I made the most of it and swam a few ‘lengths’ (not too stretching!) and Graham had a more casual soak. Later we drove to explore a couple of islands, one at each end of the town, where, at the first one, we could see the river access to the ocean. We hoped to see some dolphins as some had been sighted earlier but we were unlucky. The second “island” at the east end of town is actually a continuation of the main beach which we had earlier accessed over the footbridge. The sea here at Eastern Beach was just as rough as the main beach had been although there were a few people having a swim. The day continued to be scorchingly hot and we returned to the motel partly to escape the heat of the sun. It was tempting to have another swim but we both just relaxed and I tried (unsuccessfully) to publish a couple of blogs. There must be gremlins in the system as although I went through
the process thoroughly they just wouldn’t publish. Hopefully I can resolve it soon as the blogs will begin to pile up. I managed another delightful evening stroll along the waterfront leaving Graham in front of the TV watching a new episode of “New Tricks” which is popular over here. I was slightly later than yesterday but still didn’t stay out long enough to witness the sun setting. We had thoroughly enjoyed our all too short stay in Lakes Entrance and were so pleased we had travelled this far east.
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Bellevue on the Lakes
non-member comment
Your blog is great! I enjoyed reading it. The photos are beautiful especially the sunsets! hope to see you at Bellevue on the Lakes in the future. http://www.bellevuelakes.com/