lakes entrance.

Although Ben's job site is in Bairnsdale, it's a really small city - so we decided to stay in the nearby township of Lakes Entrance for a week.

Originally known as Cunninghame up until 1915, Lakes Entrance is a really cool spot. Part tourist resort, part fishing port, it's a popular place for watersports, recreational fishing, and camping in caravan parks. The beautiful Cunninghame Arm Footbridge runs from the town to the ocean beach, and was built primarily due to the tourism industry. The bridge officially opened in 1937, began falling apart beyond use in the 60's, and was redone with concrete in 2009.

view from the bridge just before sunrise

The weather forecast for the entire week was a bit rainy but mild, and I was able to go on some lovely runs along the waterfront, all the way to the surf beach.

lookout tower

Because we're in the off-season, there weren't many people around during the weekdays, so it was a lovely place for solitary walks and exploration. However, my adventures ended abruptly when I began noticing a plethora of signs warning the public about "VENOMOUS BLACK TIGER SNAKES." I didn't see any, but it sounds like if I had, I wouldn't have lived long enough to tell about it...?

let me just sprint back to the hotel now.

We're still super intrigued by all the wildlife here, as it's all still very new and "exotic" to us. There were plenty of black swans and pelicans hanging out in the water, and I was fascinated to see quite a few jellyfish floating around. I know we have jellyfish in the States too, but I've never been in a public area where these fascinating creatures are very easy to see in the water, and pretty large, too. There were a few baby jellies in the shallow parts of the water, and even a playful one that did some acrobatic headstands.

"the only person standing in your way is you."

swimming around in plain sight, nbd.

The waterfront shopping area is home to some beach-themed boutiques, high-quality (and very friendly) cafes, and a bunch of "Op Shops" - short for "opportunity shops," which are what Australians call thrift stores. There are a series of beautiful wooden war memorials along the main street, and a sea shell museum that looks pretty cool from the outside.

tempting.

opportunity indeed.

memorials.

I love exploring new places on my own, but my favourite part of the week is showing Ben all the best spots.

yeah that's cold.

CK