We last visited Warrnambool in November 2018 and loved it so much we wanted to stay permanently. It was lovely to return and still have the same feeling for this rugged seaside town oozing with maritime history and a vibrant gourmet food and artistic scene, which reminds us very much of Albany in Western Australia. We met new local James, at the Grape and Barley, a craft beer aficionado now living in Warrnambool with his Mum after being priced out of the competitive rental market in Melbourne, and Simone and Richard also from Melbourne who had stopped over in Warrnambool on their way to see family near Robe in South Australia. Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG)Exhibition: "There's no place like home" curated by Serena Wong "looks at both the good and the bad as equal threads in the story of this nation." Exhibition: Local artist Rachel Robb uses oil to create slow, small-scale paintings that merge the mundane with the sublime in a traditional still-life format Exhibition: "Structures of Feelings" aligns the work of two ground-breaking Australian artists from different generations, Paul Yore (1987-) and Albert Tucker (1914-1999) to interrogate the response by each artist to their socio-political surroundings. "By aligning the practices of Tucker and Yore, the exhibition draws attention to the incredible power that cultural regimes wield in shaping belief systems." Little East BeachKnown as Port Fairy's safest dog beach because it is a protected cove with little to no surf and it didn't disappoint. We left Cherry at the end of Griffiths Street and walked along the beach towards Battery Hill, then into town. Battery HillThe concrete fortifications at Battery Hill originally known as Flagstaff Hill, the Harbour Master’s signal point for shipping, were completed in 1887 in response to a perceived invasion threat by Russian after the Crimean War, which was won by a British and France alliance. Each year in January on Sunday morning the cannon is fired to celebrate the New Year and share the history of this quaint seaside town. Around town
Tower Hill and KoroitA wildlife reserve managed by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperation is home to emus, koalas, echidnas, turtles, possums and kangaroos who can be seen around the crater lake and rugged bushland. The Natural History Centre, currently under renovation, was designed in 1962 by Australian architect Robin Boyd, cylindrical in shape echoes the form of this now inactive volcano. The reserve is a no dog zone so we could only drive around the circuit track but it was still very impressive, and the crater loop track would make for an exciting walk. Located near Tower Hill, with rich volcanic soil, Koroit is a historic Irish farming settlement dating back to the 1840s, which is said to boast Australia’s most “complete examples” of early Irish architecture.
Timboon to Curdie Rail Trail Return WalkTimboon Fine Ice Cream & Schulz Organic Dairy Scones
Curdie Trestle BridgeThe rail bridge over Curdies River was constructed in 1892 to facilitate the Timboon-Camperdown Line and provided access to the coastal town of Port Campbell and helped local creamery and butter produces access markets to sell their products. The bridge was constructed of local Heytesbury forest timber and displays both utilitarian bridge and wharf building techniques. The rail line was closed in 1986 and the bridge was restored to form part of the Timboon-Camperdown Rail Tail. The bridge is one of the few surviving railway structures of this type in Victoria.
It's about a 285-kilometer journey from Bendigo in Central Victoria to Warrnambool on the south-west coast. We stopped at Beaufort the halfway point for lunch each way and also checked out a vintage secondhand store, which I can never resist and always want to buy everything in the store, thankfully the Shovel is there to bring me back to reality... I do tend to pendulum between uncluttered minimalist and maximalist hoarder... BeaufortThis area was called “Peerick” by the Jajowarrung First People. Thomas Mitchell was the first European in the region before gold was discovered in 1852. Although unsubstantiated, the town was named after Rear Admiral Francis Beaufort who devised the Beaufort scale for measuring wind velocity. Gumby had a lovely chat to Jim in the local Newsagency regarding the importance of carrying physical cash, of which Gumby does not, as she paid for the Frankie magazine by tapping her phone against the EFT device… Lake Burley GriffinNational Gallery of AustraliaKnow My Name: Making it Modern celebrates innovative women artists who changed the course of modern art in Australia with an aim to enhance understanding of their contribution to Australia's cultural live.
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM)
ElmoreCampaspe Run Tourist AttractionI went into the Information Centre at Elmore looking to purchase local honey and left, without honey, but with knowledge I never knew I needed. The welcoming Information Centre volunteer invited the three of us to view the interactive museum display which taught us the suburb of Sunshine in Melbourne was named after the HV McKay "Sunshine" Combine Harvester where the factory was located.
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November 2023
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