mount gambier.

So far, we've had the chance to spend time in two Australian States - Victoria and New South Wales. Ben has also been to Western Australia, when he spent a month working in Perth a few years ago. Recently, we both got to add another state to our list: South Australia!

Ben only gets one day off when he's out working on job sites, and we usually try to spend it exploring nearby attractions. On this particular day, he wanted to see some cool geographical sites, like sinkholes and volcanic craters (which sound absolutely terrifying - but he's a geologist so it goes with the territory, I guess). I wanted to see the newest X-Men movie. Fortunately, Mount Gambier had all these things. We decided to catch the movie first, and planned our drive accordingly. We crossed the border between Victoria and South Australia, revelled in our little milestone, and arrived at the theatre right on schedule. Except, the building was still closed.

Fun fact: there is a 30-minute time difference between Victoria and South Australia.

We decided to spend our extra half hour at the Umpherston Sinkhole. Also known as the Sunken Garden, this location began as a cave formed by the dissolution of limestone, whatever that means. And then it got tired of being a cave, so it collapsed and transformed into a sinkhole. It's super pretty, thanks to a man in the 1880's named James Umpherston, and it has a nice covered socialising area for up to 50 people to hang out. Also, there's a barbecue, because this is Australia.

After exploring the sinkhole, we drove back to the theatre for "X-Men: Days of Future Past." It was pretty great.

After the movie, we continued our tour of Mount Gambier's fascinating sights. Blue Lake is in an extinct volcanic crater. It apparently changes colours throughout the year: a bright cobalt blue in the summer months, turning into a bluish-gray hue in the winter. 

Centenary Tower is at the highest point of the district, and is at the top of a long, steep hill. The tower has a historic photo gallery of the surrounding lakes on display, and is open when its flag is flying - unfortunately, it wasn't open during our time there. The view itself was worth the climb, though.

view from the tower

The Cave Garden is a sinkhole right in the middle of the main city area. It has a beautiful garden, and is the location of an evening sound/light show depicting Indigenous Dreamtime Stories. The Cave Garden also directs storm water run-off from the city, into a waterfall, and down into the underground water system. Beautiful and functional: the ideal sinkhole.

"good luck exploring the infinite abyss."

Next on our sightseeing list was a delightful-sounding place called "Hell's Hole." It's apparently a water-filled sinkhole, so something new. The signs along the road joined forces with our GPS system to make us drive in circles, so we never ended up finding it. What a bummer.

Our last stop was the Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation park, a protected area for wildlife and a recognised "wetland of international importance." There is a walking trail that leads to a viewing platform, overlooking the wetland area. The pond is an ideal spot for snorkelling and cave diving (you need a permit for both), with great underwater visibility for observing aquatic life and limestone formations. 

trailblazing.

viewing platform

We had a great time in Mount Gambier, and it was a wonderful introduction to South Australia. Perhaps we'll be back for more exploring. And pretty sinkholes.

CK

the great alpine road.

Not to be confused with the Great Ocean Road, which we’ve written about previously and which includes the world famous Twelve Apostles, the Great Alpine Road is another tourist highway in Victoria which winds through the Victorian Alps.  It wasn’t necessarily high on the list of priorities to check out in East Gippsland, which is the portion of Victoria I had been working for a few weeks, but after exploring many of the other tourist attractions in the area I decided to take advantage of my last Sunday in the region to take a little drive.  And with no Candice to accompany me, it meant I could enjoy the drive with Manowar as my co-pilot.

the music of angels.

The southern end of the Great Alpine Road begins in Bairnsdale where I was working, so it was barely 10 minutes before I was winding my way through beautiful rolling hills admiring the contrast of the blue sky with the green grass dotted with cows and sheep.  The first part of the drive is fairly open and straight, but quickly gives way to a narrow and winding road that takes you deeper into the high country.  I normally don’t get car sick when I’m driving, but I had to take a break a couple times because the road was twisting and turning for so long.  After about 30 to 45 minutes of this, the road opens up a bit more after you pass through Omeo, a beautiful town situated up in the hills.  After Omeo I took the opportunity to stop at a few roadside areas that looked interesting, including Battle Point and Mother Johnsons Picnic Area en route to the highest point along the road: Mount Hotham.

One of my hopes in taking the drive was to have the opportunity to see some snow, as I think I was feeling a bit homesick knowing that it would soon be winter in Melbourne but that my chances of seeing snow in Melbourne were about as good as Seattle’s chances of having a November with no rain.  Most of my drive, as you can see, was beautiful and quite warm, so it was looking doubtful that I would get to see any snow.  But as I neared the summit, the sun went behind the clouds and the temperature dropped significantly until finally as I reached the peak of my journey, I saw it.  A tiny patch of snow at literally the highest point you can travel on the Great Alpine Road.  As I arrived a family had just finished building this Australian snowman, and there was also this one sign that had some snow and ice on it.  It wasn’t quite what I’m used to from seeing winters up in the Cascades, but it was still snow and I still loved it.

practically the north pole.

Frosty, is that... you??

As great as seeing snow was, the highlight of my trip came as I was traveling on my way back when I glimpsed my first Wedge-tailed Eagle.  For those that don’t know, the eagle is my spirit animal given to me by my father when I was a boy, and so I am always delighted to this day when I see one.  Back in Washington I was used to seeing bald eagles at least a few times a year, but since arriving in Australia I had not yet seen an eagle.  Finally my patience pulled off as I was rewarded with a glimpse of this beauty in a tree near the road.  It was a perfect way to end my journey.

BK

portland!

No, we didn't make a trip to Oregon this month. Or Maine. About four and a half hours from Melbourne is an Australian city called Portland - and it's pretty awesome.

Known as the "birthplace of Victoria," Portland is the oldest European settlement in the state, and has a rich history of wool, fishing, wind farms, and antique buildings. It is also the starting point of the Great South West Walk, a scenic 160-mile walking trail. The CBD is home to many cafes, boutique stores, restaurants, local artwork, memorials, and a cute little tram that runs along town.

WWII memorial

whalers bluff lighthouse

lots of roundabouts in the Portland CBD

the Immigration Wall, remembering many of the first settlers in Victoria

the Portland tram

view from part of the Great South West Walk

view from the CBD

The place we stayed at was a few kilometres from town, but in a great location by the water's edge. The view from across the street was okay.

Just kidding, it was AMAZING. My morning routine consisted of seeing Ben off to work, making a cup of coffee, dressing in my warmest layers, and sitting outside to watch the sun rise. It was usually pretty spectacular.

During nice days, I sat on a bench overlooking a cliff and read and journaled and wrote songs on my ukelele, watching ships come and go, waves crash along the bottom of the cliff, clouds forming magical shapes on the horizon, wondering how I even got to this place in my life.

About two weeks into our stay, a lady was walking her dog near the bench area, and asked me "have you seen any whales yet today?" Have I seen any... what?? Apparently my little reading/ukelele spot is a popular place to watch Southern Right Whales journey through the waters in the winter. Which is pretty much now. Later on in the day, I did spot some whales - what looked like a mother and a baby, coming up for air, their fins breaking through the blue waters off in the distance.

There is plenty to see and do in Portland, if you like history. There is a vintage car museum, a model train display, and a trail of historic buildings that have been renovated into restaurants, stores and houses. The Portland Maritime Museum is full of lots of interesting artefacts and information about the whaling/fishing industry, sailing, local shipwrecks, and brave sea rescues.

skeleton of a sperm whale that washed up on shore

this lifeboat saved a lot of people

The Fawthrop Lagoon features a paved walking trail, and is home to various birdlife and some beautiful bridges.

Apparently, Portland is one of the few Victorian cities where koalas often make public appearances. I didn't see any during our visit. I did, however, have a pretty close encounter with a speedy kangaroo (or perhaps a wallaby?) while I was out running. I was kind of surprised, because it was in a populated neighbourhood, heading directly into the heart of town. No one else seemed too fazed, though...

Portland is a wonderful place - full of history, art, wildlife, scenic views, friendly people, and creative inspiration. It was a real pleasure to be able to spend almost a whole month here, and I highly recommend visiting this delightful city.

CK