Back from our holiday in Victoria

We have had 12 days away on a holiday in Victoria, involving the Great Ocean Road, The Grampians, the Goldfields and the Yarra Valley. We were very lucky with the weather when in Victoria-- whilst Sydney and NSW got battered by storms and rain.

We started our holiday on the Great Ocean Road-- staying at Wongarra and then at Port Fairy. We tried to do as many walks each day as we could-- especially in the National parks.

Koala in the Otways National Park

 

The Otways Light House

 

The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

 

London Bridge

 

Prior to 1990, this piece of rock was connected to the mainland. But in 1990, a piece collapsed and formed this island. 2 people were stranded on the island when it collapsed and had to be rescued by helicopter. Reminded me of the child's nursery rhyme "London bridge is falling down".



 

 

Waterways at Port Fairy

 

A nankeen night heron-- it fishes at night.

 

 

Shearwater  (mutton birds) burrows

 

The shear water birds come to Griffith Island each year to nest. They leave the island to fly back to the Aleutian Islands in mid April. We walked around the island in the daytime-- we saw quite a few dead baby birds-- and no adults. Then I realised that the adults were out to sea in the day time and come in at dusk. The lady at the information centre told us that the adults left the island to fly north approximately mid April and she was not sure if they had gone as it was the 16th April. I was determined to see them and hoped that they would be back that evening. We walked back to the island that evening and waited and waited-- to no avail. The mossies and wallabies came out, but no adult shear waters came back! We must have missed them by a day or 2. There were 5 of us on the island waiting very patiently-- we had a chat instead. The babies were still in their burrows-- they were very quiet-- apparently they do not leave until 3 weeks later and manage to catch up with their parents in New Zealand on their journey north.

 

 

The next day we headed off to the Grampians. They were desperate for rain there-- it had been very dry. The waterfalls were dry too.

 

Southern Grampians taken at Dunkeld

 

Venus Baths in the Grampians.

 

View of the Grampians from a lookout

 

An Echidna

 

The only other echidna (in the wild) I saw was over 30 years ago. So can you imagine my delight when I saw this little creature trundling down to the water's edge, having a drink, turned around and trundled back into the bush. If I tried to get any closer , it rolled itself into a ball-- so had to keep my distance to not scare it.

 

Then it was a journey to the goldfields. We stopped at Maldon for lunch on our way to the B+B.

 

The Village Patch at Maldon

 

Don't you just love the sayings on the quilt-- all about chocolate-- and I agree with them.

 

Part of the 5000poppies display at Daylesford.

 

Cyril's at Trentham-- a delightful gift shop-- it was warm and inviting and Kay who runs it, was very welcoming.

 

A vintage Singer sewing machine in a shop window at Kyneton.

 

I will continue the journey in the next couple of days.

 

Cheers,

Yvonne