February 28

Halls Gap to Port Fairy

There was little condensation overnight so there were no cockatoos on the car. There was a kangaroo hanging around, however.

Another vehicle in the car park	Lake Bellfield

I checked out and drove due South, through the trees for nearly 70 kilometres. I passed Lake Bellfield but very little else in an hour's driving. The trees lining the road were reminiscent of driving down the West Coast of New Zealand.

At 09.30 I reached Dunkeld and stopped at the General Store for breakfast. The breakfast roll was unhealthy but the coffee was very strong. Perhaps the one will counteract the other. I failed to find the main part of the town, which is meant to be home to one of the best restaurants in rural Victoria. It would have been nice to see it.

When I left Halls Gap, the car thermometer read sixteen degrees. By the time I reached Port Fairy at 11.30, it read 33. It was going to be another hot day. The roads were reasonably straight and reasonably flat, as was the countryside through which they passed. There was little traffic and I only passed through a couple of small towns - villages, really. It was a pretty quiet 90 kilometres which I took reasonably slowly.
	Quite like the West Coast
Mount Sturgeon (I think)	The roads were straight & empty

I remembered Port Fairy as having some beautiful beaches and some old buildings. The Tourist Office gave me some walking maps and a few other guides, so I was fully equipped.

The river was very still and some cloud appeared, reducing the sun and the temperature. I crossed the footbridge to the other side and then found a side street leading to the beach.

This was excellent, lots of sand, a few waves and very few people. It took me about ten minutes to reach the end of the beach and I turned the corner onto the river bank.

Shortly along here was an elderly powder magazine and then, on a small hill, two impressive looking gun emplacements. I descended the hill, returned to the river bank and walked along until I reached the footbridge again.

The first interesting café I passed was up a side street, looked a bit alternative but did have some food. There wasn't too much left in the cabinet but the lady suggested a vegetable frittata and she would throw together a salad to accompany it. Both were good and almost healthy.

I checked into the motel, then collected the car and unpacked it. Finally, I took the car to the far end of town, parked and walked across the 30 metre causeway to Griffiths Island.

Lots of sea birds	The causeway to Griffith Island
I walked along the path ...	... and then along the beach

This is now mainly a breeding site for sheerwaters, mutton birds as they are known in New Zealand.

The path, a mix of gravel track, concrete path, boardwalk and beach, circuits the island in about three kilometres and was very quiet.

I found excellent views, culminating in the old lighthouse. I took lots of photos and noticed that my long lens appeared to be deteriorating still further. I will be lucky if it lasts the trip. (In the end, it lasted better than I did!)
Griffith Island lighthouse

As I was heading back to the mainland a man coming towards me said that there was a wallaby under the next big tree. It didn't seem too concerned by my presence so I took some photos, although the fading powers of my lens made this difficult.

I took the car back to the motel and had a much needed rest.

At 17.30 I walked the six minutes to Blakes, the posh fish restaurant. The lady said that she had one table free so I agreed to return in an hour.

I showered and changed, then returned to the restaurant. The oysters were OK but not as good as the Bluff ones I was hoping for in New Zealand. The Patrick Riesling, as promised, was very lemony. Just right for the oysters.

Good oysters	Fish with freekeh

The fish was good, the freekeh salad was excellent. I wish I could prepare it as well.

I returned to the motel for my usual chores and to re-pack my bags so that I could carry them back to Melbourne. Little did I know what was to happen!