5. Lingering at Merimbula

Victoria Hotel Alberton Victoria

Leaving Wilsons Prom

Leaving Wilson's Promontory last Friday was perfect timing - starting to come in a bit colder. Pete had made a couple of appts for chiropractor and dentist - doesn't always pay to floss your teeth - whole fillings can pop out.
As we completed our ablutions in the hot showers at the Prom, I got chatting to a lovely lady Megan, and Pete got chatting to a lovely man Lloyd - then when we found our other halves outside the block the conversation went on. Such a lovely brief encounter and we have swapped details to catch up with them down the track. They have bought a house in Kettering near the ferry to Brunei Island and have invited us to come see them when down that way. Absolutely!

We had a cruisey drive through the South Gippsland countryside to  Inverloch and Foster, and Pete got sorted. As mentioned earlier, plans change all the time.
Up until this point we had planned to go to Phillip Island and do some go-karting before heading away from this area of Victoria. But it started to feel a bit like swimming upstream - going in the wrong direction, unable to find a free camp let alone an ocean side camp on Phillip Island - just standard $70pn caravan parks which we will surely use when needed but not our first choice. We'll come back and check out Phillip Island next time - as we will surely be back in Victoria going at a slower pace and able to do what we want when we want.

Lipstick equals
freshened up for dinner

Port Albert free canp - next time we will go there

I did a search on wiki camps and found a free camp at Port Albert on the edge of the water - but couldn't find a simple pub or restaurant nearby to get dinner without unhooking the car. I found a pub at Alberton, just inland from Port Albert with a fireplace and a free camp and pretty good Tripadvisor reviews about the food. We pulled up as the sun was setting behind a huge old pub standing all alone in the middle of the countryside; full to the brim with locals. We set up on lush grass in the back yard, freshened up and went into the warmth for a Guiness, followed by Shiraz, and a fresh local seafood platter to share. Not a sophisticated platter but fresh as and we ate every skerrick.Too be honest, as lovely as this overnight stay was, we think we may not camp in the grounds of a pub very often! 

We went to see Port Albert, and the free camp, as we moved on the next day and it was absolutely stunning. Next time we will defs stay here for a day or two and check out the area. Loving these lovely little Victorian backwaters. How do the people who live in these little enclaves survive financially I always wonder...

Wombat

Happy camper

On our rough itinerary, the next stop was to be Shipwreck Creek at Malacoota - a free camp I had found when first making a plan. Pete has already been through this area, and he was keen to spend a few days at Cape Conran Coastal Park at Banksia Bluff Campground instead, not much south of Malacoota. Again we arrived in the dark - our dawdling travel style means we can be a bit relaxed about time in the morning and during the day, and then it's like we need to get to where we are going! We pulled up in the dark at a camp site as best we could - and thought we had nailed it first time. We pulled out the awning and got out our lounge-like camp chairs. A huge wombat made its way through the camp as if we did not exist. I made a nibble plate and we looked forward to waking to the surrounds in the morning. We went to sleep by the sounds of the ocean not far away. 

Next morning we realised that although it was a sweet site there was no sun on it at all. And baby it's cold outside. So we went looking for a sunny site to move to. Tess, the ranger came past to check on payment and we told her where we were moving to. We moved and then I rode the bike to the office only to be told that we could not camp at the new site because there were works being done in that section of the camp... Damn! So we had to move a third time! We are getting pretty quick and competent at setting the camp up and down - it is such a user friendly van - makes moving it stress free.  

Cape Conran beach

Beach art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As usual, much walking, eating well, e-biking, wild animals and natural beauty all around. I managed a second painting at the entry to the beach just below our campsite at dusk. Pete had one swim which I regretted not joining him for, and he fished without luck while I painted. 

Pete very refreshed

Our first fire for the trip

When we paid, we bought ready cut fire timber and kindling (the surrounding timber was too wet to make use of - we are traveling with a small battery operated chain saw and our own brazier.) 

 

This camp has a fab camp fire with cooking hooks and plates on every site. We enjoyed two fires and had our section of the camp completely to ourselves. 

Yeerung Beach

Us

Estuary View Walk Yeerung River

Estuary View Walk Yeerung River

Painting - entry to beach at Cape Conran

Hopeful but no fish caught

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again we were blessed with beautiful weather. It rained on the third night and we thought we'd be packing up in the wet - but the sun came out and we packed up in the dry and got underway to friends Mick and Louise at Merimbula. We had our first hot showers inside the van before driving away - what a luxury.

 

 

                                                                     The Sapphire Coast is stunning. Mick and Louise have lived at Merimbula for forty years and have been wonderful hosts and guides, and excellent company, with their son Lewis. We went for a couple of stunning walks; one around the headlands to a swimming hole in the rocks, and another straight out their back door and down through the bush track to Merimbula Lake, again on sunset and I could not stop taking pictures.
Louise introduced me to an art shop where they make prints of photos and paintings etc. I am quite excited to make a few of my paintings into prints that may help fund my life. She and Mick are keen to buy my Cape Conran painting! It's still wet - but I'll take it home and sign it and glaze it and then maybe it can be the first print to be made before they take the original.

From Louise and Mick's house

Tura Head Rock Pool

Back Lake Merimbula

Merimbula Bar

Tura Head Rock Pool

Tura Headland Walking Track

Back Lake Merimbula

Mick Louise and D

Tura Head Rock Pool

Back Lake Merimbula

Back Lake Merimbula

Back Lake Merimbula

Back Lake Merimbula

Tura Headland
Walking Track

Fortunately, we were able to get the car into an awesome mechanic, Simon at Goodyear, to check our brakes because they became quite worrisome on the way up and over the hills en route to Merimbula. Turned out there was some very big problems and we have had to stay an extra night here awaiting parts. Thank God we caught the problem before something terrible happened. 

 

Pete had work done on the car before we left to be sure all the systems were working well - so this is quite unexpected and disappointing - as yet we don't know how expensive. But we will have peace of mind as we head on to a friend, Susan's, at Cobargo, and then Glossodia and the Blue Mountains which are our next stops on the way home, visiting childhood friends of mine Susie and Annie. 

Delicious Dinner at Kittys Restaurant
Mick, Louise, Lewis, D and P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time during our stay at
Merimbula to write blog 5

To thank Mick Louise and Lewis for having us we took them to dinner at a restaurant designed and run by another of their sons, Mitchell and what a stunning place, with Japanese inspired food. Yum! Highly recommended. 
We look forward to coming back to the Sapphire coast and hanging out with you guys again, doing more walks and seeing more of the amazing nooks and crannies around the coast. Thanks again x