Warrnambool, Victoria

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village

Admittedly this wasn't one of the most exciting tourists attractions we'd experienced, but we did learn many interesting maritime facts, including the Shipwreck Coast, that stretches 120 kilometres from Apollo Bay to Portland is aptly named as it has claimed over 100 ships, with many coming to grief at Lady Bay in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Cape Otway. Most famously the Loch Ard ran aground on Muttonbird Island, near what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge in 1878. Of the 54 passengers on board only two survived, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, Pearce saving Carmichael's life by dragging her from the wreckage to safety before leaving her in a cave whilst he went to raise the alarm. A peacock made by Minton Earthenware and sent from England to be displayed at the Great Exhibition at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne due to be held in 1880 also survived the wreck. Amazingly the peacock was pulled from the wreckage of the Loch Ard two days after the disaster, remaining for many years displayed in the hallway of a Geelong residence before being purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in 1975. The peacock is currently valued at over $4million and was the highlight of museum, standing at 152 cms tall the detail and colours are stunning and worth paying the $18 entrance fee just to see. 

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Check out our adventure to the Historic Herberton Village in North Queensland 

Herberton Village

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Around Town

Shovel and I really enjoyed the relaxed slower pace of Warrnambool and had a wonderful four days exploring the area. The township of Warrnambool was first surveyed in 1846 with the name Warrnambool derived from local indigenous language meaning volcanic cone. But it was back in 1800 that the area now known as Warrnambool was first documented by Europeans when James Grant sailed past in the Lady Nelson. A replica of the ship is displayed at the Visitor's Centre in Mount Gambier. Warrnambool became an important shipping port, but due to the advent of the railway and the devastating coast line the port was closed in 1942. 

Jimmi Buscombe a local artist created the "wombat" drawing out of chalk on a rail underpass near his home as a practice run for street art he was commissioned to complete for the local city council. A local graffiti removalist loved the image so much that instead of removing it painted over it with an automotive clear paint immortalising the art work and providing an accidental platform for future commissions for the artist. We were told of this story by a lady in a beautiful homewares store called, Ink and Feathers.