South Gippsland

1/4/2108.  Tuesday.  R & R were awake at 6:00am to a cool morning with the guys loading the truck and getting ready to head off for the day on a job somewhere near Springvale Rd.  R & R breakfasted at 7:30am shortly after everyone had left and made preparations for the day, doing the seeds and nuts for breakfast and pouring over the maps to plan a brief get away. By 8:30am, they had showered and RL was helping to proof read the blog texts and select the photo for the day.  They had the dongle in the laptop but it appeared the data had run out as they were not getting anywhere with the mail or with internet so about 10:00am they gave up on it.  After getting the washing in, packing down the camper and sorting the Ute, R & R were heading south down the South Gippsland Highway by 11:00am with 100kms on the clock planning to sleep at Franklin River Reserve near Toora,160kms away in South Gippsland.  It was an extremely hazy morning and a quick Google check revealed that it was caused by controlled burning on the eastern side of Melbourne and that it was not likely to go away.  Along the way RA noticed that Cranbourne RSL had a navy plane as its feature and saw the Turning Point Church which was a massive modern complex and, directly over the road, a tiny traditional church with a spire on top.  The highway became double lanes both ways with a nature strip in between and the countryside was flat and opened out to farming, dairies and hot houses.  At noon as RL drove into Tooradin he noticed a Trash and Treasure sign and thought it was time for a break. R & R looked through the sheds of mostly collectables and antiques before RA picked up a solar torch for $5 which she immediately unwarped and set on the dash to charge.  R & R took photos of a big fish and of the bridge over Sawtell’s Inlet with its mangrove swamp.  They hadn’t realised that they were on the tip of the eastern edge of the Mornington Peninsula with French and Phillip Islands directly to the south.  Heading off again, they passed more dairy country before coming to Koo-Wee-Rup which boasts being asparagus country and also has several op shops and antique/collectable shops.  There is an installation in the centre of town featuring a Centenary clock and recording details about the 1932 flood.  Fortunately, Koo-Wee-Rup had a Woolworths so we were able to buy bread and make lunch.  RL got chatting with a man who had a Jayco Swan of 2016 like theirs.  This man had been travelling and the cord from the winding mechanism broke.  Jayco fixed it for him and apparently there was a recall of 2016 models to have their mechanism checked over!  About 1:40pm R & R were heading south towards Lang Lang, with a still hazy sky over several creeks, noticing free horse poo signs, Browns Fertilizer and Lime and the Caldermeade Farm Dairy and Café.  Shortly after Lang Lang the South Gippsland Hwy veers east passing Bass Gas plant and more dairy farming.  The country side becomes more undulating to eventually being quite steep going up and down and round bends that suggest speeds of as low as 65kms/hr.  There were also signs about cross winds and several sections with road works in progress.  The area is renowned for it being the Bass River Wine growing region and there is a cheese factory.  By 2:20pm, R & R were popping into the Korumburra (nicknamed “Burra”) information centre for suggestions on what to do with the next couple of days.  At the information centre there is a display of the Coal Creek Railway Station.  By 3:00pm it was a pleasantly warm summery afternoon though still a little hazy as R & R continued on through Leongatha (which a big centre with traffic lights) and Koonwarra which has a huge tractor dealership.  The countryside continued to be hilly with large trees on the road verges, in valleys and near the bridges over creeks and rivers e.g. Tarwin, Stony and Deep.  R & R passed through the townships of Meeniyan (which means “turning point”) and Foster before arriving at Franklin River reserve by 4:15pm.  They parked, had a coffee and walked along the river, around the reserve, up to the bridge and read the signs in the Rotunda.  The whole area is a haven for Australia’s iconic wildlife, where wombats, koalas, platypus and lyrebirds live in specific pockets of the region, though the only specimen R & R saw was a dead wombat. About an hour later, they set up the camper, had a cup and pawed over some maps before making dinner.  The evening got cooler as they read before posting a blog, so they put more clothing on and threw another blanket on the bed … to dream of seeing any of the above mentioned animals, alive, in the wild, on their travels.

2/5/2018.  Wednesday.  R & R slept well and woke to 14*C but it felt much cooler while the forecast promised it would be up to 22*C mid-afternoon.  They also woke to find a near full camp site considering they were only the second there when they set up the night before.  Out of bed by 7:00am, they breakfasted and tidied up before RL read and rang his brother, S, and RA did the diary she had not done the night before.  At 9:30am, RA was taking a photo of a map of the locale at the rotunda and they were on their way to Toora for 2kms before turning north towards Agnes Falls a further 15kms.  From many places in this area the tourist is able to see the dozen or so wind turbines from the Toora Wind Farm.  The countryside and therefore, the road, is steep and winding with views of the valleys below and hills above, water in dams, logging and dairy cattle everywhere.  RL said “Beautiful!” and RA said “Amazing!”  They saw some crimson rosella which are even more spectacular than the western rosella.  They commented that, by nature of its type, being time and labour intensive farming, they actually saw farmers working; something that you see very little of generally in your travels.  Agnes Falls, at 59m, is Victoria’s highest single span falls and is spectacular.  One can only imagine how much more impressive it would be and the roar by the end of the winter rains. By 11:00am, the sun was trying to peer through the haze as RL drove on Blair Hill Road to Welshpool where they saw a huge dairy. The rolling green hills here in the Gippsland are the southern end of the Strzelecki Ranges and rise very quickly to 200-300m above sea level even though they are only a few kilometres from the sea.  The drive down Blair Hill Road is densely wooded in sections, at one point has a mirror (like those used in hospitals or busy city laneways) to show traffic from another direction, and drops in height constantly over the last few kilometres into Welshpool which is just above sea level and only a couple of kilometres to Point Welshpool.  The historic jetty was closed as it was under repair but it was worth the drive out to see the jetty terminal and many, many black swans on the tidal flat which looked like it rises a couple of feet when it comes in. Desperate for a coffee, they stopped in the main street of Welshpool, at 12:40pm, right in front of an op shop!  They did not miss the opportunity!  RA found a blue and white china cow (Delft) to remind her of the fact that she had never seen so many cows as she had in the last two days. From there they headed to Foster for information on Wilson’s Promontory and ate a late lunch.  By 2:00pm, RL was heading south 60kms down to Tidal River.  About half the distance is farming, flat country, mostly dairy, some of them quite large; the other half is National Park , dense coastal woodland and increasingly mountainous.  RL noticed one particularly large dairy that had started the evening milking already and estimated the line of cattle to be almost 800 head.  The speed limit within the park is 80kms/hr but there are suggestions for lower than that in some sections.  RL turned east for 4kms to Duck Point/Corner Inlet and back out again.  It was grey and the inlet, very quiet, but you could see that it was an ideal place for families, fishing and fun in season.  The water was calm and clear with a child friendly beach to walk in both directions.  Further south into the NP R & R could see evidence of a fire probably last season and in other places of fires from previous seasons where regrowth could be seen.  The hills rise to 300m above sea level, with Mt Leonard rising to 556m and Mt Oberon to 558m above sea level while being only one or two kilometres from the sea.  They are magnificent – almost as though – they have just risen out of the sea.  Some of them have rock faces and the spectacle is just jaw dropping!  At 3:20pm R & R, stopped in the Tidal River camping area and walked down to Norman Beach.  It really is a credit to Parks Vic that this park as a whole and this camping area in particular are so well set up and out and so neatly kept. The options for walking, swimming, surfing and camping are endless. R & R noticed several schools using the camp facilities.  A small cabin will cost $100/night while camping is $60.  The Hum drove 3kms (approximately 5 minutes) up Mt Oberon to the car park where remains quite a steep walk of a couple of kilometres higher up to the top.  From the car park there are also several other walks of varying lengths, none short.  Here R & R saw another of the smaller, very dark, almost black kangaroos that they had seen a few of in this area.  It getting later in the day, they agreed to pop into Squeaky Bay before heading back to Foster.  The sand there is quite white and it really does squeak as it is walked on. Both Norman and Squeaky beaches are suitable for surfing and have sea birds other than the common sea gull and both look out in a westerly direction.  Although the signs indicated that one might see wombats or koala, R & R did not see any this time!  By 5:45pm, they had just come into Foster when S, their daughter, rang so they sat in the street for a while to chat.  Eventually, they were back where they had left the camper fully set up.  RL rang his sister, K.  Dinner was quick and easy, if just a little late, and they sat to read/write for a while before bed. It had been a very interesting day … the highest falls in Victoria and Wilson’s Prom … the most southern tip on the Australian mainland.

3/5/2018.  Thursday.  R  & R were awake and out by 7:00am to a cool morning.  Toora, on the coast had a forecast of 14*C but it must have been much less down by the river understorey of the tall trees.  They needed to wait for their nearest campers to leave before they could back the Ute to the camper so they spent about half an hour working up the first of the Dandenong posts and picking the photos.  At 9:00am, R & R drove to Port Franklin, via Dorans Rd only about 5kms away, in a vain attempt to see koalas.  Instead, they were rewarded with a great little fishing village and a working fish shop on the meandering Franklin River with colourful boats surrounded by coastal plants.  When they got back about 10:00am, the nearest campers had left and R & R were able to pack down the camper, hitch it up and be away within half an hour.  They headed for Foster so that they could take a quick walk by the river, crossing the bridge at the sight where gold was first discovered at Stockyard Creek.  RL handed a number plate that he had found on the road in the National Park in at the Police Station while RA took a couple of photos of the clock tower in the main street and the hotel behind it. At 11:10am, R & R were heading back to Melbourne, back through all that hilly country, up and down and round and round; spectacular but exhausting.  By 12.15pm as R & R arrived in Loch, RA was well and truly due for a break.  Just to stop and put her feet on the ground!   They stopped in the main street, went to the public toilet and popped into the Post Office to enquire about the Loch Stock and Barrel Swing Bridge.  It was just over the highway so they decided to go there.  Not without difficulty!  Unfamiliar with the area, the Hum crossed the highway which immediately wound round and up a hill, with a logging truck pushing from behind, and missed the turn off.  When able, he turned off, backed up and turned around, only to find the gateway blocked by a work ute and trailer.  Eventually, RL squeezed his way through.  R & R enjoyed the bouncy feeling of walking on the bridge and the magnificent oak trees that must have been planted long, long ago and the break for lunch.  At 1:30pm they were back on the road for Dandenong, only stopping briefly at Tooradin.  RA had bought a solar torch the other day on the way down but the solar part of the torch was not working.  It was using the battery, which should have been a backup, and not charging.  The guy there gave them a replacement.  R & R arrived at the Dandenong at 3:00pm to find everyone still at work when usually the yard would have been virtually empty shortly after 2:30pm.  Everyone had a cup shortly after R & R arrived, looked at RL’s photos from the last couple of days on the TV and chatted a while.  Later when everyone had left, J moved the truck forward so that RL could put the camper under cover from the forecasted stormy weather.  RA had put the replacement torch on the dash to take advantage of the remaining daylight and noticed that the charge button was working, so she was pleased considering the effort and embarrassment involved with complaining.  Everyone was tired so RA prepared dinner a little early.  They watched ABC News at 7:00pm before a quick shower and heading to bed.  They returned the missed call from S, their daughter, read and wrote a little and quit early.  They could hear the wind making the tin roof rattle … and wondered how the weather would play out overnight and into the next day.