Portland, Victoria - Waiting, Watching and Sawdust

 

We're still in Portland, waiting for a weather window to head west towards Adelaide. The winds in this area have been reasonable, but the winds further to the west have not. We have to wait for them to get in sync and play well together. Perhaps soon?

In the meantime, we haven't been bored in Portland. The sunrises and sunsets here have been awesome.

Beyond our first foray, we've been in town most everyday and always found something to amuse us. We walked out to the Fauna Park to watch the white kangaroos one day.

Another day, we visited the Maritime Discovery Museum which houses the famous Portland Lifeboat used in the rescue of passengers from the sinking ship Admella in 1859.

Also on display is a huge sperm whale skeleton, large enough to walk inside. Gives you a Jonah kind of feeling as you sit inside its ribcage. Both blue whales and southern rights still visit these waters frequently. Whenever one is spotted, they fly a yellow flag outside the Visitor's Center to alert folks to be on the lookout for spouts.

There's a vintage cable tram with a restored 1886 saloon car that travels a 3.5km route along the coast and harbor. We prefer walking, but we enjoyed watching a little bit of history pass by.

There's a charm to this little city … its little alleyways, historic bluestone buildings and street signs at each roundabout in town.

I did manage to get the cover and lifting harness made for the new outboard engine and the IRS tax prep work is done. Taxes are much easier now that we're unemployed and don't have much income.

The only negative thing about Portland ... it's done us dirty. The decks, canvas, the rigging … every surface inside and out is covered in sawdust from the wood chip plant across the bay. A good rainstorm of the non-violent variety would be a blessing.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

International World Thinking Day

Inspired by worldwide Girl Scouts/Girl Guides organizations. This year's dual themes are children's and mother's health.

George Washington's Birthday (2/22/1732)

Really! Eat some cherry pie!

National Margarita Day

End of a busy day celebrating? Relax with this wonderful tequila-based concoction OR enjoy it just as much without the alcohol.

Victoria's Discovery Coast - Gannets, Lighthouses and Wind Farms

 

Victoria's Discovery Coast is “ tucked away” in the southwest corner of the state. It wasn't tucked away well enough obviously, because we found it, although I don't think many other people do. It was a gorgeous, summer's day with blue skies, puffy clouds and wind in the wrong direction for sailing west. We hired a car for the day and took off to see what we could see. We expected lots of tourist traffic and crowded beaches, but surprisingly, we had the whole area pretty much to ourselves. School's in session here and perhaps for many, summer holidays are over.

Our first stop was at Australia's only mainland breeding gannet colony on Point Danger. We sailed by Lawrence Rocks and Point Danger on our approach, but didn't realize the rocks were virtually covered with gannets … some 6000 pairs. We thought all that white was perhaps bird poop and much of it probably is. We reached the mainland colony via gravel roads near the Alcoa Aluminium smelting plant. Evidently, the gannets moved ashore in 1996 because of overcrowding and the colony has continued growing ever since. In order to protect them from predators, Maremma sheep dogs are used as guards with great success. These dogs are also used to protect penguins. We saw no sheep dogs and no other people, but we certainly saw lots and lots of gannets.

We headed to Cape Nelson, a very scenic route along the high cliffed coast. The views were stupendous with miles of white sandy beach at the seaside. Several short walks, part of the 250km Great Southwest Walk, were marked and once again, we had them all to ourselves. Wind farms take advantage of the constant air movement here. Though we appreciate the fact that they're not using fossil fuels to generate energy and they're probably very efficient, they're certainly not very pretty.

We headed to Cape Bridgewater. If Shelley Beach was on the east coast of the USA (or Australia), there would have been no place for a towel. Here we counted six cars, a few folks walking on the beach and three surfers.

On the road before us, as we drove to the tops of the cliffs, a huge herd of wind generators seem to jump out in front of us. There are so many of them and they're so close to the road, it's kind of creepy. When you get out at the car park for a walk, you can hear the blades whizzing around. They always look like they're barely turning, but in actuality the outer tips of the blades travel at about 120 mph (193 km/h) and at maximum winds speeds spin at ~180 mph (290 km/h). We're told that the Portland Wind Energy Project is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere providing enough energy to supply electricity needs for 113,000 homes each year. We get the point, but still in our humble opinions … they're an eyesore in such a gorgeous area. We'd hate to be a bird in the vicinity.

We walked through the Petrified Forest which was not a “petrified forest” at all, but rather natural erosion of stone that looked more like a moonscape. We observed the blowholes nearby though they weren't blowing much because the sea had calmed significantly. For us, a calm sea is always preferable to super-duper blowholes.

We drove a loop back to Portland and stopped at the Tarragal Limestone Caves as we passed through the beautiful Bridgewater Lakes. The effort expended in the short, steep climb to the caves was somewhat wasted since the wind farm greatly obscured what would have been an outstanding view.

The farmlands in the area reminded us of the flat Midwest prairies of the USA. Stone foundations, remnants of days past, were evident in many paddocks (fields). We saw our first emu in the wild which pleasantly surprised us and one field had innumerable ibis feeding on whatever it is they feed on … grubs, seeds?

We ended the day at the Whaler's Bluff Lighthouse. This 1859 classic lighthouse structure was originally built elsewhere and transported to this spot later stone by stone. Views of Portland Harbour and Nun's Beach below us were spectacular. Discovery Coast … discovered.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Chocolate Mint Day

Didn't we just have peppermint patty day? Well, never too much chocolate or mint, I guess. Try something different though...how about chocolate ice cream with some mint candies crushed on top?

Exploring Portland - Victoria's Oldest Settlement

 

Arriving in Portland meant we were out of Tasmania, out of the Bass Strait and out of the Roaring 40's. The way the wind has been blowing, you'd never know it. There have been no worries about insufficient power; the wind generator is definitely churning out amps.

The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in the state of Victoria. It's a pleasant little city, easily accessible on foot. It's been an important deep-water port for the past 150 years, first as a whaling/fishing port, then sheep and wool. Now it is home to the third largest aluminium smelter in Australia and exports aluminum ingots, mountains of wood chips and mineral sand, primarily to Asia. We have a layer of brown sawdust on the deck to attest to the wood chip exports.

Originally founded by Edward Henty in 1834 (though the Aborigines were here millennia before), there are historical buildings along every one of Portland's main streets … 200 or more in town that date from the 19th century. Most are constructed of dark bluestone with which we were unfamiliar … a marked contrast to the golden sandstone we'd seen in Tasmania. Victorian bluestone is a basalt, quarried locally and one of the most common building materials of the 1850s during the Victorian Gold Rush. We took an historic walk through town, admiring these sturdy, built-to-last buildings. Most are still in use. The English Gothic style St. Stephens Anglican church and the old Town Hall were particularly impressive. Edward Henty's house is still around; we just haven't found it yet.

After a couple of days of sailing, it was good to stretch our legs. We took a long, self-guided walk along the Norfolk pine-lined foreshore to the Portland Botanical Garden. The garden is renowned for its manicured croquet lawns and its dahlias. Though it was a bit early in the season (March-April is prime), we still saw some dazzling dahlias.

We picnicked and observed hundreds of birds enjoying the day. Crazy looking long-billed corellas stared down at us from branches high above. Red wattle birds, honeyeaters and lorikeets flitted from tree to tree. We meandered along a canal and around the Fawthrop Lagoon where scads of waders, black swans and Australian pelicans were at work.

We haven't really shopped in a proper supermarket since Christmas Eve in Hobart. Little ports along the way have offered limited choices at high prices. We waltzed through the aisles of a new Super IGA, an Aldi and a Safeway, all within easy walking distance. What joy! We wanted everything: fresh greens and veggies and fruits, fresh chicken and mince, a loaf of bread that didn't cost $6.

Though we regularly complain about food prices in Australia, I guess it's all what you get used to. After Tasmania, the prices here seem a bargain. The limiting factor for purchases has been how much we can carry in a load, although multiple trips are not out of question. We did pass on the Vegemite and cheese sausage we saw advertised in the local butcher shop though. You gotta set some limits.

Dirty clothes have really been piling up. You'd think with just the two of us, it'd be easy to keep up with laundry, but that's not always the case. The cold weather has kept us in sweatshirts, t-necks, long pants and fleeces, all of which have become rather salt-caked and crusty, in need of major laundering and not easily done by hand. Then there are sheets and towels. It's endless, no matter where you are. We lugged everything to the local laundromat and I babysat four washers while David hunted down some new phone and internet vouchers. There's an “amenities” building in the town center which offers free hot showers. Clean sheets, some exercise, hot showers and freshies … life is good here.

Just as well that we like Portland because based on the current weather forecast, we might be here a few more days. No worries. The Tourist Info Center at the Maritime Discovery Center is only a stone's throw away on shore and it's loaded with info on walks and interesting things to do here. When the wind gods throw you lemons....

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

President's Day

Honoring all the President's of the USA in one fell swoop. A US national holiday making for a long winter weekend. Enjoy!

Drink Wine Day

Now we're talking. This is definitely my day to celebrate. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay...so much wine, so little time. Have a glass with dinner tonight.