Port Campbell

11 - 12 March 2015

Leaving the campground, we travelled back towards Portland and then on to the famous and beautiful Great Ocean Road. We stopped in Part Fairy for lunch and supplies. We found a park near the beach - it must be the smallest Apex Park in Australia, but was right next to a beach access track so we took advantage of the location and had a short walk on the sand. We also visited the Botanical Gardens - again, must be the smallest in Australia - absolutely tiny, but located next to the river  - wedged in between the bridge, the road and the caravan park.

Male Chestnut Teal. We don't see these up north but they're common here.

Musk Duck near the Gardens. Another tick for me.

Another stop in Warrnambool to visit the park and beachfront we remember from our last time there. The park is home to many birds - mainly seagulls and ducks - and is very popular with families because of the playground. Along the shoreline to Merri Marine Park. There is a long walkway and it appears that you can walk out to Merri Island at low tide, which it wasn't when we were there. There is interpretive signage along the walk, and great views.

Pied Oystercatcher on the beach at Warrnambool.

From Warrnambool we headed east along the Shipwreck Coast (so named because of the large number of shipwrecks in the early days of settlement) and made the obligatory visits to the viewing spot on this spectacular coastal drive. We visited most along this section, including Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, London Bridge and The Arch.

The weather was still somewhat inclement so we headed into Port Campbell and a cabin in the caravan park. On Thursday morning we ventured on to Loch Ard Gorge. This is famous as the site of a shipwreck where only two survived. There are steps leading down to the beach and it is worth the effort. You can really get a sense of how amazing the story of survival is.

The main species I was looking for in this part of the country were Brush Bronzewing, Rufous Bristlebird and Blue-winged Parrot. I'm pretty sure I saw some Blue-winged Parrots from the car but could not find their location once we'd stopped. They are supposed to be quite common but not for me. The preferred habitat for these species is dense coastal heath so tracking them down was never going to be easy. A little bonus while searching in vain for the above birds was coming across a group of cute little Southern Emu-wrens. Mick.

Going down to the beach at Loch Ard Gorge.

Loch Ard Gorge

From there we also visited the most famous site - The Twelve Apostles (although there are now less than twelve). There is a visitor centre and the pathway to the viewing platforms leads under the road for the safety of pedestrians and the convenience of drivers. No visit to the area is complete without seeing this magnificent natural wonder. You can take a helicopter flight out over the coast - but we didn't.