The Great Ocean Road to Wye River and Werribee

Wye River

9 - 10 December 2018

We've driven the Great Ocean Road a few times now, and have visited most of the sites, so on this trip we didn't feel the need to stop at the many lookouts. Our first stop after leaving Portland was Port Fairy to go to Griffiths Island. This was a very busy spot with lots of people walking along the paths. Our mission was birds, of course, but most visitors were there to see the lighthouse - just one of many along this part of the coast (known as the Shipwreck Coast).

We didn't have any luck with birds but were able to find a sheltered spot out of the relentless wind, to have a picnic lunch in the nearby park. It would have been a very pleasant spot if it hadn't been so blowy.

From Port Fairy we travelled along the coastal route through Warrnambool and on to Bay of Martyrs. This is one spot we hadn't been to. As with all the sites along the Great Ocean Road, this one was fairly busy, but not as busy as the better known ones. We were pleased to find ample parking for long / towing vehicles in a well made car park. Still windy so we didn't stay long. 

We continued along the coastal road, through Apollo Bay and on to Wye River. We chose the caravan park with a bush setting and were very happy to be able to set up right on the little creek that runs through the park. Wye River township and community was devastated by bushfires on Christmas Day 2015, but despite the evidence of burnt bush, it is still a lovely place to visit. The pub up on the hill adjacent to the caravan park was a fabulous spot for an sundowner with a view.

In the morning we walked on the beach and along the little bush track that runs beside the caravan park. If we had more time, we would have stayed longer. We had to push on to get closer to Melbourne for our Friday night sail to Tasmania, so our next stop was Werribee.

Werribee

10 - 11 December 2018

Mick has wanted to visit the Western Treatment Plant at Werribee for some time, so I could no longer avoid this as a destination. As with some other birding hot-spots, access to this one is restricted. Visitors must apply for a permit and obtain a key from the Visitor Information Centre located at Werribee Zoo. This turned out be an easy process with the frinedly volunteers offering all sorts of information.

Our stay at a nearby caravan park meant we were able to make a very early start to take advantage of the best light. You drive throughout the complex, beside the various treatment ponds and along near the shore. It's well signposted and made for a nice morning out, although Mick felt it would have been better to have gone with someone who had some local knowledge.

Black Swan

Red-necked Avocets, Red-necked Stints, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and curlew Sandpipers.

Sharp-tailed Sandpipers

Whiskered Tern

A great place to visit and the abundance of bird life is truly amazing. It is the place for flock and group shots but that's not really my thing. We saw thousands of Curlew Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints as well as a good variety of ducks. Mick

While staying in Werribbee we made preparation for our journey to Tasmania. The weather forecast for the couple of days prior to sailing was for rain so we made the decision to put the camper trailer into storage and spend the last two nights in a cabin.