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After starting the day with a relaxing breakfast at the Quest Warrnambool we took a leisurely stroll through the town and along the promenade beside Lake Pertobe.

My son was in need of a sun hat so after finding a suitable one we headed back to the car, driving the short distance to the Foreshore Promenade as recommended to us the previous evening by the hotel’s friendly receptionist. This historic 1890 breakwater has splendid views of both the harbour and town.

Both Middle and Merri Island sit just off shore and are the remains of an old sand dune built up thousands of years ago. We walked across the Merri River to Pickering Point. The trail started out on an elevated boardwalk offering good views of both islands.

Middle Island is where the Maremma dogs protect a colony of resident Little Penguins from foxes who cross at low tide. This breed of dog have also been used for centuries over in Italy to protect wildlife there.

Next on our itinerary was a visit to Tower Hill Park, a wildlife reserve around a large dormant volcano. Entry to the park is free with the entrance easily located on the Princes Highway, midway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy.

We’d planned to start our visit by popping into the visitor centre to learn about the geology and wildlife of the park but unfortunately this was closed at the time of our visit for renovations.

A picnic area surrounds the visitor centre and here we spotted several emus wandering around, our first sighting of these large flightless birds in their natural habitat. Native to Australia, the emu is the second largest bird after the ostrich. The emus didn’t seem bothered by people walking around and were more interested in scavenging for food from the picnic tables.

We followed the Wagon Bay Loop Walk, a nice easy hike on mostly flat terrain taking around 30 minutes. The self guided walk took us through the volcanic wetlands of the old lava flow along well maintained paths. In one section we spotted several koalas nestled high in the trees though unlike the beauty we saw at Cape Otway, these were a little too high for good photo opportunities but above you can spot an adorable koala with its young. As the cafe was closed we returned to the car heading in the direction of Point Fairy pausing along the way when we spotted a tortoise on the roadside verge.

It was easy to find a parking spot in Port Fairy, a small coastal town with the most enchanting of names. The town lies 28 km west of Warrnambool at the point where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean and is absolutely charming, living up to its name perfectly.

There’s a good selection of stores, colonial buildings and 19th century old stone cottages around town. In fact Port Fairy boasts so many fine examples of 1880’s architecture that more than 50 of its buildings are classified by the Australian National Trust. I found it difficult to get a good photo of the shopping streets as there were so many cars parked along the roads obstructing the view.

Many of the small shops along Bank Street were very inviting ranging from antiques to fashion boutiques, galleries and gift shops. Naturally there were several cafes and bakeries to choose from and with a queue snaking outside Cobb’s Bakery we thought it must be good and headed there. Neither of us could resist a hot meat pie which we tucked into out on the veranda alongside our barista made cappuccinos.

We then wandered down to the wharf through the historic port precinct on the Moyne River. It’s hard to believe that back in the 1850’s the port was the second busiest in the whole of Australia when wool, wheat and gold was loaded onto ships bound for England.

Back at the car it was then just a short hop to Martin’s Point where there’s a free car park for walking/cycling access across a causeway to Griffiths Island. The island was named after John Griffiths who was responsible for setting up the town’s whaling industry in the 1830’s. The island is now a protected sanctuary for bird life including shearwaters which are also known as mutton birds.

In need of walking off our tasty pies we decided to follow the looped trail around the island. From the end of the causeway we turned left towards the Port Fairy Lighthouse which we would have liked to have visited but was closed on the day of our visit so we just admired it from the outside. It was constructed from local bluestone in the late 1850’s and operated by a lighthouse keeper until the early 1950’s after which it was updated to an automatic operation using solar power.

Continuing the loop from the lighthouse, the path seemed to disappear resulting in us scrambling over some rocky patches, walking across sand dunes and along a beach before the path came back into sight.

Between June and October this part of the walk is noted for whale watching but as we were there in November there were none to be seen. Completing the full circuit took around an hour and it certainly blew the cobwebs away as it was quite gusty with me frequently having to hold onto my sun hat.

We drove back to Melbourne stopping at Campertown which lies at the foot of Mt. Leura. We’d hoped to find a cafe open but as it was late afternoon they were all closed so we had to manage without. Instead though, we enjoyed a wander along its pleasant high street which is lined with elm trees and has an impressive clock tower constructed in red brick Gothic style.

The town’s visitor centre is located in the former courthouse and was just about to close but asking nicely, we were able to pop inside for a look around. We were surprised to find a life sized statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns and his dog.

The statue was transported all the way to Campertown from London and for many years was located in the nearby Botanic Gardens. However due to vandalism it was moved for safe-keeping to inside the Shire Hall offices which also house the tourist office. The statue is actually in the window so if you are passing when the building is closed you can still catch a glimpse of this masterpiece.

On our way again, we followed a signpost up a winding, narrow road to the summit of Mount Leura. From the car park it was just a short walk to the viewpoint with its panoramic views across the region’s volcanic plains and Mount Sugarloaf.

There were a total of four possible trails to follow and because it was late we chose the shortest one to the Maar Lookout where we enjoyed more good views and a bench to sit on and admire them from.

Dotted around we found several information boards providing detailed information about how the volcanoes were formed. If you’re in the vicinity, this short detour can definitely be recommended.

Our final stop on our way back into Melbourne was in the town of Colac which lies in the heart of Victoria’s farming country. We parked close to the Botanic Gardens which were still open and free to visit. In the fading light we stretched our legs with a stroll along some of the main pathways which were lined with ancient oaks.

The gardens sit in an elevated position along the southern banks of Lake Colac with a viewing platform at one end from where we had views across the lake.

It was just a short stop in town as everywhere was closed so being in need of refreshments we called into a McDonalds for coffee and toasted sandwiches to put us on as it was still a two hour drive back to the centre of Melbourne.

Arriving back into the city centre late we returned the hire car to Enterprise then checked into Citadines on Bourke for our final night’s stay in Melbourne.

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