Portland

6 - 9 November 2018

After leaving Bool Lagoon we drove south through Mount Gambier then took the coast road to Nelson, where we stopped for coffee. Driving across the border into Victoria we had to reset our watches and lost 1/2 hour in the process. From Nelson it was an easy drive into Portland. 

The reason for our visit (a return for us) was a chance to see (and photograph) the resident gannet colony close up. Mick had been able to make contact with a local volunteer and had made a tentative arrangement for Friday evening.

The hot days continued so we sought refuge in any air conditioned space we could find. The local library, with access to free wifi, was a favourite. Our bird guide was fitting us in around other commitments as well as keeping an eye on the weather forecast. With the possibility of rain in the evening, he suggested a middle of the day excursion to Point Danger. We readily agreed, despite the heat, knowing this may be our only chance.

We also found some wildlife to photograph closer to home. In the caravan park, a familiar roar alerted us to the presence of a Koala in a nearby tree. On an outing to the foreshore, we also found a couple of Fur Seals and Musk Ducks. Despite the heat and harsh light of the early afternoon, the gannet colony was the highlight of our stay. It took a while but I eventually fount a Cape Gannet among the Australasians. Another new bird! Mick.

They do sleep a lot.

A rare shot with eyes open.

Down at the waterfront, Fur Seals wait for fishermen to come in and clean their catch.

Fur Seal

We also saw a couple of Musk Ducks hunting crabs.

Anyone can visit the Point Danger gannet colony but to get a close up look beyond the fence you must go with a local volunteer. This was arranged through the Visitor Information Centre and even for this non-birdwatcher, was a very special and worthwhile experience. Being so close to a large number of these birds was quite amazing.

Australasian Gannets

A Cape Gannet showing its long Gular stripe very well.

Cape Gannet

Air brakes.

While in Portland we also took a tourist drive out to The Blowholes (not really blowing), The Petrified Forest (really a series of limestone tubes) and Bridgewater Lakes (too crowded). It was a nice drive and interesting to see some local attractions though.

On our final morning we visited Fawthrop Lagoon, another popular birdwatching spot. A walking path and boardwalk goes right around the lake, but we only went for a short walk. Next we were off along the Great Ocean Road towards the east.

Halls Gap and Narrawong (Portland)

Halls Gap

7 - 9 December 2015

We left Little Desert and headed for The Grampians. Again, this is a place we had visited before - in 1991! We felt it was time to go back. We drove through Horsham and then took the windy road to Halls Gap. You can go via Stawell if you prefer, and it is recommended if you are towing a caravan, but the off-road camper trailer handled it well.

We stopped for a picnic lunch near Zumstein's and arrived at Halls Gap in the early afternoon. We settled into the caravan park - there are several to choose from - and drove the short distance into town to the visitor centre. We picked up a map but didn't stay to ask questions - the place was packed. We needed a couple of things for dinner so called into the grocery store. I had read reviews that suggested the fresh produce was sadly lacking in variety and quality, and we found this to be true on the day we were there. Such a shame.

Halls Gap must have one of the best main street views of anywhere. It is quite spectacular and is a very popular spot for tourists - unfortunately we found the tourist information to be a little like the veges - quite disappointing. We went to the National Parks office to ask about walks and wetlands, and were told about the walk behind the centre, but that there were no wetlands around. Imagine our surprise when we walked outside and saw the sign for the wetland walk - right behind the National Parks centre! Admittedly there wasn't much water but it was still a nice easy walk.

I was hoping to get some nice shots of the beautiful little Gang-gang cockatoo. The Grampians seems to be a very good place to find them. Occasionally I could hear the creaky calls of birds flying by but they would just keep going. Eventually I spotted a pair, high up in some acacias at the botanic gardens. The feeding male stayed partly hidden until I finally gave up on him. Mick.

Female Gang-gang cockatoo.

Male Gang-gang cockatoo. Not great shots but the best I could do under the circumstances.

Grey currawong.

At the suggestion of caravan park staff we drove over to Stawell to do some shopping and found  a good variety of nice fresh vegetables in the supermarket there. We also had a nice lunch in the bakery cafe. Back at Halls Gap we went to the Visitor Information Centre again and asked about walks - easy, no stairs and flat if possible, to accommodate Mick's problem knee. Again we were not offered a map showing the walks, but were told the Venus Pool walk which starts just across the road would meet our needs. I suspect the young lady has never actually been on the walk. It was quite beautiful, and Mick did manage the 2.2km loop, but it did have lots of stairs, some uneven ground and climbs. 

Venus Pools.

While we were in Halls Gap we also visited the local furniture maker. We were shown around his workshop and treated to the inside story of many of the pieces. We just might have to consider a purchase when we get home and measure up the space we have which is just waiting for something beautiful.

We left Halls Gap and travelled south through the park, enjoying more fabulous views, and on to Dunkeld and Hamilton. We spotted an op-shop on the highway at Hamilton, so stopped for a look. We then discovered that the main street was just around the corner, so we walked to a coffee shop, and bought some beautiful fresh bread at the bakery. 

Back on the road and a picnic lunch in Heyward, where we realised we had stopped on our visit earlier in the year, then on to Portland.

Narrawong (Portland)

9 - 11 December 2015

We called into the visitor centre as soon as we arrived, for information about a wetland walk and a gannet colony which Mick had read about. We also picked up some information about caravan parks. We drove out to Point Danger where the gannets can be seen. Unfortunately you can't get very close so Mick had to be satisfied with some shots from the viewing platform and from behind the fence. Then we drove to the wetland walk, but had to park outside someone's house as there is no suitable parking for this feature. Fawthrop Lagoon promised a bird hide, but we couldn't find it. We decided that we would find somewhere to stay and visit again in the morning.

When this offshore colony of Australasian gannets grew too large, some birds started to nest on the adjacent Point Danger.

Australasian gannet.

It is very disappointing that the colony is only able to be observed from a great distance. I'm sure it would be possible to protect the birds and still allow closer viewing. If you want a closer photo of a gannet you have to hope one flies past. Mick.

A great place for wind farms.

We chose the caravan park at Narrawong, about 10 minutes from Portland, and it was a good choice. The park is nestled between the ocean and creek, and is well set up, and quite large. Shortly after arriving we were alerted to a koala in a tree, not far from our spot.

Caravan park Koala.

In the morning we headed back to Fawthrop Lagoon and went for a walk part way around. It's a nice spot, but we still didn't find the promised bird hide. There are board walks and well defined paths. We also revisited the gannets before heading back into town for lunch and a look at the shops. It was a good day out.

The ubiquitous Chestnut teal

Overnight we had rain - which is not a problem except we were getting close to Melbourne, and our departure for Tasmania so we definitely didn't want to have wet canvas for our final (for a while) pack up. We had one more night so carefully considered our next overnight spot. The rain held off while we packed up and started again just as we finished. We checked the weather forecast and it looked like it would not be raining in Ballarat so we decided that might be a good place to spend the next night.

Blanket Bay - Great Otway National Park

12 - 13 March 2015

We continued along the Great Ocean Road with a view to camping in one of the many National Park campsites along the way. Because of the online booking system introduced by Parks Victoria in 2014, it is necessary to book your campsite (the actual number site - not just the park) online, which is quite difficult when you haven't actually seen the campground so we decided to drive in and have a look around then go ahead and book once we had found something we liked the look of, and which suited our needs.

One of the many stops on the G.O.R.

The first site we visited was Johanna Beach, a lovely spot where we enjoyed a picnic lunch. We drove on to the campsite which is behind the sand dunes. The campsites were very small and side by side so there would be little privacy of there were lots of people there so we crossed that one off the list and moved on. 

We were headed to Aire River because some reviews suggested this to be a lovely spot, but without detailed maps, and no signs from the main road, we missed that one. We continued on and realised we had also missed the turn to Cape Otway. As there was no mobile phone reception we pressed on to Apollo Bay and the Visitor Information Centre. We were assured that Blanket Bay is one of the most popular spots so took the risk and booked site number 12 based on the information available on the Parks Victoria website.

It was great to see this Echidna hunting around for ants in the campground.

We headed back along the Great Ocean Road, and took the Cape Otway turn-off. As we drove along this road we noticed fellow travellers stopped on the side of road. looking up, with cameras in hand. There is a large koala population and they can be seen easily in trees on the road side. Of course, we stopped for some photos too.

Koala. Actually taken on the way out.

As we headed in to Blanket Bay we noticed signs saying "camp ground full". We weren't sure whether this was current, or left over from the recent long weekend, but we were glad we had already booked. Our spot was level, and not far from the toilets - pit toilets, but well maintained. We were able to position the car in such as way as to allow us to use the awning too.

There were lots of birds around so Mick was happy. We walked on the beach and around the campsite and agreed it is a beautiful spot - shared with resident Echidna and wallabies (and possibly koalas although we didn't spot any at the campground.

Olive Whistler

The elusive Rufous Bristlebird.

This is a wonderful birding spot with, no doubt, many more birds than I was able to see in our short stay. Great views of an Olive Whistler were a pleasant surprise as we walked around the campground. Later we caught fleeting glimpses of the very shy Rufous Bristlebird. Eastern Yellow Robins and Crimson Rosellas were never far away and Yellow-faced and White-eared Honeyeaters were plentiful. The Bristlebird was the highlight for me though as it in not an easy bird to see or photograph, not that the photograph is great. Mick.

After a relaxing night we packed up for the next leg of the journey - the one we weren't really looking forward to - into Melbourne.