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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Yellow Rock

Noel hadn't completed his tour or the Portland surrounds by afternoon tea time and more segments of the 250km Great South Western Walk were interlacing the main road. Signage indicated that we'd missed Yellow Rock. Noel was quick to remedy this. Wild life made sure it wasn't forgotten too. Initially rock wallabies appeared from the verges but then we spotted a really shy little critter.

 Spiny Norman? No, an Echidna!

Yellow Rock

It's a very noticeable feature of this popular surf beach with it's 'Stairway to surfers heaven'.

 Yes, the surfers were counting off the sets before pulling on their wetsuits

 Looking back towards Cape Nelson and it's wind farm

Cape Nelson lighthouse from the ocean together with nearby wind turbines.
Taken on the way to Portland a few days earlier.



Colour in the heathland



 



Red Topped Lighthouses of Portland, Victoria

The Bloke was just on the verge of donning a wet suit to make an inspection of Zofia's nether regions when  Noel Waugh, a retired local who has adopted us, arrived and asked if we would like to go out for a drive out of town. When? Now! We didn't take much persuading. Clothes back on. Camera in hand and we were off.

We had already strolled into town for a copy of the Weekend Australian earlier as we know now that the newsagents close at noon on a Saturday in regional towns. We posted a letter while we about it.

Here's the pillar box, not a lighthouse.
Now when did you last see one as elaborate?
Notice paper in hand too.

Then we walked along a portion of the Great South West Walk in Portland. It's 250km in its entirety but I let the Bloke off the bulk of it.

 Our walk wasn't without obstacles and hazards.


We had to check our bearings.

 We nearly stopped at Nuns Beach but the Bloke said "NO"!

"Come with me" he called, "you'll like this Jacobs Ladder"!

.. And he was right.... what a stunning view back along Nuns Beach.
Portland Marina and Port in the background.

Whalers Point Lighthouse on Whalers Bluff
41m above sea level.

Knock-knock who's there?

But I digress, Noel took us out after lunch to see the local terrain that he most likes to video. He has been a cameraman on a number of local productions and armed as we were, with our devices, we looked like the crew from a Cecil B DeMille production. This time we were on Western end of the GSW Walk.

Bridgewater Bay.
Just west of Portland between Cape Bridgewater and Cape Nelson.
This barely does the view justice

Part of the Cape Bridgewater wind farm. 
When we sailed past a few days earlier we had counted 29 towers but there could be more.

Since this location is on the Great South West Walk
there are lots of look-outs including this one near the 'Blowholes'.
The Bloke with Noel

 This Bluff is a part of a volcanic outpour

 A blowhole

The apex of Cape Bridgewater

At the foot of Cape Nelson we saw this Crayboat at work

And here as well!

 Up above to caution every mariner except the craymen stands the Cape Nelson Lighthouse.


Vital statistics


This is a properly handsome lighthouse n'est-ce pas?

One of the lighthouse keepers cottages.

              
 The Observation and Meteorological Centres

With all this looking and photographing we rewarded Noel with afternoon tea at the Lighthouse complex before launching off once more. Both Noel and the Bloke agreed that the Sticky Date Muffins made on the premises, with caramel sauce, cream AND ice cream (when too much is not nearly enough) were to die for!


Friday, August 29, 2014

Portland - Some first impressions


The Portland Marina is only a year or so old and is administered from a stunning building that also houses the Maritime Discovery Centre. It's probably part of an initiative by the Glenelg Shire to assist Portland reinvent itself now that the life of the Aluminium Smelter is under a cloud and the manufacture of giant wind turbines here also teeters on a knifes edge. It's devastating to see a town being brought to it's knees by public policy fads. Think Carbon Tax and RETS schemes and failure of the parliament to get budgets passed and offer some certainty. Residents here are VERY nervous and there are 800 properties for sale.

Couldn't resist the whimsical signage on the loo doors in the Maritime Discovery Centre.


 The Bloke at (a now) - 'Tourist' Tram Stop. 

It was there earlier... maybe next time

 Mosaic art on foreshore

Close up with the Bloke framed in the shell.
Bet his face is annoyed I'm taking so long!

It's a restaurant now

Macs Hotel
Built using local Portland blue stone (volcanic)

Cute lamp post in a roundabout in front of the Anglican Church.

There is a lots of history for us to learn here and fabulous old buildings signifying the ebbs and flows of boom times. The camera is going to get warm with the clicking.