Port Campbell

 5 - 8 February 2025

We chose Port Campbell as the first stop on our Great Ocean Road journey. After lunch (and a  spot of birding) at Peterborough,  we settled in to the caravan park and discovered we were camped beside one of our favourite Youtube travelling couples. We found Steve from Trip 4 2, to be just as friendly in real life as he is online, although we didn't get to meet Ally. 

We had initially booked for 2 nights but added an extra one as soon as we arrived. It was clear this would be a nice place to stay, and an extra day would allow us to have some "down time" and see the sights. On our first day we walked along the beach into the village and called in to the Visitor Information Centre on our way home. Armed with some maps and brochures we planned our next couple of days.

Mick was keen to see penguins to add to his bird list and I was keen to do some sightseeing so we planned to drive east towards the Twelve Apostles with the aim to arrive at sunset. We headed off and stopped at Loch Ard Gorge, one of many spots where ships were wrecked. The Loch Ard was lost with only two survivors found in the bay. We walked along the clifftops where interpretative signage tells the story of the shipwreck, and also provides information on the geology, flora and fauna of the area.

Loch Ard Gorge

From Loch Ard Gorge we continued east to the Twelve Apostles and were quite surprised how full the carpark was at around 8:00pm. It was a beautiful evening after a very hot day and it seems we weren't the only ones with the idea of enjoying the sunset at one of Australia's best known natural attractions.

We made our way along the boardwalk and found a good spot. We could see the telltale signs of penguin footprints on the beach below and waited until about 10 minutes after sunset to see a small group of about eight Little penguins making their way from the water to the beach. There is a colony of about 800 birds but we were happy just to see the first few. We headed home very satisfied with the evening out.

Sunset at Twelve Apostles

We rose early the next morning for another birding session at Peterborough, although it wasn't as successful as some of the others had been. We then hit the tourist trail, first visiting Bay of Martyrs and Halladale Point, then Bay of Islands to the west of Peterborough. From there we turned towards the east again and called in to The Grotto and London Bridge before heading back to the caravan park. Because we were out early, there weren't too many people about. They can become very crowded by the middle of the day.

The Grotto

Later in the afternoon I left Mick happily procressing the hundreds of photos he had taken over the last few days, and set off on the Port Campbell Discovery Walk which can be accessed from the bridge adjacent to the caravan park. This walk is about 4.4km and is fairly easy although there are a lot of stairs at the start. The walk follows the cliff line for about the first half, then turns inland through coastal heath. It's an "out and back" walk and there is a carpark at the turn around point.

It's a big climb up the stairs at the start
of the coastal walk

We still hadn't made up our minds exactly where we would go next, but decided on Saturday morning that we would go inland to escape the weekend crowds. The caravan park in Port Campbell had been almost empty when we arrived, but by Friday night was almost full. We called ahead to Lake Purrumbete which had been recommended to us, and made our way there - only about 45 minutes away.  

Portland

 4 - 5 February 2025

We had enjoyed our longer than anticipated stay in Warrnambool and were ready to move on, but still cncerned about fires in the Otways so decided to go in the opposite direction to the one we had intended. Mick was keen to go back to Portland for a night or two so he could get some more photographs of the gannets.

Mick had been out for an early morning birding session with Tony and we left Warrnambool after a final coffee and farewell to good friends. We headed west and were at Portland just on lunch time. We decided to dine again at Mac's Hotel where they have a fabulous, well priced lunch menu. The price had risen slightly since we were there in November but was still great value.

After lunch we checked in to the caravan park and spent some time reorganising our things and doing some shopping. We planned a light dinner after a big lunch and were ready to go out to Point Danger for the 5:30pm tour at the Gannet colony.

Tours are conducted by volunteers each night and all you have to do it meet at the gate - no booking and no charge. We arrived and Mick organised his camera gear including tripod as we knew he would have about 1/2 hour to take photographs. Just before 5:30 a tour bus arrived which had us a bit worried about so many people being there but we need not have been concerned. Because we 'd been before, our guide allowed us to skip the commentary and go straight down to the viewing spot.

Mick was keen to photograph the stray Cape gannet that is part of the large colony of Australasian gannets but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Our guide was busy with others in the group but generously gave more of his time once almost everyone else had left. He was able to pinpoint the Cape gannet and Mick was finally able to get some photos of it.

Can you see the lone Cape gannet?
No? Neither could I!

With a successful session at the gannets, we were happy to leave Portland after only one night so packed up and headed off the next morning. We had decided to drive east along The Great Ocean Road and had booked a couple of nights at Port Campbell so we didn't need to rush.

We stopped at Peterborough for lunch and so Mick could do a spot of birding and then made our way to Port Campbell.

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.

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.